ATM programs for businesses: free placement or your own machine
CELER Merchants arranges two ways to put an ATM in your business. With free placement, CELER or a partner places and services the machine and you earn a share of the surcharge. With buy or lease, you own the machine and we set up the processing, the surcharge and the cash-loading options. Figures vary by location, so we quote after a site review.
- No machine prices, splits or earnings are published here, because they depend on your site
- Both programs are quoted in writing before you commit
- Every placement is subject to a site review and approval
Step 1 of 4 · takes about 40 seconds
How an ATM program works
- Tell us about the location. Business type, address, how much cash your customers use. The form above takes under a minute.
- Site review. We look at foot traffic, existing cash use, where the machine would sit, and power and connectivity.
- Choose a structure. Free placement, buy, or lease. You get the terms in writing, including who services the machine and what happens at the end of the term.
- Install and go live. The machine is installed, the surcharge notice is set up, and the cash-loading arrangement starts.
CELER Merchants is an independent agent and referral partner. The ATM itself is placed or sold by CELER or a partner operator, and the agreement names which one.
Free placement or owned: how they compare
| Item | Free placement | Buy or lease |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the machine | CELER or a partner operator | You |
| Upfront cost to you | Varies; quoted after a site review | Purchase price or lease payments; varies; quoted after a site review |
| Who services the machine | CELER or the partner operator | Set up with you; written into the agreement |
| Who loads the cash | CELER or the partner operator | Depends on the cash-loading option you choose |
| What you earn | A share of the surcharge; the split varies and is quoted after a site review | The surcharge you set, less network, processing, cash, service and other costs |
| Who sets the surcharge | The machine's owner, under the program agreement | You, as owner, within the disclosure rules |
| Compliance duties | Mostly with the operator; you provide the site | With you as owner, including fee disclosure and accessibility |
| Ask before signing | Term, renewal, exclusivity, removal terms, who is responsible for the machine and the cash, and any fee that falls on you | |
Neither route is better for every business. Free placement asks less of you and gives you a smaller share. Owning asks more of you and lets you keep the machine's revenue after its costs.
Who qualifies
ATMs suit places where customers carry less cash than they need. Common fits:
- Convenience stores and gas-station shops
- Bars, nightclubs and restaurants
- Salons, barbershops and other service businesses where cash tips and payments still happen
- Hotels and lodging
- Events, festivals and venues, including temporary placements
- Cash-heavy retail, including cannabis-adjacent retail only where it is legal and the operator accepts it
Every placement is subject to a site review and approval. We look at foot traffic, cash use, space, power and connectivity, and we tell you if a machine would not pay its way.
Rules that apply to ATM surcharges
In the United States, Regulation E (12 CFR 1005.16) requires an ATM operator that charges a fee to give the customer a notice that a fee will be imposed, and the customer must choose to continue. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Regulation E 1005.16, checked 1 Nov 2026.
In Canada, Interac says you can house an ABM on your business premises and apply a surcharge, as long as it is properly disclosed to the customer. Source: Interac, install an ABM, checked 1 Nov 2026.
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design say that where ATMs are provided, at least one of each type at each location must comply with section 707. Source: ADA.gov, 2010 Standards, checked 1 Nov 2026. Whether that duty falls on you or the operator is set out in your agreement.
ATM networks
An ATM joins one or more networks, which decide which cards can use it. Two names come up often:
- Allpoint. Allpoint's website says the network is owned and operated by NCR Atleos and offers surcharge-free cash at 55,000 ATMs in high-traffic retail locations. Source: Allpoint, checked 1 Nov 2026. Allpoint placements are made by the network, not by CELER.
- Euronet. Euronet's website says its Payments Infrastructure segment operates ATM networks, payment processing services and merchant acquiring solutions. It does not say where its ATM networks operate. Source: Euronet, checked 1 Nov 2026.
Which networks your machine joins is part of what we confirm before you sign. Network names are trademarks of their owners and are used here for identification only.
Compare more than your ATM
If you take cards, the ATM is one part of what you pay. Send us a statement and we name every fee. See our statement analysis, the savings calculator, payment solutions and the processor comparisons.
All trademarks belong to their owners. CELER Merchants is not affiliated with or endorsed by Allpoint, NCR Atleos, Euronet, Interac or any other company named on this page.
ATM questions
In a free-placement program, CELER or a partner ATM operator places and services the machine in your business, and you earn a share of the surcharge. The exact operator, the split and the contract terms are set out in your written agreement. The split varies, and we quote it after a site review.
Yes. You can buy or lease a machine. CELER sets up the processing, the surcharge and the cash-loading arrangement. As owner you take on the operating costs and the compliance duties, such as disclosing the fee to the customer. See the buy-or-lease page for the details.
The machine's owner. In the United States, Regulation E lets an ATM operator charge a fee if the customer is shown a notice first and chooses to continue. In Canada, Interac says the owner of an ABM can apply a surcharge as long as it is properly disclosed to the customer.
It varies by location, foot traffic, how many people use cash, the surcharge and the program. We do not publish a typical figure because it would not be reliable. We quote after a site review and put the split in writing.
It varies by machine, term and options, and we do not publish prices. We quote after a site review so the figure matches what you actually need.
Convenience stores, bars and restaurants, salons, hotels, event venues and other cash-heavy retail are common fits. Cannabis-adjacent retail can be considered only where it is legal and the operator accepts it. Every placement is subject to a site review and approval.
It depends on the program. In free placement, CELER or the partner operator services the machine. If you own the machine, the cash-loading options are set up with you before go-live, and the cost and responsibility are written down.
No. CELER Merchants is an independent agent and referral partner. ATM networks such as Allpoint, which is owned and operated by NCR Atleos, are separate companies. Which networks a machine joins is part of what we confirm in the agreement.