How Technology Is Changing Laundromats in 2026

For decades, running a laundromat meant emptying coin boxes, fixing jammed changers and driving over every time a customer called about a machine that ate their quarters. Fewer customers carry quarters now, and the owners growing fastest have stopped depending on them.

Laundromat technology in 2026 does 3 big things. It lets customers pay the way they pay everywhere else, it lets owners see and control every machine from a phone, and it turns the store into a base for wash-and-fold and delivery services that bring in revenue beyond self-service.

This guide is for current owners, people buying a store, and multi-housing laundry operators. It covers payment options, remote monitoring, pricing tools, wash-and-fold and delivery software, new equipment, a starting plan and the risks to watch.

Why laundromats are going cashless

Coins aren’t gone, but they create real costs: collection time, theft risk, broken coin drops and change machines that need servicing. They also limit pricing, because every price has to be a multiple of 25 cents.

Cashless payment solves several problems at once:

• Customers who don’t carry cash can still do laundry.
• Owners can change prices in small steps or by time of day.
• Every transaction is recorded, which makes bookkeeping and loss tracking easier.
• Loyalty rewards and prepaid balances become possible.

Most stores don’t flip to 100% cashless overnight. A common path is to add card or app payment while keeping coins for a while, then decide based on how customers actually pay.

Payment options compared

There are 4 main ways to take payment at the machine, and many stores combine 2 of them.

Payment apps such as PayRange, and the payment systems built into equipment brands such as Speed Queen, also let customers see which machines are free and get a text or push alert when a cycle ends. That small convenience matters: people waiting less in your store means faster turnover on busy weekends.

If you take cards, card data rules apply. Ask your payment provider how the readers handle PCI DSS requirements, and see our PCI DSS compliance guide for the basics. Inspect any card reader in an unattended store regularly, and teach staff how to spot a card skimmer.

Key takeaway: Cashless payment is the gateway technology for laundromats. It enables flexible pricing, loyalty programs and accurate data, which every other upgrade depends on.

Remote monitoring from your phone

Connected machines report back to an owner portal or app. Speed Queen’s Insights platform, for example, describes revenue by payment source, machines in use, dozens of reports and an owner app with remote start. Other equipment makers and payment providers offer similar dashboards.

What remote monitoring gives you in practice:

• Live machine status so you know which machines are running, idle or out of order.
• Fault alerts when a machine errors out, so you can schedule a repair before customers complain.
• Remote start and refunds for a customer whose cycle failed, without driving to the store.
• Revenue reports by machine, by hour and by payment type, which show where money is coming from.
• Turns per machine so you can spot underused equipment or a section of the store customers avoid.

Remote monitoring is part of the broader Internet of Things, and it brings the same security homework. Put machines and payment devices on their own network, change default passwords and keep firmware updated. Our guide on how to secure business Wi-Fi explains the setup.

Smarter pricing and loyalty

Once payments are electronic, pricing stops being fixed. Common tools include:

• Time-of-day pricing with lower prices on slow weekday mornings and standard prices on weekends.
• Cycle upgrades where customers pay more for extra rinse, hotter water or a heavy-duty cycle.
• Bonus value on reloads, for example extra credit when a customer loads a larger amount onto a card or app wallet.
• Targeted promotions sent to customers who haven’t visited in a while.

Change one thing at a time and watch the reports for a few weeks. If a midweek discount fills the store, keep it; if it only gives away money to people who would have come anyway, drop it.

Wash-and-fold and delivery

Self-service revenue is limited by the number of machines and hours in a day. Wash-and-fold, also called drop-off or fluff-and-fold, uses the same equipment during quiet hours and is priced by the pound. Pickup and delivery takes it to customers who never visit the store.

Laundry business software for these services usually covers:

• Online ordering with a pickup window, preferences such as detergent type and folding style, and stored payment.
• Scale integration so the weight goes straight onto the ticket.
• Order tracking with bag tags or labels and text updates when an order is ready.
• Route planning for drivers, with proof-of-delivery photos.
• Commercial accounts for gyms, salons, restaurants and short-term rental hosts, with recurring pickups and monthly invoices.

Several platforms combine these with POS functions, and some integrate with on-demand courier networks. PayRange, for example, acquired the laundromat software company Turns in 2025 to add wash-and-fold and delivery tools to its payment platform. The market is consolidating, so ask any vendor how it handles data export if you switch later.

Many of these tools overlap with dry cleaning software. If you offer both services, read how technology is changing dry cleaners for the garment-tracking side.

Newer, more efficient machines

Equipment is the largest cost in a laundromat, and utilities are among the largest operating costs. Newer commercial washers are built around both:

• Efficiency. ENERGY STAR says certified commercial washers are on average 9% more efficient and use about 45% less water than standard models.
• High-speed extract. Washers that spin faster leave less water in clothes, which shortens dryer time and gas use.
• Programmable controls that store cycles, prices and diagnostics.
• Built-in connectivity for payments and monitoring, instead of bolt-on readers.

Before replacing machines, check with your water and energy utilities. Some offer rebates for efficient commercial washers, and the program terms change, so confirm the current offer before you buy.

Security cameras and unattended hours

Many laundromats now run some hours unattended, or 24/7. Cloud security cameras, remote door locks and alarm systems make that possible. Owners use them to check on the store, review disputes and deter vandalism. Post clear signs about video recording, keep cameras out of restrooms, and learn your state’s rules on audio recording before turning on microphones. This is not legal advice.

Where to start: a 5-step plan

1. Audit your current costs. Track coin collection time, repair calls, utility bills and refund requests for a month.
2. Add cashless payment. Pick a system that works with your machines, and keep coins during the transition.
3. Turn on remote monitoring. Set up fault alerts and weekly revenue reports, and secure the network.
4. Test pricing changes. Try one time-of-day or cycle-upgrade change and measure the result.
5. Launch wash-and-fold online. Start with in-store drop-off booked online, then add pickup and delivery in a tight radius.

If you are buying a store, ask the seller for machine-level revenue reports and payment system contracts. Connected stores give buyers far better data than coin counts.

The bottom line

The laundromat is becoming a connected, data-driven business. Customers pay with a tap or an app, owners fix problems from their phones, and the store’s equipment earns money during quiet hours through wash-and-fold and delivery. Start with payments and monitoring, because they create the data every other decision needs, then grow services at the pace your staff can handle.

Looking for local tech partners? Browse our top lists, or read how technology is changing car washes for another unattended business making the same shift.

Sources

• ENERGY STAR: Commercial Clothes Washers — certified washers are on average 9% more efficient and use about 45% less water
• Speed Queen Commercial: Insights for Laundromats — owner portal features such as revenue by payment source, machines in use and remote start
• PayRange: Laundry solutions — mobile payment, machine availability and cycle alerts for laundry
• PCI Security Standards Council — security standards for card payments