Subsidised vending is a simple way to give staff a valued everyday benefit: your business pays part of the cost of each drink or snack, so employees pay less at the machine.
A worked example
Say a cold drink normally retails for £1.10. With subsidised vending, the machine is configured so the worker only pays £0.55.
- The employee pays £0.55 at the machine
- 3D Vending tracks the remaining £0.55 using integrated telemetry
- The business purchases the beverages, snacks and ingredients at full price — effectively paying the difference as an employee benefit
Because the subsidy is tracked automatically, there's nothing for you to count or reconcile by hand.
You choose the prices
Subsidised vending is flexible. You can set custom price thresholds per item, so you might subsidise hot drinks more heavily than snacks, or keep healthier options cheapest. You receive transparent monthly reporting, so you can see exactly what the scheme is costing and how much it's being used.
Time-based pricing: cheaper at set times
If you'd rather target specific times of day, time-based pricing is another option. You choose a window — for example 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM — when prices automatically drop by a set percentage or fixed amount, then revert once the window ends.
This works well for:
- "Happy Hour" break incentives
- Managing peak break times and shift changes
- Rewarding staff during specific windows
Why employers choose it
Subsidised vending supports your workforce in a way staff notice every day, while you stay in control of the budget through per-item pricing and monthly reports. It can be combined with our fully managed service, so the machines are stocked, cleaned and maintained for you.
Next step
Want to see what a subsidy scheme would look like for your site? Contact our team or call 01724 783858.
Questions about vending for your workplace?