Types of Kiosks: 17 Self-Service Kiosk Types and What Each One Does

Updated 2 October 2026.

The short answer

There are seventeen common types of kiosks, and the type is set by the job, not the screen. Every self-service kiosk has an enclosure, a computer, a touchscreen and software (what is a kiosk explains the parts). What makes a self-order kiosk different from a locker kiosk is the peripherals behind the screen and the back-office system it talks to.

The table below lists each type with what it does, its typical peripherals and where it is used. We also say plainly which types KioskForce builds. We design transaction kiosks that hold, issue, sell or take back physical items. We do not build wayfinding, digital-signage or banking kiosks; for those, a specialist in that type is the better choice.

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Types of kiosks at a glance

Type	What it does	Typical peripherals	Where it’s used	Built by KioskForce?
Information / wayfinding	Maps, directories, timetables, opening hours	Touchscreen, sometimes printer or QR hand-off to phone	Malls, hospitals, campuses, museums, transport hubs	No
Digital advertising	Plays scheduled ads and promotions, sometimes interactive	Large display, speakers, audience counter	Malls, transit, retail, lobbies	Only as a screen on our vending and locker kiosks (visual ads)
Self-order	Customer builds and pays for an order, collects later	Touchscreen, card reader, receipt printer, kitchen link	Quick-service restaurants, cafeterias, stadiums	Ordering screens for our dispensing and pickup machines; see self-order kiosks
Self-checkout	Customer scans and pays for goods already picked	Barcode scanner, scale or vision, card reader, bagging area	Supermarkets, convenience and general retail	Checkout kiosks built to spec with POS integration by API, but not POS-certified supermarket lanes; see self-checkout kiosks
Check-in / visitor	Identifies a guest, patient or visitor; issues key, badge or queue ticket	QR or ID scanner, camera, card or badge printer, key-card encoder	Hotels, clinics, airports, offices	Check-in combined with key or item issue; see check-in kiosks
Ticketing	Sells or prints tickets and passes	Card reader, ticket printer, QR scanner	Transport, cinemas, venues, parking, attractions	Ticket and pass-issue kiosks for venues, attractions and private car parks, but not CUSS airline or Buy America transit machines; see ticketing kiosks
Payment / bill-pay	Takes payments for bills, fines, fees or top-ups	Card reader and PIN pad, note and coin acceptors, printer	Utilities, councils, telecom stores, car parks	Payment kiosk hardware and software built to spec; card processing and biller connections come from your processor and are scoped per project. See payment kiosks
Financial	Cash-to-card, bill breaking, currency or crypto exchange	Note acceptor, card dispenser, ID verification	Venues, retail, stations	No
Retail product / endless aisle	Browse and order items not on the shelf, check prices	Touchscreen, scanner, card reader	Retail stores, showrooms	Not as a stand-alone product
Vending	Sells or issues items from its own stock	Spirals or belts, card and cash, touchscreen, optional fridge	Workplaces, retail, transport, healthcare, public health	Yes; see kiosk vending machines
Locker	Releases and accepts items through locked compartments	Locker cells with locks and door sensors, scanner, badge reader	Parcel and food pickup, IT equipment, keys, tools, hire	Yes; see smart lockers and custom lockers
Robotic	A robot arm picks or prepares the item	Robotic arm, vision system, touchscreen, payment	Retail, food and beverage, showcases	Yes; see robotic kiosks
Industrial (PPE, tools, MRO)	Issues controlled items to authorised staff against quotas	RFID badge reader, vending and locker modules, optional weight sensing	Factories, mines, warehouses, utilities	Yes; see industrial vending
Print and photo	Prints documents and photos, sometimes scans and copies	Printer, scanner, card reader, USB or phone upload	Libraries, campuses, pharmacies, retail	No
Health and telehealth	Health screening or a remote consultation	Camera, microphone, medical sensors, privacy enclosure	Pharmacies, workplaces, rural clinics	Dispensing only (for example self-test kits)
Employee / HR	Time clock, payslips, rosters, applications	Badge reader, biometric reader, printer	Factories, retail and logistics sites	Only as part of an issuing kiosk (badge login, quotas)
RFID return	Accepts returns and identifies them automatically	RFID antenna, return chute or bin	Libraries, uniform and linen rooms, rentals	Returns through locker cells with door sensors

“Built by KioskForce” means we design and build that type as a custom machine. Where a type says “No”, we are not the right supplier.

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The types in more detail

Information and wayfinding kiosks

The classic information kiosk: an interactive map, a building directory, event listings or timetables. The hardware is simple; the cost is in content and keeping it accurate. These are bought from digital-signage and wayfinding specialists. If the visitor only needs to look something up, a large-format sign plus a QR code to a mobile page is often cheaper.

Digital advertising kiosks

A screen that plays scheduled content, sometimes with a touch layer. The value is the content schedule and proof of play. On KioskForce machines the advertising screen is a feature of a vending or locker kiosk, managed through a remote content and campaign platform, not a stand-alone product.

Self-order kiosks

A self-order kiosk lets a customer browse a menu, customise an item, pay and collect later, with the order sent to the kitchen display or production line. Restaurants care most about menu management, POS integration and throughput at peak. Our bakery bread-wall case study shows a self-service format for peak hours. More detail: self-order kiosks.

Self-checkout kiosks

The customer scans items they already hold and pays. Loss prevention is the hard part, so these kiosks use scales, cameras and attendant stations, and they integrate tightly with the store’s POS. KioskForce does not build checkout lanes. Where a store needs unattended retail with no checkout at all, a vending kiosk or a smart fridge is the alternative (smart fridges).

Check-in and visitor kiosks

A check-in kiosk identifies the person by booking reference, QR code, ID document or badge, and then issues something: a boarding pass, room key, visitor badge or queue ticket. In hotels and clinics the kiosk is only as good as its link to the property-management or patient system. KioskForce builds check-in kiosks where check-in ends with releasing a physical item, such as keys, devices or equipment. See check-in kiosks and hotels.

Ticketing kiosks

Ticketing kiosks sell and print tickets or passes for transport, parking, cinemas and attractions, or print tickets bought online. In the US, self-service fare machines fall under section 707 of the 2010 ADA Standards, which requires speech output and braille instructions. Public transit agencies using US federal funds also face Buy America rules that a factory-direct importer cannot meet, so they should buy from a US manufacturer. Ticketing is not a core KioskForce line. See ticketing kiosks.

Payment and bill-pay kiosks

These take payment for bills, fines, fees and top-ups, often in cash as well as by card. The key decisions are which payment methods to accept, how cash is secured and collected, and how card data is protected. Card acceptance is governed by the PCI Security Standards Council standards: PCI DSS for the environment, and PCI PTS POI for the PIN entry device itself. Buy a certified payment terminal rather than building card entry into the kiosk. See payment kiosks and payments.

Financial kiosks

Cash-to-card, bill-breaking, currency-exchange and cryptocurrency machines are regulated financial products, with ID-verification, anti-money-laundering and cash-handling duties for the operator. They are a specialist market and not something KioskForce builds.

Retail product and endless-aisle kiosks

In a store, a kiosk can show the full range, check stock and prices, and take orders for items that are not on the shelf. This “endless aisle” idea goes back to one of the first commercial kiosk networks, installed by a shoe retailer in the mid-1980s (Wikipedia). “Retail kiosk” also means a staffed cart or stand in a mall; that is a fit-out job, not a self-service machine. See retail.

Vending kiosks

A vending kiosk sells or issues products from its own stock, with a touchscreen, product information and cashless payment. It works unattended, around the clock. This is the core of what we build, ambient or refrigerated, from compact wall-mount units to multi-cabinet systems. See kiosk vending machines, smart vending machines and refrigerated vending machines.

Locker kiosks

A touchscreen terminal controls a bank of locked compartments. Users authenticate by code, badge or app and a door opens. Typical uses are parcel and food pickup, IT equipment and laptop loans, key management, tool and equipment hire, and returns. KioskForce builds standard and fully custom locker sizes, and hybrid machines that dispense consumables and accept returnable items in one cabinet. See smart lockers, delivery lockers and equipment hire.

Robotic kiosks

A robotic arm with a vision system picks, prepares or presents the item, either to handle products that a spiral or locker cannot or because the robot is the attraction. See embodied-AI robotic kiosks.

Industrial kiosks for PPE, tools and MRO

These issue gloves, glasses, cutting tools, batteries and spares to authorised workers, with badge login, per-worker quotas and an issue record for every item. Optional per-cell weight sensing can be specified at order; it is fitted at the factory and cannot be added later. See PPE vending machines, tool vending machines and ServiceNow integration.

Print and photo kiosks

These print documents and photos from a USB stick, phone or cloud upload, and sometimes scan, copy or fax. Most of the work is in printer reliability, consumables and payment. They are common in libraries, campuses and pharmacies. KioskForce does not build print kiosks.

Health and telehealth kiosks

Health-screening kiosks take measurements such as blood pressure. Telehealth kiosks connect a patient to a remote clinician through a private booth with a camera and sensors. In the US, a kiosk that handles identifiable patient data for a healthcare provider falls within that provider’s HIPAA obligations. Our health work is dispensing: self-test kits, sanitary products and pharmacy pickup. See healthcare and public health.

Employee and HR kiosks

These are shared terminals where staff without a company computer clock in, view rosters and payslips, or apply for jobs. On KioskForce issuing kiosks the employee identity is the badge login that controls quotas; we do not build HR terminals.

RFID kiosks

An RFID kiosk reads tagged items, for example a library returns station or a uniform room that identifies every garment dropped in the chute. Our locker kiosks use RFID badges to identify the user and door sensors to confirm a return. Item-level RFID tagging is a project-specific option, so discuss it at specification.

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Form factors: freestanding, wall-mount, countertop, outdoor

Each type above can be built in several form factors.

Form factor	Use it when	Watch out for
Freestanding (floor)	You need a large screen, peripherals or storage, or a branded presence	Floor space, anchoring, power and data at the location
Wall-mounted	Corridors, small rooms, low stock volumes	Wall strength; reach range for wheelchair users
Countertop / tabletop	Ordering and check-in on an existing counter	Cable management and theft; no room for storage
Outdoor / drive-through	Car parks, forecourts, park entrances, drive-throughs	Weather sealing, sun-readable screen, heat and cold, vandalism. See outdoor kiosks

In the US, whatever the form factor, put operable parts between 15 and 48 inches above the floor and keep the operating force at or below 5 pounds-force, following sections 308 and 309 of the 2010 ADA Standards.

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How to choose the right type

1. Write the transaction as one sentence. “A visitor scans a QR code and collects a laptop.” The verbs (scan, pay, print, collect, return) tell you the peripherals.
2. Decide who the user is. Members of the public need payment and accessibility. Staff need badge login, quotas and an audit trail.
3. List what it connects to. POS, property management, ERP, ServiceNow, a booking system. Integration usually costs more than hardware.
4. Decide what happens when it fails. Who is called, how fast, and what the user does meanwhile.
5. Pick the form factor last, once you know the peripherals and the space.

Then use the questions on our vetting a manufacturer page with any supplier, and see kiosk cost for budget.

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Where KioskForce fits and where it doesn’t

You need	KioskForce?
A kiosk that issues, sells, stores or takes back physical items	Yes. Designed to your specification, hardware and software in-house
Badge login, per-user quotas, issue records, ServiceNow or ERP integration	Yes
Wayfinding, a building directory or digital signage only	No; use a signage specialist
Supermarket self-checkout lanes	No; use a POS-integrated checkout supplier
Cash-to-card, currency or crypto machines	No
US-made or Buy America-compliant hardware	No; KioskForce builds in partner factories in China. Buy from a US manufacturer
On-site installation and service by the manufacturer	No; installation is by your contractor or, in some regions, a local distributor, which also handles warranty and service where it supplied the machine. Our support is by email

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Frequently asked questions

What are the different types of kiosks?

The common types are information and wayfinding kiosks, digital advertising kiosks, self-order kiosks, self-checkout kiosks, check-in kiosks, ticketing kiosks, payment and bill-pay kiosks, financial kiosks such as cash-to-card machines, retail product and endless-aisle kiosks, vending kiosks, locker kiosks, robotic kiosks, industrial PPE and tool kiosks, print and photo kiosks, health and telehealth kiosks, employee and HR kiosks, and RFID return kiosks. Most real deployments combine two or more of these functions.

What is the most common type of kiosk?

There is no single authoritative count by type. The types people meet most often are self-checkout in supermarkets, self-order screens in quick-service restaurants, check-in kiosks at airports, hotels and clinics, ticket machines in transport, and information kiosks in malls and campuses. Which is most common depends on the country and sector.

What is a retail kiosk?

Retail kiosk has two meanings. It can mean a small staffed stand or cart in a shopping centre that sells products such as phone accessories, or it can mean a self-service kiosk inside a store: self-checkout, price-check, endless-aisle ordering of out-of-stock items, click-and-collect lockers, or an automated retail kiosk that dispenses products itself.

What is the difference between a self-order kiosk and a self-checkout kiosk?

A self-order kiosk takes an order for something that is prepared or fetched afterwards, typically food in a restaurant; the customer pays at the kiosk and collects later. A self-checkout kiosk sells goods the customer has already picked up; the customer scans each item, the kiosk checks it, often by weight or vision, and takes payment.

What is the difference between an indoor and an outdoor kiosk?

An outdoor kiosk needs an enclosure sealed against dust and water, a screen bright enough to read in sunlight, heating or cooling for the local climate, vandal resistance and secure anchoring. An indoor kiosk can use a lighter enclosure and standard screen brightness. Outdoor builds cost more and take longer to design.

Which types of kiosks does KioskForce build?

KioskForce builds transaction kiosks that hold, issue, sell or take back physical items: touchscreen vending kiosks, locker kiosks, equipment-hire kiosks, industrial PPE, tool and MRO kiosks, and robotic kiosks, including payment, check-in or ordering functions where the project needs them. It does not build information-only, wayfinding or digital-signage kiosks, financial kiosks or self-checkout lanes.

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Related reading

• What is a kiosk?: definition, parts of a kiosk system and how to use one.
• Kiosk software: kiosk mode, device management, payments and integrations.
• Interactive kiosks and kiosk cost.
• Kiosk manufacturers compared: supplier types and how to choose.
• Kiosks hub and custom project case studies.

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Get started

Describe the transaction in one sentence, who uses the kiosk and what it must connect to. We will tell you which type fits, whether it is one we build, and if not, what kind of supplier to look for.