Best vending machine business courses in 2026 - do you actually need one?

Vending machines are blowing up on social media. Someone in a polo shirt restocking a gleaming machine, talking about passive income, and casually mentioning they made $4,000 last month. If you’re interested in getting into the vending business, here’s what I found after going through the top courses and communities available.

The business model is dead simple: buy or lease a machine, find a location, stock it, collect money, restock. The hard part is finding locations that actually get enough foot traffic. That’s where a course can potentially help, though the options vary a lot in quality and price.

The courses worth knowing about

Jordan’s Library (Whop) - free tier available

Jordan’s Library covers multiple income strategies including side hustles, reselling, and building small businesses. The entrepreneurial skills you pick up here — finding undervalued opportunities, negotiating deals, managing inventory, and scaling operations — apply directly to vending. With 18 hours of free content and an active community, it’s the lowest-risk way to build your business foundation before investing $3,000+ in machines. Ask other members about their vending experiences and get real feedback on your business plan.

Best for: Beginners who want to build entrepreneurial skills before going all-in on vending.

Vending Mastery Course (Skool) - $327 one-time

Run by Megan Healey on Skool. Positioned around building a “consistent second income” with just 5 hours a week. About 64 members, which is small. The Skool format means you can actually ask questions and get responses, which gives it an edge over static video courses. But $327 is a significant investment, so make sure you’ve exhausted free resources first.

Best for: People who specifically need community support and accountability.

YouTube (free)

Hundreds of videos on starting a vending business, and honestly, YouTube plus the r/vending subreddit might be all you need. The content is scattered and unstructured, but it’s free and covers everything from buying machines to negotiating locations.

My take

Vending is one of the simpler business models. You can start with $2,000-$3,000 for a used machine and some inventory. A well-placed machine does $150-$400/month in gross revenue, netting maybe $50-$200 after expenses. The people making real money typically have 20-50+ machines and have been at it for years.

If you want structured learning: Start with free YouTube content and the r/vending subreddit to learn the basics. When you’re ready to get serious, join a Whop community like Jordan’s Library where you can connect with other entrepreneurs building side income.

If you want community: The Skool course at $327 could make sense if you need people to ask questions to, or join Jordan’s Library on Whop for a free starting point with a broader entrepreneurial community.

If you want to save money: YouTube plus r/vending will get you 90% of the way there.

Don’t spend over $500 on a vending course. There isn’t enough complexity in this business to justify it. And no course can teach you the single hardest skill: cold calling business owners to let you place a machine. That’s about 70% of what determines success, and you can only learn it by doing it.

The smartest move might just be buying a used machine for $500-$1,500, finding a spot, and learning by doing. Your first location will teach you more than any course.

Last updated: January 2026. Prices may vary. We review courses based on publicly available information and community feedback.

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