A practical comparison of coin-operated and app-based laundry payment for multifamily communities.
Coin payment is simple and familiar but requires residents to carry quarters and means more physical collection. Mobile payment such as ShinePay lets residents tap or pay from an app, sends cycle-complete notifications, and reduces coin handling - which is why student housing and newer communities increasingly prefer it. Many operators, including Art's, offer both so a property can match resident expectations.
Payment method shapes the resident experience more than most managers expect. Here is how coin and mobile stack up for a multifamily laundry room.
Especially popular in student housing and newer apartment communities.
Residents tap or use an app to start a machine, no quarters needed, and get a notification when the cycle is done. It matches how younger residents expect to pay and reduces coin handling.
Still preferred by some communities and residents who want the simplest possible option.
The traditional approach residents already understand. It requires no app or phone and works for every resident, but it means carrying quarters and more physical collection.
The safest choice for a mixed resident population.
The most resident-friendly setup is to offer coin and mobile side by side, so no resident is forced into a payment method they dislike. Operators like Art's support both on the same machines.
A better resident experience is the real win; the revenue share terms do not change.
For the property, the payment method is mostly about resident satisfaction and reliable collection - your revenue-share arrangement stays as agreed in the lease regardless of how residents pay. Offering a modern option can reduce complaints and make the laundry room a stronger amenity.
It depends on your residents. Mobile payment adds convenience and notifications and reduces coin handling, but offering both coin and mobile is the most flexible option for a mixed community.
ShinePay is a mobile payment system for laundry that lets residents pay by tapping or using an app and get notified when a cycle finishes. Art's offers it on the machines it installs.
No. Coin and mobile payment can run side by side on the same machines, so residents choose how they pay.