The Value of an Integrated Cash Ecosystem
Partial solutions have hidden costs—a strong retail cash strategy addresses many needs at once.
Jul 08, 2026 | 2 min read
This article is brought to you by Cash Depot. 
Many shoppers still want to pay with cash.
Cash payments accounted for 17.5% of transacted sales in convenience stores in 2025, according to the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2025 data. “For a store operator, the cash cycle begins when the money is picked up at a bank or delivered by an armored courier and ends when it returns to the store’s bank account,” said Doug Marquis, chief revenue officer for Cash Depot.
Throughout the day, retailers break bills and replenish their registers, he said.
According to Marquis, retailers should ask if their cash solution supports every stage of that cycle, or if they are relying on multiple, separate processes. “Even while investing in smart safes, ATMs and deposit solutions, retailers still find themselves doing the same amount of work when it comes to managing cash,” he said.
Many customers also want more than just ATM withdrawals when they come inside, including money orders, mobile top-ups and digital gift cards, according to Marquis.
“These services create what every retailer wants: more store visits,” Marquis said. “Each visit means more purchase opportunities.”
When considering their cash management strategy, retailers should think about whether they have a solution that tackles the whole cash cycle—eliminating bank runs and handling other tasks like mid-shift bill breaks and replenishment, Marquis said.
“Some solutions only secure cash. That money just sits in the machine,” Marquis said. He describes Cash Depot’s BANK IN A BOX as a true closed-loop cash ecosystem, where cash gets recycled back into store operations and out to customers for financial services. Then, Cash Depot handles replenishing the BANK IN A BOX as needed—no additional trips to the bank are required.
“There are hidden costs to partial solutions,” Marquis said, including change-order management and dependency on armored couriers when stores must wait for funds to be picked up and settled at the bank.
“The future of cash isn’t more devices. It’s a streamlined, single machine system,” Marquis said. “The stores winning tomorrow will operate with integrated cash ecosystems, not disconnected cash tools.”
This is the first article in a two-part series from Cash Depot. Look out for part two tomorrow, which explores the complete cash cycle.
Cash management
