You’ve probably tried earning some honest Credits by ratting out characters like Lou or John Smith. But how about having a Vending Machine that does your job for you overnight? Instead of waiting for customers to visit your counter, you can stock the machine with items and let it sell them automatically while you’re deep in your REM cycle. However, not everything sells equally well, and you’ll need to keep the machine powered to earn anything.
You can get the Probably Stolen Vending Machine through buying the perk at the beginning, Joe Wild’s Network, or your Landlord (in exchange for a rent increase). You need to put an energy cell inside it to make it work and remember to manually collect all the accumulated overnight Credits. Different item types have different chances of sales, foods and drinks are generally more attractive options. You don’t use Modules on the Vending Machine; instead you upgrade its Capacity and Attractiveness by putting metal ingots and electric parts inside its core, respectively.
Are you shopping for…
How to Get the Probably Stolen Vending Machine
There are actually three ways you can get the Vending Machine. You can select it as a starting perk, purchase it through Joe Wild’s Network, or accept an offer from your Landlord in the later stages of the game.
| Method | Cost | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Perk | 2 Perk Points | Start the game with a Vending Machine already installed |
| Joe Wild’s Network | 1,200 base cost | Buy the Vending Machine upgrade through the network |
| Landlord Offer | +150 Credits weekly rent | Accept an installed Vending Machine in exchange for a permanent rent increase |
The starting perk gives you access to the machine from Day 1 without spending Credits. However, those two perk points could go toward something better: Perks like Vigilant, which prevents ordinary nighttime robberies, or Diplomatic, which increases reputation earned from trading by 33%
If you’ve already started your run, Joe Wild’s Network is the other option you got, and honestly, it’s the better long-term option. What you gotta do is open the Store upgrades and purchase the Vending Machine for a base cost of 1,200. If you have Wild’s Favor, it can cover the purchase, with Credits paying any remaining balance. The actual price can vary depending on your difficulty and relevant modifiers.
The Landlord also offers to install a Vending Machine on eligible visits, beginning on Day 43. You don’t pay the purchase price upfront, but your weekly rent permanently increases by 150 Credits.
How to Use the Vending Machine
The Vending Machine needs power. It also requires constant manual Credits collecting. Here’s how to use one:
Install an Energy Cell: First, place a charged Energy Cell in the machine’s battery slot. The base Vending Machine consumes 2 energy per night.
Stock the Machine: Open its inventory and place the items you want to sell in the available slots.
End the Day: The machine automatically attempts to sell eligible items overnight.
Check Your Inventory: Return the following morning. Empty slots indicate items that were sold.
Collect Your Earnings: Open the machine’s interface and select Transfer All Credits to get that deliciously-earned cash money.
Here’s something to keep in mind about the selling process: Each item receives a chance to sell overnight, determined by its category, price, and the machine’s attractiveness. It also has its own pricing rules: Sold items receive the normal Retail Markup (when possible) and another 10% value. Station events, whether good or bad, don’t affect Vending Machine selling prices.
Best Items to Sell
Cheap food and drinks are the most reliable choices for frequent overnight sales. They receive a 1.5× sales multiplier, while materials and several other categories have significantly lower chances of selling. Here’s every type of item I’ve documented and how much they each sell:
| Item Category | Sales Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Food, drinks, water, rations, snacks, treats | x1.5 |
| Ordinary goods under 100 Credits | x1.0 |
| Energy Cells and tools | x0.5 |
| Other goods worth 100–200 Credits | x0.5 |
| Materials, metal scrap, ore | x0.33 |
| Ordinary goods above 200 Credits | x0.25 |
| Luxury items | x0.165 |
| Modules, nodes, gun mods, chemical supplies | x0.15 |
To put it in simple terms, a chocolate bar (15 Credits) has a much better chance of selling than a scrap metal with the same price. Ah but this doesn’t mean that cheap items always make the most profit. An expensive food item may sell less frequently but generate more Credits when it does. Your actual profit also depends on how much you spent acquiring the stock. For a reliable setup, start with inexpensive consumables and gradually experiment with more valuable food items.
Not every item can be stocked. Contraband, machines, containers, and items you don’t own are excluded. Liquid containers are also generally excluded, with Wine being an exception.
How Vending Machine Sales Work
The game actually uses a clever feature. It uses a formula to calculate each item’s probability of selling: Sale Chance (%) = (Attractiveness × 200 × Category Multiplier) ÷ (200 + Item Price)
The Vending Machine starts with 15 attractiveness, and you can increase it with Electronic Parts. Higher attractiveness improves the selling chances of the items inside. Here are a bunch of examples to make it clear for you on how the formula works:
| Example Item | Item Price | Attractiveness | Chance to Sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate bar | 15 | 15 | 20.93% |
| Ration pack | 80 | 15 | 16.07% |
| Household item | 25 | 15 | 13.33% |
| Metal scrap | 12 | 15 | 4.67% |
| Chocolate bar (upgraded machine) | 15 | 25 | 34.88% |
Guaranteed Sales and Duplicate Items
The Vending Machine also has a minimum-sales mechanic based on attractiveness.
| Attractiveness | Guaranteed Sales Per Night |
|---|---|
| Below 25 | 1 |
| 25–49 | 2 |
| 50 or higher | 3 |
Now, I have some tips for you: You already know the guaranteed sales depend on having enough stock and power. These sales prioritize consumables and otherwise apply to qualifying non-luxury items worth no more than 50 Credits. Also, avoid too many copies of the same item. Too many copies of the same items face diminishing chances of entering the nightly sales calculation. The second copy has a 50% participation chance, the third has 25%. The next copies from there will continue following that pattern. In other words, stocking a variety of inexpensive foods can be more effective than filling the entire machine with one product.
How to Upgrade the Vending Machine
Basically, you can only do two upgrades to your Vending Machine: Capacity and Attractiveness. To upgrade it, drag the required materials on the machine’s Core.
Capacity requires a metal ingot, and its upgrade adds one inventory row with 8 slots. In exchange it costs an extra point of energy per night (and per upgrade). Attractiveness requires Electric Parts and it adds 5 attractiveness points. Weirdly enough, it costs no additional energy points.
Best Vending Machine Strategy
You should start small, then improve your selling chances, and THEN expand ONLY when your current inventory is selling consistently.
Upgrade Attractiveness First
Spend your early Electronic Parts on Attractiveness instead of immediately expanding storage. This increases sales chances without raising your nightly energy consumption.
Keep the Machine Stocked with Consumables
Do food, snacks, water bottles, and other inexpensive consumables first. They’re more likely to sell than materials or expensive non-consumable items. You can experiment with higher-priced foods once your attractiveness improves. But for the love of all you love, remember that selling price and actual profit aren’t the same thing.
Use the Material Neon Sign
Place the Material Neon Sign in your Display Case to attract sellers dealing in materials. This can help you find Electronic Parts for Attractiveness upgrades and metal materials for producing Ingots with the Furnace.
Vending Machine Not Selling
There are in fact some common reasons the Vending Machine is not selling:
- Not enough power: The installed Energy Cell doesn’t cover the energy cost.
- Empty inventory: You’ve ran out of items to sell.
- Unsuitable stock: The items you put in there aren’t desirable to customers.
- Too many duplicate items: Too many items of the same item dilutes your sales.
- Uncollected Credits: Sometimes, you can make a silly mistake, like not collecting all your credits.
Is the Vending Machine Worth It?
Look if you already have a steady supply of food and drinks to sell, yes, absolutely go for it. The Vending Machine gives you a nice chance to earn Credits without relying entirely on customers visiting your counter. I recommend unlocking it through Joe Wild. Then upgrade Attractiveness before Capacity, and keep the inventory filled with (fairly) reasonably priced consumables. It’s a simple way to earn extra money overnight without turning your electricity bill or weekly rent into yet another headache.
