Coins are quickly becoming the cassette tapes of the hospitality world: once essential, now mostly inconvenient. For New Zealand motel owners, the humble laundry room is one of the last places this reality is biting. Guests arrive with no coins, front-desk floats disappear faster than a Queenstown sunset, and the "Sorry, no change" conversation repeats daily.
Switching to a cashless laundry system solves these pain points overnight. Below are five concrete benefits motel operators across Aotearoa are already enjoying after converting their existing coin machines with Automat's QR-code solution.
1. Instant Revenue Uplift--Without Raising Prices
When payment friction disappears, usage climbs. Guests no longer need to hunt for 50-cent pieces or queue at reception. They simply scan the QR code stuck on the machine, pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or any credit card, and start the wash cycle. Motels using Automat report 20-40% higher laundry turnover within the first three months, purely because the machines are accessible 24/7.
Best part? You don't need to buy new washers or dryers. Automat's retrofit sticker and small Bluetooth relay wire straight into the existing coin timer--no technician required.
2. Zero Coin Handling, Zero Banking Runs
Counting, bagging, and banking coins is a hidden labour cost. A 30-room motel typically spends 4-6 hours a week on coin admin. With contactless laundry payments, that chore disappears. Funds flow directly into your nominated bank account with daily payouts (including weekends and public holidays), complete with GST-ready reports. Your staff can focus on check-ins and housekeeping instead of driving to the bank with a biscuit tin full of silver.
3. Real-Time Dashboard = Smarter Housekeeping
Automat's cloud dashboard shows machine status in real time: which cycle is running, how long is left, and when the last guest used the facility. Housekeeping can plan linen loads around actual guest usage instead of guessing. One Auckland airport motel reduced dryer downtime by 30% after spotting peak-usage patterns in the dashboard and adjusting their linen schedule accordingly.
Multi-property owners can toggle between sites from the same login, making it easy to benchmark performance across motels in Rotorua, Taup, or Christchurch without leaving the office.
4. Happier Guests, Better Reviews
Kiwi travellers have ditched cash; motels need to keep up. A recent Payments NZ survey found 71% of consumers prefer contactless when available. Offering cashless laundry sends a subtle signal that your property is modern, guest-centric, and hassle-free. That translates into warmer reviews on Booking.com and Google:
- "No coins needed--just scanned and paid with my phone. Brilliant!"
- "Laundry open 24/7, even when reception closed. So convenient."
Positive mentions of laundry facilities appear in up to 18% of five-star reviews for mid-range motels, according to an internal Automat analysis of 2,300 properties.
5. Bullet-Proof Security & Full Compliance
Carrying coin floats invites theft and complicates insurance. Automat removes that risk. All transactions are PCI-DSS compliant, processed by Windcave (same gateway used by Air New Zealand), and settled by ANZ. No cash on site means no break-ins targeting laundry coin boxes, and no awkward CCTV reviews after a float goes missing.
Data is stored on Auckland-based AWS servers, so you remain fully GDPR and NZ Privacy Act compliant--crucial if you host international guests.
How to Switch in Under 10 Minutes
- Order Automat's retrofit kit--shipped overnight anywhere in NZ.
- Stick the QR code on the machine; plug the relay into the coin timer.
- Set your wash/dry price in the dashboard (can be changed instantly).
- Guests scan, pay, and start--no app download needed.
Most moteliers activate the system the same afternoon the courier arrives. You keep your existing coin functionality as backup, so there's zero downtime during changeover.
Bottom Line
Cashless laundry isn't a futuristic perk--it's today's baseline expectation. By retrofitting your current machines with Automat's QR-code system, you unlock instant revenue, slash admin hours, and give guests the seamless experience they already enjoy at cafs and petrol stations nationwide. In a competitive accommodation market, those small conveniences decide who gets the booking--and the five-star review.
Request a free demo kit and join dozens of NZ motel owners who've already said goodbye to coins for good.