Nothing creates more buzz in laundromats than awesome promotions. Coin-ops are quite limited in what they can offer, but not token-ops. Check out these ten rockin’ token campaigns…

Double your money

Card store operators are turning up the heat to lure in new trade and keep regulars coming back. Their latest tactic is “Double your Money,” matching value-added loads at the kiosk on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 

Patrons see it as half-price wash-and-dry. They build digital balances while owners watch the cash stack up. 

Token-ops can go head-to-head by doubling payouts at dispensers with the flip of a few dip switches. Whether it’s a grand opening, anniversary or flash sale, the limited time 2-for-1 token bonus on every transaction is sure to turn heads.

Lucky token

“Yeah baby!” “I won!” Those screams you heard were patrons spotting a lucky red token among the golden ones in the payout cup. 

To run the promo, mount signage and sprinkle in copper-plated tokens during hopper replenishment. Patrons trade winners they receive for a token prize pack over at the service counter. Those who don’t wish to participate can still redeem the red token at standard value by plunking it into any washer or dryer drop as part of a normal vend.

Big bill bonus

A long-time favorite of token-op laundries, the “Big Bill Bonus” rewards patrons at the dispenser with extra brass when inserting higher denomination bills or making an upper-end credit/debit card-to-token selection. 

This fully-automated promotion is simple to implement and builds customer loyalty by incentivizing larger transactions. Typical bonuses range from an extra dollar’s worth of tokens added to a ten-dollar exchange up to four or five dollars on a $40 card purchase.

Best of all, there’s no oversight and it works in unattended or attended stores. 

Finders keepers

Sticking tokens on random soap and snack items sold in machines or over the counter is a creative way to boost product sales. 

Operators choose the goods and decide how much brass to hide. Just post a sign, tape tokens to the backside of Tide bottles or Snickers bars and let the hunt begin.

Guessing game

Fill up a small jar with tokens, place it by the register, and let patrons jot down their best guess as to the quantity inside. Whoever comes closest wins all that laundry coinage while the owner gets rewarded with customer contacts.

Prize drawing

Similarly, operators can conduct prize drawings for $25, $50 or even $100 in tokens. It’s a sure-fire way to stir things up in the wash aisle and gather names for future marketing campaigns.

Charitable donations

Tokens are great for launching charitable initiatives and enhancing community public relations.

Many local organizations would warmly welcome donations of individual token packs for distribution to those less fortunate needing laundry services. 

Initiatives can also be a grand scale. In the wake of devastating tornadoes, Fun Wash Laundry Centers of Little Rock, Arkansas, recently distributed over a thousand gift cards to impacted families. The cards were redeemable for $10 in tokens at the chain’s credit/debit card-to-token dispensers.

Paying it forward

Anonymous acts of kindness “paying it forward” are becoming more and more common at self-service laundries. Token-ops offer a cashless alternative to gestures of quarters being left out and about in a store, helping ensure the good deeds lead to people getting their wash done. 

For some, the paying it forward movement extends to organized free laundry days. Token stores are in a unique position to host these special events by substituting brass for coins and relieving volunteers of money handling.

Token tube giveaways

Promote your brand while building loyalty with handouts of complimentary plastic token holders. The clear, screw top tubes accommodate a logo outside and a neat stack of leftover tokens inside.

Online retailer Wizard Coin Supply offers half dollar-size tubes to accommodate 1.073-inch diameter $1-valued tokens, as well as quarter-size tubes for smaller denomination .900-inch diameter 25¢-valued tokens.

Satisfaction guaranteed

Coin-op machine malfunctions translate into cash refunds being spent anywhere. 

On the other hand, token-ops reimburse patrons without money, reducing out-of-pocket costs and keeping redemptions in-house. 

The golden brass can also give owners a leg up on the competition by offering “Satisfaction or Double Your Tokens Back.” 

Our family’s flagship laundry backed up its top-notch service with a guarantee to refund twice the tokens if a patron wasn’t completely satisfied. In the event a $3 washer went south, that customer got six bucks’ worth of tokens. Doubling up proprietary coinage cost us pennies while paying dividends building consumer trust of our store brand.

There they are… Ten rockin’ token promos. So, are you ready to roll with cashless golden brass?

Check out Imonex’s free, no obligation brochure >>> Going for the Gold: A Guide to Dollar Coin and Token Self-service Laundry Operations <<< or call 1-800-446-2719 to receive your complimentary guide in the mail.