Using Payment Data to Grow Laundromat Sales in Australia

The laundromat business isn’t just about washers and dryers anymore. It's about data. 

Every time a customer taps a card, uses Apple Pay, or scans a QR code, your laundromat quietly collects useful information: what time they visited, which machines they used, how much they spent, and how often they come back. 

That data can become a real growth lever, especially if you’re trying to grow laundromat sales without guessing your way through pricing, promotions, and operations.

And the upside is proven. Cashless laundromats commonly see meaningful revenue lifts after upgrading. Bubblepay reports that operators using cashless payments often see revenue lift (commonly cited as 17–22%) and, in some cases, larger average transactions—up to 120% more compared with cash. Results vary by location and store setup.

This guide breaks down practical ways Australian owners can use payment data to:

• Increase laundromat revenue with smarter pricing and offers

• Improve laundromat profitability by cutting downtime and inefficiency

• Build a laundromat loyalty programme that actually gets used

• Make business decisions with confidence (even if you’re not tech-savvy)

Along the way, you’ll see how a modern cashless laundromat payments setup (like Bubblepay’s kiosk + owner tools) enables these wins, without turning this into a sales pitch.

1. Start with the foundation: cashless or hybrid laundromat payments

You can’t use payment data if your payments are still locked inside coin boxes. Coin-only laundromats have two built-in problems:

1. You lose customers who don’t carry coins.

2. You lose insight into what’s really happening day-to-day.

Australia is trending away from cash. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s consumer payments data shows cash fell from around 70% of payments in 2007 to 13% in 2022, with the long-run decline accelerating during COVID and stabilising more recently. In other words, plenty of people still use cash, but many customers expect card and mobile wallet options now.

Why payment choice grows sales immediately

When customers can pay how they want, you remove friction:

• No “sorry, I’ve only got my phone”

• No leaving to find change

• No abandoned baskets of laundry

And there’s a second effect: spending increases when people aren’t limited to the coins in their pocket. Bubblepay’s figures claim customers can spend up to 120% more per transaction with cards versus cash.

Hybrid is often the smart Australian move

If you’re worried about alienating cash users, go hybrid:

• Keep coins available for customers who prefer them

• Add card, mobile wallet, and QR payments for everyone else

That “serve everyone” approach is one of the reasons hybrid payment kiosks are becoming the default upgrade path in competitive areas.

2. Turn payment data into “peak hour profit”

Once you’re taking digital payments, you can start doing something most coin laundromats can’t:

Measure demand by time and day. This is where laundromat business intelligence gets simple and useful – not complicated dashboards.

Look for patterns like:

• Which hours generate the most sales?

• Which days are underperforming?

• Which machine sizes are most popular?

• Are there predictable rushes (after work, weekends, rainy days)?

The simplest win is using transactions to spot demand patterns—then pricing and promos become decisions, not guesses..

Data-driven moves that grow laundromat sales

Here are high-impact tactics that don’t require “being a numbers person”:

Off-peak boosts (fill the dead zones)

• If Tuesday 1–4pm is slow, run an off-peak offer: “$1 off dryers 1–4pm weekdays” or “Midweek wash special”

• Measure lift week-on-week. Keep what works. Drop what doesn’t.

Peak pricing (protect your busiest hours)

• If Saturday mornings are packed, modest peak pricing can increase revenue without increasing workload.

• Your data helps you pick the right peak times instead of guessing.

Machine mix decisions (buy what customers actually use)

• If large-capacity machines are constantly busy while small machines sit idle, that’s a capital planning signal.

• You’re not just upgrading equipment, you’re investing in what the market is telling you it wants.

Payment data turns “I think…” into “I know…”, and that’s how you consistently increase laundromat revenue over time.

3. Use payment data to build a loyalty programme that actually works

Most laundromat owners don’t struggle to get one-time customers. They struggle to turn one-time customers into regulars.

That’s where a laundromat loyalty programme becomes a growth engine. But only if it’s frictionless.

Why loyalty is a sales multiplier

Loyalty lets you:

• Reward the customers you already have

• Increase visit frequency

• Increase lifetime value

• Reduce reliance on constant “new customer” marketing

One industry stat often cited is that 81% of customers are more likely to return when a business offers a loyalty programme.

What payment data unlocks

Once your system can recognise repeat behaviour (even in a basic way), you can run offers that feel personal without being creepy:

• “10 washes = 1 free”

• “Bonus credit when you preload $X”

• “Double points on quiet days”

• “Spend-based rewards” for bigger baskets

And because it’s tied to payments, it’s automatic. No paper cards. No staff training. No “forgot my punch card”.

Bubblepay positions loyalty as built into the payment flow, which matters because the best loyalty programme is the one customers actually use.

4. Reduce downtime and protect revenue with smarter ops

Growing sales isn’t only about marketing.

It’s also about making sure your machines are available, your site is running, and issues get handled fast.

How payment data helps operationally

A connected payment system can show:

• Which machines are earning (and which aren’t)

• Sudden drops that indicate faults or outages

• Patterns that suggest wear and tear (e.g., repeat refunds or failures)

Industry sources like The Laundry Boss notes that intelligent payment systems can be used to improve the customer experience and increase revenue by using insights from customer behaviour, and that analytics can support secure, genuine transactions.

Why this grows laundromat profitability

Every hour a machine is down is:

• Lost revenue

• Customer frustration

• Increased chance they try another laundromat next time

Modern systems often include owner dashboards and remote tools so you can respond quickly even if you’re not on-site.

Bubblepay also emphasises reliability via offline functionality and a high transaction success rate, which matters because losing payments during an outage is the fastest way to lose trust (and sales). Offline mode protects sales during outages and avoids “payment failed” frustration.

5. Make marketing decisions with evidence, not vibes

Data-driven laundromat marketing strategies that actually work

Here’s the honest truth:

Most laundromat marketing strategies are either random (“let’s try Facebook ads”) or passive (“hope people find us”).

Payment data lets you run marketing like a business owner, not a gambler.

Simple, effective laundromat marketing strategies powered by data

Promote what’s underused

• If dryers are underperforming, create a dryer-focused offer.

• If premium machines are underused, bundle them with a bonus (e.g., “$1 credit when you choose the 14kg washer”).

Target slow periods

• Your data tells you when you need demand.

• That’s when promos are most profitable.

Measure promotions properly. Instead of “it felt busier,” you can compare:

• Transactions and revenue during the promo period vs last week

• Average basket size

• Repeat visit rate over the next 2–4 weeks

That feedback loop is how you consistently grow laundromat sales without discounting your business into the ground.

6. Why upgrading doesn’t have to feel “too tech”

A lot of owners avoid modernising because they picture:

• Complex installs

• Confusing software

• Support headaches

• Customers getting stuck

The right system should feel like this:

• Payments become easier

• You see what’s happening

• Your workload goes down

Bubblepay’s brand voice is intentionally confident, direct, and no-nonsense, focused on speed, control and clarity rather than tech jargon. And if you’re choosing a provider, practicality matters:

• Does it support hybrid payments?

• Is it reliable if the internet drops?

• Is support local and easy to reach?

• Does the data actually help you make decisions?

Those are the questions that protect your investment.

Ready to grow laundromat sales with less guesswork? 

If your goal is to increase laundromat revenue and stay competitive in Australia, payment data is one of the cleanest levers you can pull.

You don’t need to become an analyst. You just need a system that captures the right information and makes it easy to act on.

If you want to see what that looks like in practice, book a Bubblepay demo and explore how hybrid payments, real-time insights, and simple loyalty tools can help you grow without adding admin.