If you own your ATM and load the cash yourself, good cash management practices keep your machine profitable and secure. Here’s what every ATM owner in Texas should know.

How Much Cash to Load

The right amount depends on your transaction volume and how often you want to refill. A good rule of thumb:

Low volume (50–100 transactions/month): Load $2,000–$3,000 every 1–2 weeks
Medium volume (100–200 transactions/month): Load $3,000–$5,000 weekly
High volume (200+ transactions/month): Load $5,000–$10,000 twice per week

Start conservative and adjust based on your machine’s usage reports. Most ATM software will alert you when cash is running low.

Denomination Mix

Stock primarily $20 bills — they’re the most commonly dispensed denomination and the standard for single-cassette ATMs. If your machine has dual cassettes, consider loading $20s in one and $50s in the other to give customers withdrawal flexibility and reduce refill frequency.

Security Best Practices

Cash loading is the most vulnerable moment in ATM operations. Follow these practices:

Load during off-peak hours when fewer people are in the store
Never load alone — have a second person present as a lookout
Don’t announce that you’re loading cash or discuss amounts in front of customers
Vary your schedule — don’t load at the same time every week
Use a safe or locked cabinet to store ATM cash before loading
Count and record every load — reconcile against your processor’s settlement reports

Reconciliation

After each load, verify the amount in your processor’s online portal. Most processors show real-time cash levels and transaction counts. If the numbers don’t match, investigate immediately — discrepancies are much easier to resolve when caught early.

When to Use a Cash Loading Service

If you process more than 200 transactions per month, or if you simply don’t want the responsibility, a third-party cash loading service (also called “vault cash”) can handle everything. The service charges a small percentage of the cash deployed, but it eliminates your security risk and time commitment.

TexCash Solutions offers cash loading services for ATM owners across Texas. Contact us to learn more.

Keep Your ATM Earning

A well-managed ATM is a reliable income stream. The key is consistency — keep it stocked, keep it clean, and keep it running. If you need help with any aspect of ATM ownership, from cash loading to maintenance to processing, reach out to TexCash Solutions.