The startup capital for a self-service mobile phone case vending machine must cover equipment purchase, venue rental, product inventory, and operational costs. Depending on the scale of operations, the initial investment ranges from 18,000 to 150,000 yuan, with the specific breakdown as follows:

📦 I. Core Cost Components
‌Equipment Purchase Cost (per unit)‌

‌Basic Model‌: 5,000–8,000 yuan (Android system + basic touchscreen + QR code payment module)

‌Smart model: 12,000–15,000 RMB (supports inventory monitoring, remote management, advertising screens, etc.)

Recommendation: Initially, select 1–2 mid-range models for market testing to mitigate risks.
‌Location Rent and Deposit

‌Commercial locations: Malls/office buildings, etc., monthly rent 800–3,000 RMB (Typically requires a three-month deposit and one month’s rent upfront)

Campus/Factory Locations: Monthly rent of 300–800 RMB (requires a 10–20% revenue share with the venue management)

Note: Prioritize negotiating a revenue-sharing model to reduce fixed expenses.
Initial Inventory Costs

SKU Quantity: Initially, recommend 50–80 models to cover mainstream devices (iPhone/Huawei/Xiaomi, etc.)

Single case cost: 5–30 RMB (basic vs. IP collaboration models)
Total inventory cost: Approximately 8,000–20,000 RMB (based on 200–500 units in stock)

‌Hidden operational funds‌
‌System annual fee‌: IoT card/cloud platform management fee (annual payment of 600–1,200 RMB)

‌Power consumption‌: Average monthly electricity cost per unit: 30–50 RMB
‌Replenishment logistics‌: Average monthly cost: 200–500 RMB (depending on location distance)

 

💰 II. Investment Plan Reference

Operational scale Number of devices Total investment budget Suitable scenarios
‌Lightweight Trial Operation‌ 1 unit 18,000–30,000 RMB Single university/community convenience store
‌Standard Launch‌ 2–3 units 40,000–80,000 RMB Commercial district combination locations (e.g., subway + shopping mall)
‌Scale Expansion‌ 5+ units 100,000–150,000 RMB City-wide multi-location network coverage

⚠️ III. Low-Cost Optimization Strategies

‌Equipment Procurement‌

Opt for leasing instead of purchasing (monthly rent: 300–500 RMB per unit)

Join a mature brand to share supply chain resources (reduce product selection risks)

‌Inventory Control‌

First order focuses on basic models (70%), with limited testing of co-branded models

Negotiate “returnable/exchangeable for slow-moving inventory” terms with suppliers

‌Cash Flow‌

Utilize pre-recharge promotions (e.g., “recharge 100 yuan, get 20 yuan free”) to quickly recover funds

Integrate ad revenue sharing (advertising screens on devices generate an average monthly income of 200–800 yuan)

 

💎 Conclusion

‌Minimum startup threshold‌: 18,000 yuan (single device + basic inventory + 3 months of venue fees)

Healthy break-even period: Average daily sales of 15-20 phone cases (unit price 25 yuan), approximately 3-5 months to break even

Risk warning: If monthly sales per machine are less than 100 units, reassess location or product selection strategy. It is recommended to reserve 15% of funds as an adjustment contingency fund to address market fluctuations.