Most laundromat dryers use one of two pricing methods, and the difference shapes both your revenue and your customers’ experience. Quarter pricing gives a fixed amount of run time per coin, a holdover from the days of mechanical timers. The problem is that one coin rarely buys enough time to finish a load, so customers either keep feeding the machine or leave with damp clothes. Total-cycle pricing sets one price for enough time to dry a normal load, and customers top off only if they need more. That switch stops customers from paying again and again for the machine’s built-in cool-down minutes, and it cuts the door-opening that lets heat escape. Clothes come out dry the first time, and the store wastes less energy.
Video transcript
Two ways to price a dryer
Some laundromats charge for dryers in quarter increments, while others use one set price for a full cycle. But which one actually makes sense? Let’s break it down.
Quarter pricing is a holdover
Quarter pricing is a holdover from the past, when dryers used mechanical timers. Customers would drop in a quarter, turn the knob, and the dryer would run until the cog reached the next stop. It worked back then, but today, if your pricing is set properly, one quarter doesn’t buy enough drying time. That means customers either keep feeding the machine or leave with half-dry clothes. Not a great experience.
Total-cycle pricing
That’s why total cycle pricing is the better method. Instead of small time chunks, you set one price for enough time to fully dry a load. If someone needs more time, they can top off the cycle.
The hidden cost of cool-down and open doors
Here’s where it gets real: cool-down time. For safety, dryers stop heating in the last one to two minutes of a cycle. If you’re buying time in small chunks, you’re paying for that cool-down time over and over again. A full cycle means just one cool-down period, so more time actually goes toward drying. And you know customers: if the dryer stops, they open the door to check their clothes, then close it and add more time. Every time that door opens, heat escapes, so the dryer works harder to get back up to temperature, and your AC works harder too, raising cooling costs.
Why total-cycle pricing wins
Total cycle pricing stops waste and saves money for both the customer and the laundromat. Technology has come a long way, and laundromat pricing should too. It dries clothes properly, reduces customer frustration, and maximizes efficiency. If your dryers still run on quarter increments, it’s time for a change.
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