Updated 2 October 2026.
What is a kiosk?
A kiosk is a small, stand-alone point of service. In everyday business use today, “kiosk” means a self-service kiosk: a computer terminal with a screen and purpose-built hardware that lets a person get information or complete a transaction without a member of staff. Ordering a burger on a touchscreen, printing a boarding pass, checking in at a clinic, paying a parking fine and collecting a laptop from a locker are all kiosk transactions.
Merriam-Webster lists three senses of the word, which between them cover how it is used:
- A small stand-alone device providing information and services on a computer screen. This is the sense this page is about.
- A small structure with one or more open sides used to vend merchandise, such as newspapers, or services. This is the newsstand or mall-cart sense, as in a “retail kiosk” staffed by a seller.
- An open summerhouse or pavilion. This is the original, architectural sense.
When people search “what is a kiosk”, they usually mean the first sense, and a kiosk machine is the hardware that delivers it.
Where the word comes from
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “kiosk” entered English in the 1620s for a kind of open garden pavilion. It came through French kiosque from Turkish köşk (pavilion, summer house), which came from Persian kushk (palace, villa, portico). Europeans copied these pavilions as ornamental garden features. By 1865 the word was used for street newsstands, and the British telephone kiosk later made it the name for any small booth that provides a service.
The self-service computer kiosk came much later. The first interactive kiosk is generally credited to Murray Lappe, a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, whose “PLATO Hotline” went into the student union in 1977. It ran on the PLATO computer system with a plasma touchscreen and showed maps, directories, bus schedules, film listings and courses. Around 1985 the shoe retailer Florsheim installed a network of more than 600 kiosks so that customers could order shoes that the store did not have in stock (Wikipedia, citing contemporary newspaper reports). That is the same “endless aisle” idea retailers still use.
Kiosk vs kiosk machine vs vending machine vs smart locker
These words overlap, and suppliers use them loosely. The useful distinction is what the screen and software do.
| Term | What it is | Interactive screen? | Dispenses or holds goods? | Typical example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiosk (structure) | A small booth, stand or cart, often staffed | No | Sells over the counter | Newsstand, mall phone-accessory stand |
| Kiosk machine / self-service kiosk | An unattended computer terminal in an enclosure | Yes | Not necessarily; often information, ordering, check-in or payment only | Self-order screen, check-in kiosk, ticket machine |
| Vending machine | An automatic retail machine that dispenses products | Not on traditional machines | Yes | Snack or drinks machine with keypad |
| Kiosk vending machine | A vending machine whose user interface is a kiosk | Yes | Yes | Touchscreen vending with card and QR payment (kiosk vending machines) |
| Smart locker | Electronically locked compartments released by code, badge or app | Usually a touchscreen terminal or app | Holds items for pickup, return or storage | Parcel pickup, laptop or tool locker (smart lockers) |
So a vending machine or a locker bank becomes a kiosk when it gets a touchscreen terminal and software that guides the user, identifies them and records what happened. KioskForce builds all three of the last categories, and often combines them: a touchscreen kiosk with locker cells, or a vending machine with locker cells for items that come back.
What a kiosk system is made of
“Kiosk system” means the whole thing, not just the screen. Every self-service kiosk has the same four layers.
1. Enclosure
The cabinet: floor-standing, wall-mounted, countertop or tabletop, in powder-coated steel, stainless steel or a lighter material for indoor use. Its job is to protect the electronics, lock away cash and stock, ventilate heat, give a service technician access (usually through a rear or front panel) and present the screen and controls at a usable height. Outdoor kiosks also need sealing against dust and water, sun-readable screens and temperature control. See outdoor kiosks.
2. Computer and display
A computer board or small PC runs the application. Many kiosks use an industrial Android board; others use Windows or Linux PCs. The display is almost always a touchscreen, typically between 10 and 32 inches on a transaction kiosk. Some designs add a second screen for advertising.
3. Peripherals
The peripherals are what make one kiosk different from another:
- Payment: card reader for chip, tap and phone wallets, PIN pad, coin mechanism, note acceptor, QR payment display (payment options)
- Identification: RFID or NFC badge reader, barcode or QR scanner, PIN keypad, ID-document scanner, camera
- Output: receipt, ticket or label printer, card dispenser, speakers
- Physical buttons: a tactile keypad or buttons, often added for accessibility and for users who cannot use a touchscreen
- Goods handling: vending spirals or belts, locker doors with locks and door sensors, robotic picking (robotic kiosks)
- Connectivity and power: Ethernet, Wi-Fi or 4G/5G modem, power supply, sometimes a UPS
4. Software and back office
The software locks the device to its task (“kiosk mode”), runs the user interface, talks to the peripherals and connects to a cloud or on-premises back office for transactions, content, remote monitoring and updates. This layer decides most of what the kiosk can do and what it costs to run. It has its own page: kiosk software.
How to use a kiosk machine
Most kiosks follow the same sequence, whatever they are for. If you are using one for the first time:
- Wake it up. Tap the screen. Many kiosks show an advertisement or a “Touch to start” screen while idle.
- Choose your language and accessibility options if offered. Look for a language flag, a wheelchair or accessibility icon that moves the controls lower, an audio option or a headphone socket.
- Choose what you want to do. Order, check in, pay, print, collect or look something up. Follow one option at a time; the kiosk is a guided sequence, not a website.
- Identify yourself if the task needs it. Scan a booking QR code, membership card, ID badge or barcode on your phone, or type a reference number or PIN.
- Review before you pay. Check the basket, quantities and total. Use the Back button rather than starting again.
- Pay. Tap or insert a card, use a phone wallet, scan a QR code with a payment app, or insert cash if the kiosk accepts it. On staff kiosks you may not pay at all; the item is charged to your account or cost centre.
- Collect. Take your receipt, ticket, order number or item. On a locker or vending kiosk, a door opens or the item drops; close the locker door afterwards.
- Finish. Press Done, Finish or Log out so the next person cannot see your session. If you walk away, most kiosks time out and clear themselves.
If something goes wrong: use the Help or Cancel button, note any order or transaction number on screen, and ask staff or use the contact details printed on the kiosk. If a payment went through but nothing was dispensed, the receipt or the card statement is your evidence for a refund.
If you run kiosks: the steps above are also a checklist. Each one should be possible in under a minute by a first-time user, with large targets, plain words and a visible way back.
What an information kiosk is
An information kiosk (also info kiosk or informational kiosk) is a self-service terminal that answers questions instead of taking payment. Typical content is a map and directory, opening hours, timetables, an event listing, product details or a building or campus directory. Many add a printer, or show a QR code so the visitor can take the directions on their phone. You will find them in shopping centres, hospitals, universities and schools, museums, airports and stations, council offices and large workplaces.
Information kiosks are closer to digital signage than to transaction machines. Most of the work is content management and wayfinding software, while the hardware is a screen in a stand. KioskForce does not build information-only or wayfinding kiosks. Our kiosks are transaction machines that dispense, store, issue or sell something. If your project is pure wayfinding, a digital-signage supplier is the better fit; if the kiosk also needs to issue keys, devices, PPE or products, that is our work. The types of kiosks page shows where each kind fits.
Kiosk accessibility in brief
A kiosk that some customers cannot reach or read is a liability as well as a lost sale. In the United States, the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design have no section written for self-service kiosks, but several sections apply to their parts and are the usual reference:
- Reach ranges (308): operable parts within an unobstructed forward or side reach must sit between 15 inches (380 mm) minimum and 48 inches (1220 mm) maximum above the floor.
- Operable parts (309): operable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and needing no more than 5 pounds-force (22.2 N).
- Vending machines (228): where vending machines are provided, at least one of each type must comply with 309.
- ATMs and fare machines (707): a separate section that requires, among other things, speech output and braille instructions.
Put the screen’s active area, card reader, scanner, printer slot and collection point inside the reach range, provide a tactile or audio route for users who cannot see the screen, and leave clear floor space in front. The organization deploying the kiosk is responsible for accessibility, so state these requirements in the specification rather than assuming a standard cabinet meets them.
When you need a kiosk and when you don’t
A kiosk is a good answer when the transaction is repetitive, rule-based and the same for most users: ordering from a fixed menu, checking in with a booking code, issuing a known item to a known person, or taking a standard payment. It frees staff for the exceptions and works outside opening hours.
It is the wrong answer when:
- Most transactions are exceptions. If staff would have to step in every few minutes, the kiosk adds a queue rather than removing one.
- The users can’t or won’t use it. Some groups need a person, and some tasks need judgement. Keep a staffed alternative.
- Volume is too low. A kiosk has a purchase price, connectivity and support costs. See kiosk cost.
- The kiosk would only show information. A digital sign or a web page may do the job for less.
How KioskForce builds kiosks
KioskForce designs custom kiosks, vending machines and smart lockers, with both the hardware and the software designed in-house at our Nanjing office and built in several partner factories in China. Every kiosk is built to the customer’s specification rather than picked from a catalogue.
| Question | KioskForce answer |
|---|---|
| What kinds of kiosks? | Transaction kiosks that issue, sell, store or return things: locker kiosks, touchscreen vending kiosks, equipment-hire kiosks, industrial PPE and tool kiosks, and robotic kiosks. Not wayfinding or digital signage. |
| A standard starting point? | The K180-6C kiosk: 21.5-inch multi-touch screen, six locker cells with door sensors (expandable), about 1830 × 750 × 400 mm, Ethernet with optional Wi-Fi or 4G/5G, unattended payment enabled. Indicative price from USD 1,800 before freight, duties and installation. |
| Computer and software? | Android-based industrial control boards; cloud dashboard by Vending on Track, our Australian software partner; REST API, CSV import/export and ServiceNow integration. See kiosk software. |
| Identification and payment? | RFID badge, PIN or QR login, with biometric login as an option at extra cost, quoted per project; card terminals, cash, QR and wallet payments, or free issue against per-user quotas (payments). |
| Minimum order and lead time? | 1 unit for a modified standard model, typically 10 for a fully custom design. 4–6 weeks to customise a standard model, 8–12 weeks for a fully custom enclosure; software is scoped separately (FAQ). |
| Installation and support? | Sold direct and, in some regions, through local distributors. On-site installation is optional and is done by your contractor or, in some regions, a local distributor. Support is by email, or through the distributor that supplied the machine, which also handles warranty. |
| Certification? | Specified for the destination market and confirmed on the quotation. See power and compliance. |
Frequently asked questions
What is a kiosk?
A kiosk is a small stand-alone point of service. In current use the word usually means a self-service kiosk: a computer terminal with a screen and purpose-built hardware that lets a person find information or complete a transaction, such as ordering food, checking in, paying a bill, printing a ticket or collecting an item, without a member of staff. Merriam-Webster also lists the older senses: a small structure with open sides used to sell newspapers or services, and an open summerhouse or pavilion.
What is a kiosk machine?
A kiosk machine is the hardware form of a self-service kiosk: an enclosure holding a computer, a touchscreen and the peripherals the task needs, such as a card reader, QR or barcode scanner, receipt printer, RFID badge reader, dispensing mechanism or locker doors. Software locks the machine to one task and connects it to a back-office system that records each transaction.
What does kiosk mean?
Kiosk comes from the Turkish word for a pavilion or summer house, which came from the Persian kushk. It entered English in the 1620s for an open garden pavilion, came to mean a street newsstand in the 19th century, and was later applied to telephone boxes. Today it most often means a self-service computer terminal in a public place.
How do you use a kiosk machine?
Tap the screen to start, choose your language if asked, and pick what you want to do. Identify yourself if the task needs it by scanning a booking code, ID badge or loyalty card. Review your selection, then pay by tapping or inserting a card, using a phone wallet or scanning a QR code. Collect your receipt, ticket or item, and press Finish or Done so the next person cannot see your session. If you get stuck, use the Back, Cancel or Help button; most kiosks also clear themselves after a period without input.
What is an information kiosk?
An information kiosk is a self-service terminal that answers questions rather than taking payment: maps and directories, opening hours, timetables, product details, or a building directory. It usually has a touchscreen and sometimes a printer or a QR code to send the result to a phone. Information kiosks in malls, hospitals, campuses and transport hubs are a common type, but they are mostly a digital signage and wayfinding product rather than a transaction machine.
Is a vending machine a kiosk?
Not always. A traditional vending machine with a keypad and coin slot is an automatic retail machine, not a kiosk. A vending machine with an interactive touchscreen, cashless payment and networked software works as a vending kiosk: the screen is the kiosk and the dispensing mechanism is one of its peripherals. The same applies to smart lockers with a touchscreen terminal.
Do kiosks have to be ADA compliant?
In the United States, the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design have no section written for self-service kiosks, but they set rules that apply to parts of them: operable parts must be reachable between 15 and 48 inches above the floor and need no more than 5 pounds of force (sections 308 and 309), at least one of each type of vending machine provided must comply with 309 (section 228), and ATMs and fare machines have their own section, 707, including speech output and braille instructions. Kiosk buyers commonly specify against these sections, and the organization deploying the kiosk remains responsible for accessibility.
Related reading
- Types of kiosks: every common kiosk type, what it does, its peripherals and where it is used.
- Kiosk software: kiosk mode, device management, payments and integrations.
- Kiosk cost: what drives the price of a kiosk.
- Kiosk vending machines and smart lockers.
- Self-order kiosks, check-in kiosks and payment kiosks.
- How to vet a manufacturer before you order custom hardware.
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