Cards + Coins System vs. Complete Card System – Which is Right for Me?

What are the main differences between a cards + coins laundry system and a complete card laundry system and how do you decide which is the right fit? There are a number of factors you want to consider when making this decision. In this blog post, we are going to address the benefits and differences between FasCard, our hybrid (cards/coins) system, and LaundryCard, our complete card system, to help you determine the best choice for your laundromat business.

Convert all machines or add card readers over time?

FasCard is a hybrid system, allowing machines to continue to accept coins but also accept credit/debit and loyalty cards. The FasCard system works with existing coin laundry machines and since there is no minimum card reader purchase, FasCard allows you to start small and grow over time. You can start with a few machines and add more over time or outfit your entire Laundromat with readers.

LaundryCard is exclusively a coin replacement system where ALL machines are converted to accept cards. LaundryCard is a complete card system, replacing all of the traditional coin mechanisms with networked card readers in a store. Customers get a loyalty card from a kiosk by inserting cash or a credit card and the value added to the loyalty card can then be used to start a machine.

Eliminate coins or take all forms of payment?

A hybrid system can be appealing to your customers because it gives them the choice to pay any way they choose. FasCard gives you the flexibility to accept any or all payment options available. Coins, credit/debit cards, or loyalty cards, accept them all or any combination of them. Customers can even insert some coins and swipe their card for the balance! Both the original FasCard reader and the F2 Card Reader accept multiple forms of payment. In addition, the FasCard App lets your customers pay digitally through an interface on their smartphone, so your customers always have a way to use your machines.

Having a complete card system allows you to take advantage of penny incremental vend pricing and gives you the ability to run several different promotions. Penny incremental pricing has a powerful effect on your bottom line. You can actually see how LaundryCard would benefit your laundromat with our online Profit Calculator. Since there are no coins, this makes for easy collecting and will save you lots of time as an owner. You will also have a great customer loyalty because customers have remaining money on their laundry cards. This unused balance on the cards is called float, and this can result in a lot of additional revenue for you.

How large is your laundromat?

FasCard is designed to meet the needs of laundries of all sizes. Multi-housing laundry rooms in apartment buildings, hotels, and condominium buildings will benefit from this cost-effective system designed to accept any combination of coins, credit or debit cards, and loyalty card. If your project requires less than 40 machines then from purely a financial perspective you might want to be considering FasCard as the initial investment in LaundryCard may be tough to justify.

LaundryCard is perfect for new and existing stores with 40 or more machines. If your application is larger than 40 machines then the decision should be based on whether or not you want to continue to accept coins in your store. For medium to large Laundromat projects, LaundryCard in most cases is the best option, as it provides valuable automation tools to help operate the Laundry.

What type of networking equipment do you want?

LaundryCard is what is known as an ‘On-Premise’ system, this means that when you purchase LaundryCard you are purchasing all of the servers and networking equipment needed to run the system and host all of this equipment in your store. In contrast, FasCard is what is known as a ‘Cloud Based’ system, all of the servers and networking equipment is all located in our data center and all that is required onsite is a reliable internet connection. While LaundryCard’s card readers are all hardwired to the central system, FasCard card readers are all wireless and require little to no network cabling.

What do you want to track and automate?

By installing a FasCard hybrid system, you can audit both coin and card sales on any specific machine. This will give you the ability to not only track the success of your credit card sales but monitor the number of coins in each machine. FasCard will send you email notifications when coin boxes reach capacity so you can schedule your coin collections accordingly and collect only when you need to. With FasCard you can offer time of day pricing and loyalty programs to both coin and card customers.

Our complete card system, LaundryCard, focuses on automating your laundromat by eliminating coin, handling all cash collections, employee management, equipment service, store marketing and reporting, and much more, saving you lots of time. LC is a holistic laundromat solution that gives store owners all the tools they need to manage their laundromat in one integrated system and these tools can be accessed and managed remotely from anywhere Internet is available. LaundryCard’s feature rich loyalty card system is a good investment if you are a owner looking to free up time, automate your laundromat and offer lots of features to your customers.

Both cards + coins (FasCard) and complete card (LaundryCard) systems have their benefits. With over 30 years of experience in the self-service laundry industry, Card Concepts Inc. (CCI) designs all of its solutions with both the operator and end user in mind. Contact us today and let our experts help you find the best system solution that fits both the needs of you and your customer!