Students already manage most of daily life through their phones, whether they’re paying for meals, booking transport, accessing buildings, receiving service updates, or keeping in touch with friends. Laundry now sits within that same set of expectations. As younger generations become less likely to carry cash, they increasingly expect everyday services in student accommodation to be just as simple, seamless, and cash free.
For student accommodation facility operators, cashless and app-based laundry systems offer a smarter approach. They streamline payment, improve visibility for students and help you to run your facility more efficiently. For accommodation providers looking to modernise student living, they are an increasingly practical investment.
Over the past 50 years, the Richard Jay team has seen student laundry rooms change significantly, and one of the clearest trends today is the growing shift towards cashless payment systems. As more sites across the country make the move, it is becoming clear that cashless is no longer just a nice addition, but a smarter fit for modern student accommodation. Here’s why.
Coins are out, convenience is in
Traditional coin-operated laundry has served shared living environments for decades, but it no longer reflects how most students prefer to interact with services. Students rarely carry cash, and even card-based legacy systems can feel clunky if they rely on physical top-up cards or limited payment options. When students have to search for change, guess whether machines are available, or wait around to see when a cycle ends, laundry becomes more frustrating than it needs to be.
In student accommodation, these small inconveniences add up. Shared amenities play an important role in the overall resident experience and laundry is one of the most frequently used services in communal accommodation.
What a modern cashless laundry system actually looks like
A modern cashless laundry system allows users to pay without coins and, in many cases, without needing a dedicated physical payment card. Depending on the setup, users can pay through a mobile app, kiosk, contactless card tap, or digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Tangerpay is one example of this kind of system, designed specifically for laundries and accessible through kiosks and mobile devices.
App-based functionality takes the experience further by giving students more control over the process. Features include:
- Real-time machine availability
- Mobile or kiosk-based payment
- Automatic SMS notifications when a wash is finished
- Direct tax invoice delivery
- Fast refund processing
- Promotional offers or discounts when needed.
Richard Jay often recommends Tangerpay because of this value for both operators and end users.
How Tangerpay is redefining smarter laundry payments
For student accommodation operators, Tangerpay offers a smarter, more intuitive way to bring laundry payments in line with how students already live. Developed in Australia for local laundries, it makes it easier to move beyond traditional vend laundry and offer a payment experience that feels simple, familiar, and easy to adopt. That’s why Richard Jay confidently recommends and installs Tangerpay across student accommodation and a wide range of sectors nationwide.
With support for credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other mobile payment options, Tangerpay fits naturally with the way students already pay for everyday services. Features like SMS reminders also help keep laundry rooms moving, reducing the chances of finished loads being left sitting in machines and making the experience easier for both residents and those managing the laundry room.
How we help providers create a laundry experience that works for today’s students
Cashless and app-based laundry systems are reshaping what students expect from shared laundry facilities in university accommodation. By removing coin dependency, simplifying payment and giving students more visibility and control, these systems make everyday laundry easier to manage. For operators, they reduce cash handling, improve oversight and support a more modern accommodation offering.
With solutions such as Tangerpay, Richard Jay is part of that shift; helping Australian laundry operators move toward smarter, more convenient payment systems designed for the way students live now.
