Key takeaways
- Start by finding your current vending agreement and noting its end date, renewal and notice terms.
- Line up your new provider before you give notice, so the swap can happen on one planned day.
- A good swap means the old machine leaves and the new one goes in close together, with no stretch of empty floor.
- Stellar handles the site visit, timing, delivery, install and first stocking at no cost to qualifying locations.
Why locations switch in the first place
Most people do not wake up wanting a new vending company. They switch after months of small frustrations: a machine that rejects bills, empty rows that stay empty, a repair request that goes nowhere, or a card reader that was promised and never showed up.
The good news is that switching is usually simpler than people expect. The part that takes some care is timing. Handle it in the wrong order and you can end up with the old machine gone and nothing in its place, which is exactly the complaint you were trying to fix.
If you are still deciding whether your current provider is the problem, our post on how a modern vending company differs from an old-school one lays out what good service should look like.
Step one: find your current agreement
Before you call anyone, dig up whatever you signed with your current vending company. It may be in a property file, an old email thread, or with whoever managed the building before you. If you cannot find it, ask the current provider for a copy. That is a normal request.
Look for a few specific things:
- The end date. Is the agreement for a set term, or does it run month to month?
- Automatic renewal. Some agreements renew on their own unless you give notice before a certain date.
- Notice terms. How much notice do you have to give, and does it need to be in writing?
- Removal terms. Who removes the machine, and how soon after the agreement ends?
- Ownership. Confirm the machine belongs to the vending company and not to your business or landlord.
Tip: Put the notice deadline on a calendar the moment you find it. Missing a renewal window by a few days is one of the easiest ways for a switch to get pushed back.
Step two: line up the new provider before you give notice
This is the step people skip. They send the cancellation first, then start shopping, and that creates the gap. Instead, talk to your new provider while the old machine is still running, so you know the new setup and install timing before the old company schedules its pickup.
When you talk to a new provider, ask the practical questions:
- Do we qualify for a free placement, and how fast will you confirm it?
- What machine do you recommend for our space and our crowd?
- Does it take cards and phone payments?
- How do you decide what to stock, and how often do you restock?
- How do refunds and repairs work?
- What does your agreement look like, and how do we end it if we need to?
If cash-only machines are part of why you are switching, read why cash-only vending machines cost your location sales. Make sure your next machine takes tap-to-pay, chip cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay from day one.
Step three: plan swap day
Once the new provider has visited and confirmed the setup, you can set the timing. The goal is simple: the old machine leaves and the new one arrives as close together as possible, ideally on the same day or back to back.
A few details make swap day go smoothly:
- Give notice in writing to your current provider, following the terms in your agreement, once you know the new install timing.
- Ask for a pickup date and share it with your new provider so they can schedule around it.
- Check the path. Doorways, elevators and any steps between the loading area and the machine spot matter for both removal and delivery.
- Confirm the outlet. A standard 110V outlet near the spot is all most machines need.
- Tell people. A short note to staff or residents explaining that a new machine is coming heads off confusion and support tickets.
If you manage a building, our facility manager’s guide to hands-off vending covers what to expect once the new machine is running.
How to avoid a gap in service
Gaps happen for a few predictable reasons: notice went out before the new provider was ready, the old company picked up early, or the new machine was the wrong size for the spot. Each one is avoidable.
Keep the order straight: agreement first, new provider second, notice third, swap day last. Share dates with both companies. Measure the space during the site visit so there are no surprises when the truck arrives.
If the old provider is slow to pick up, ask your new provider whether the new machine can go in a nearby spot for a short time. That only works when there is room and a second outlet, so bring it up during the site visit.
Ready to switch? Tell us about your location and your current agreement, and we will plan the swap around your dates.
What Stellar handles when you switch
When a location switches to Stellar Vending, most of the work is on our side. We confirm whether you qualify within one business day, and most locations with 50 or more people on-site daily do. Then we schedule a free site visit to look at the space, the outlet and the path in, and recommend the right machine.
From there, we plan around your current agreement. Install typically happens within about 7 days of the site visit, depending on the machine, and we line that up with your old provider’s pickup so the spot is not empty for long. We handle delivery, installation and the first stocking.
For qualifying locations, the machine, delivery, installation, stocking, service and repairs are all free. You provide a spot about 4 by 4 feet near a standard outlet. Our placement agreement is simple and can be ended with 30 days’ notice, so you are never locked in. The full process is laid out in how free vending placement works.
You can choose from touchscreen snack machines, glass-front drink machines, combo machines or AI smart coolers for fresh food and cold drinks. See our vending machines in Las Vegas, or compare options in smart cooler vs. vending machine. Machines can also be custom wrapped so they look clean and modern in your space.
After the swap
Every Stellar machine reports stock and sales live, so restocking is planned from real sales data instead of guesswork. Busy locations are typically serviced 2-3 times per week. If something breaks, our local team is on site within 24 hours of a report. Refunds work by scanning the QR code on the machine or using our report an issue form, and the money goes back to the card or phone used.
We serve locations across the valley, from offices in Summerlin to warehouses in North Las Vegas and apartment communities in Henderson. If you run a breakroom, our office vending page shows what a typical setup looks like.
Where to start
Find your agreement and note the end date and notice terms. Then talk to us before you send notice, so we can plan swap day together. You can request a free machine on our home page, check common questions on our FAQ, or reach the local team through our contact page.
ComparisonsStellar vs. the old-school vending company: the differences that matterNot all vending companies run the same way. Here is how a modern local operator compares with a typical old-school one, point by point.Read the post 
ComparisonsWhy cash-only vending machines cost your location salesIf your machine only takes bills and coins, many people walking past it cannot buy anything. Here is what cashless vending changes for your location.Read the post 
GuidesHow free vending placement works, step by stepFrom your first request to a stocked machine, here is exactly how free vending placement works with Stellar, and what your location needs to provide.Read the post