On a Friday morning in June 2025, I walked through our 4,800‑sq ft laundromat in the Milford, Ohio neighborhood of Cincinnati and saw a sight that would have shocked me fifteen years ago. Customers were no longer waiting to feed quarters into coin boxes; instead, they tapped loyalty cards, used their credit cards at the machines and even used their mobile phones against shiny new payment readers. My wife Carla and I bought our first laundromat that we eventually branded Queen City Laundry, off Craigslist in 2010 when nearly every laundromat was still coin‑operated. For years I resisted modernizing our payments because I believed our suburban and rural customers weren’t ready for credit cards and phone payments. But experience and data have proved me wrong. Over the past two years we have been phasing in digital payments, culminating this summer with the installation of Laundroworks kiosks and Cents penny readers in our stores that allow us to eliminate coins entirely. Note: Our Amelia and Mt Washington stores still accept Dollar Coins as of writing of this newsletter, mostly because they were already there when we made this discovery of our Milford location.
In this article I’ll share why I changed my mind, and we decided to go coinless, how we rolled it out to our customers, and what we’ve learned along the way. My hope is that by telling our story from the owner’s perspective, other laundromat operators can avoid my mistakes and seize the opportunities that modern payment systems provide.
➡️ How We Moved from Coins to Cards
I’ve become known in the industry as the “Laundromat Millionaire” through my podcast and coaching, but for most of my career I’ve been conservative about change. When we purchased our first store in 2010, almost no laundromats offered anything but coin mechanisms for payment. Even as the share of card‑operated laundromats grew, I believed our community would resist. To keep our cash‑only customers comfortable, we designed a phased hybrid approach.
Step 1: Adding credit‑card readers. Our first move was to install Cents Penny readers on the washers and dryers in our Amelia, and eventually our Mt Washington stores. These readers allowed customers to insert a credit card for payment. I expected pushback, but to my surprise people loved them, in fact, we started getting complaints at our other Queen City Laundry locations that we didn’t accept credit cards there.😂
Step 2: Enabling phone and QR payments. After seeing customers insert their credit cards, we added QR code capabilities so they could pay from a mobile wallet. Again, adoption was instant. Watching folks skip the coin changers and start machines with their phones convinced me we were onto something.
Step 3: Installing Laundroworks kiosks. The real game changer arrived in early 2025 when we deployed our first Laundroworks Value Add Center, or “kiosk”. These kiosks issue a reusable loyalty card that can be loaded with cash, credit/debit or EBT funds and then tapped on a reader to start a machine. We offered customers a 25% bonus when they loaded cash—$25 in value for $20 bill—to encourage them to try it out. The response was overwhelming; even before our second kiosk was plugged in, customers were asking if they could use it. Within months I was making plans to roll out Laundroworks across all four of our locations.
This staged rollout wasn’t accidental. I deliberately “boiled the frog,” as I like to say, by starting with simple credit‑card readers and gradually introducing more features. By the time we offered loyalty cards, customers were not only ready but eager to see us modernize more.
👍🏻Transparency and Support on Social Media
As we modernized, I decided to be transparent about the process through our influencing platform, Laundromat Millionaire. On our social media channels, I shared each step—both successes and challenges. In one Instagram reel I posted: “At Queen City Laundry we aren’t afraid to research, test, survey and have in‑depth, private conversations, all in the name of being the best in our market. Then once we’ve done our homework, we act … Laundroworks by Cents, coming to Queen City Laundry asap”. It was important for me to communicate that this wasn’t a knee‑jerk reaction to a trend but a well‑researched decision.
Another post emphasized the human side of the rollout: “One of the keys to a successful transition from coins only to coinless is support. Our leadership has worked hard to support our team members, and now our team is working hard to support customers in learning the new system … We’ve overstaffed our store so that every customer is greeted at the door [and] walked through the entire process … early feedback is that the modernization of our payment system is a raging success … Customers love the ease of use of the Laundroworks loyalty system paired with Cents penny readers and their phone pay app”. By overstaffing, providing bilingual handouts and personally walking customers through each step, we transformed potential confusion into trust. Social media helped us set expectations and celebrate small wins too.
💳Why Are We Going Coinless?
Convenience for our customers
Carrying, and using coins is inconvenient, full stop. Studies show that 78% of consumers worldwide prefer digital or contactless payments and that 58% of U.S. shoppers would avoid businesses that lack contactless options. When we offered card readers, our customers confirmed those statistics; our suburban and rural patrons embraced digital payments faster than I ever imagined. Industry data suggests that laundromats offering card and mobile payments see a 15‑20% boost in customer satisfaction, and my experience aligns with that—people enjoy the convenience of starting a machine with one tap, or insert of their card, and not having to count coins.
Higher revenue and loyalty programs
Modern payments aren’t just about convenience; they also drive sales. According to Laundroworks’ return‑on‑investment analysis, laundromats that add card systems often see a 20‑35 % revenue increase in the first year. A comprehensive guide to payment systems also notes that stores using Laundroworks experience 10‑15% revenue growth and a 15‑20% rise in customer satisfaction. We’ve already noticed customers spending more per visit, even in a short period of time. Our 25% bonus for loading funds onto loyalty cards encourages larger balances and ultimately drives loyalty.
Operational efficiency and remote management
Coins are heavy, dirty and time‑consuming. Before we modernized, I spent hours emptying hoppers and hauling quarters, then my management team took over that task for me. I was certainly pleased to free myself from that duty, but still not loving the idea of our most valuable team members doing the same. With Laundroworks, the money goes straight into a virtual till. I can see payments instantly, adjust vend prices remotely and start or refund machines from my couch. Of course, we are fully attended so that’s not often necessary for us, but a nice luxury, nonetheless. The readers use a mesh wireless network with offline capability, so they keep working even if the internet goes down. These features reduce labor, minimize errors and let our team spend more time on strategy instead of counting coins.
Better security
Cash in the store or machines attracts unwanted attention. Coin‑operated laundromats face risks of theft and coin shortages; It is well known that these are among the cons of staying with coins. Laundroworks stores card balances securely on an embedded chip and supports contactless payments. Reducing the cash on premises not only makes our stores safer but also cuts insurance costs.
Expanding our customer base
A major benefit of digital systems is the ability to accept more payment types, including EBT. Laundroworks kiosks let customers reload cards with cash, credit/debit cards or EBT, which is vital for low‑income families. Despite our move toward digital, roughly 70% of revenue in U.S. laundromats still comes from cash. Offering both cash and digital options broadens our reach and ensures we don’t exclude anyone, even if we no longer accept coins directly at the machines.
Data‑driven pricing and analytics
Coins can’t tell you which machines are busiest or how long customers stay, at least not easily. Digital systems can to the minute. Being able to monitor real‑time activity and adjust prices accordingly helps us maximize revenue and schedule maintenance before machines break. It’s like going from driving with your eyes closed to having a full dashboard of gauges.
🗣️Concerns and How We Addressed Them
The cost of upgrading
I won’t sugarcoat it: these systems aren’t cheap. Laundroworks acknowledges that owners bringing in only $2,000‑$3,000 per week may struggle to justify the investment and I agree with that sentiment. I hesitated for years, worrying about the price tag but more importantly, worrying about customer acceptance in my communities. What ultimately convinced me was the long‑term outlook. The ROI analysis argues that delaying modernization can be more costly because cash‑only operators risk losing customers, incur higher labor costs and face greater security risks. By starting with a few readers and reinvesting the extra income into more units, we spread the expense over time. Financing options can also help too, especially in a full retool situation.
Technical glitches and training
Digital systems sometimes fail or are confusing to customers. We mitigated this by overstaffing during the transition and offering written, bilingual instructions. Laundroworks readers feature offline capability, meaning our machines keep running even if the kiosk temporarily loses internet. Staff training and customer training are essential. The extra labor early on pays dividends later when the system runs smoothly and we’re pretty much already there, even in our newest store.
Fears about customer demographics
I used to think that older or lower‑income customers wouldn’t adopt modern payment methods, boy was I wrong. Our experience proved the opposite: our customers were frustrated when we didn’t have card readers, and we had more complaints with every passing day. With proper support, even those unfamiliar with digital payments adapt quickly. If your demographic truly prefers coins, you can install a hybrid system that allows both which we’ve done at 2 of our stores. Cents penny readers can coexist with coin drops giving you that hybrid flexibility. I’m not suggesting you remove coins overnight; rather, give people options and track adoption as we did in our first two stores.
🤯 Lessons I’ve Learned
Looking back, here are some key takeaways from our journey:
- Trust your customers. I underestimated them. People expect tap‑to‑pay everywhere—laundromats included. After all, it’s 2025 you know. Industry data shows digital payments actually boost satisfaction, and my customers confirmed that.
- Test before you commit. We piloted card readers in one store, measured usage and listened to feedback. Start small, then expand based on real data.
- Reward adoption. Instead of forcing change, we offered a 25% bonus for loading cash on loyalty cards. Incentives and rewards build goodwill and encourage repeat visits. We won’t offer that forever, but it’s helped in the transition. Another tool in your tool belt.
- Overprepare your team. Transitioning to digital payments isn’t just a hardware swap; it’s a customer service challenge. We did advanced training for our staff, then overstaffed the store for a few weeks, and of course, we greeted customers at the door and provided bilingual guides upon reopening.
- Leverage the data. Modern systems give you real‑time visibility into revenue and machine usage. Use those insights to adjust pricing, schedule maintenance and create targeted promotions. It’s nice to finally have these tools at our fingertips.
- Integrate with business management tools. Laundroworks integrates with Cents’ POS and management platform, enabling scheduling, pickup and delivery management, and employee tracking. Being able to manage pickup‑and‑delivery services and running reports remotely has enhanced our operations.
- Keep coins where needed—but be ready to let them go. Hybrid systems are a good starting point. While many stores still generate most of their revenue from cash, adoption of digital payments can be surprisingly fast. Our goal is to eventually eliminate coins and transition fully to loyalty cards at all stores. Give your market a chance to speak; you might find they’re more than ready. I know that I now feel a bit silly looking back over the last 7-8 years or so.
🔮 Looking Ahead
Cash isn’t disappearing overnight; even with a modern system, laundromats remain mostly cash‑based but I do believe that coins specifically have seen their best days. But the direction is clear: consumers want digital options, and advanced systems like Laundroworks benefit both customers and owners. In addition to revenue and efficiency gains, they enable innovations such as remote starts, EBT acceptance and dynamic promotions. Many owners say remote management has cut their workload dramatically; one operator I spoke with reduced their hours from 80 per week to just 20. I feel the same freedom allows me to spend more time with my family, frees up our leadership team and allows us all to focus on growing our business.
When I reflect on our journey, I’m reminded of something I said recently: “I have come full circle in the 15 years I’ve been in the industry. I’m going to become a card guy … Our goal … is to eventually eliminate coins completely and transition fully to loyalty cards”. If you’re still debating whether to modernize your payment system, take it from someone who resisted and then embraced it: start researching, test a system, and be prepared to act. Your customers already expect it, and your business will likely be stronger for it. Here’s to another form of modernization at Queen City Laundry.
As always, Carla and I are rooting for you.
You can do it. We can help. 🙏❤️
– Dave
