And for those who run websites, Redbox has just launched an affiliate program, paying people who are approved a flat fee of $0.25 for each applicable order that a visitor completes within one day of being referred through one of your affiliate links.

After reading the press releases about the event, this reporter applied to the Redbox affiliate program via their link on http://www.redbox.com/affiliates, and it sent me to an Impact Radius screen that allowed me the options of signing into my existing account or setting up a new one.

I signed into my existing account — thank God I had one and for remembering the password! — and I accepted the long list of terms set forth by Redbox, including the following, plus many more that you’ll see when you apply:

Online Rental
Payout
You earn $0.25 (Flat Fee per order)

Performance Bonus
None

Click Referral Period
Visitor must purchase within 1 days of referral

Action Locking
All actions happening in a given month are locked 15 days after the end of the month

Payout Scheduling
Approved Transactions are paid 30 days after they are approved

Recurring Transactions
For return consumers payouts apply to 0 recurrences

Media Partner Tracking Pixel
Advertiser does NOT allow media partner to fire their tracking pixel when the consumer action is completed.

I hope I get accepted to Redbox’s affiliate program

So all the movies that I watch and write about can gain me plenty of quarters upon quarters (which can really add up) in the long and short run, if enough people reserve Redbox movies through my affiliate links.

Impact Radius’ referral program wasn’t as intuitive as some of the others I use, like Amazon Associates, but once I figured out that my Redbox application was under their “Proposals” section — and that my act of accepting their terms way at the bottom of the pop-up text that showed the previous text and much more, I realized that’s why I couldn’t find “Redbox” under the Marketplace tabs of Campaign, Media Place and Agency Marketplace when I searched.

I’m glad when big, successful companies like Redbox open referral programs, appreciating the fact that those of us out here writing and bringing them customers are a profitable part of their business, and reward us accordingly.

Now — will they open a referral program for every cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee sold through their new coffee machines?

That could be cool. Or hot, actually.

I’ve got my routing bank account numbers all in my Impact Radius account and am ready to go!

“Coinstar is kicking Netflix’s butt,” is the title of the CNN article describing how the innovation of Redbox-owner Coinstar is causing the company to surge beyond its competitors, especially in the wake of the news that Seattle’s Best Coffee machines will be meting out coffee from kiosks just like folks are used to getting their movies out of a kiosk.

I’m a living witness that Redbox movies can be easy to retrieve (the ones in stock, that is) and cheap to watch and return the next day. A family friend talked about her and her parents and siblings watching a recent popular movie on the cheap by getting it from a Redbox machine.

So Redbox is doing things right, apparently.

Read the CNN piece here…

Photo credit: http://techmediatainment.blogspot.com - Redbox-powered Seattle’s Best Coffee kiosk at the Harris Teeter grocery store in Reston, Va., in December 2011.

Coinstar, owner of the uber-popular RedBox DVD machines that prompt many inquiries each day from customers hoping to get their own kiosks outside their own businesses, is taking a serious leap into the coffee kiosk business.

The Seattle’s Best Coffee brand already enjoys more than 50 of the strikingly new machines in cities like Seattle, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

By the end of 2012, they expect about 500 of these coffee kiosks to be in operation, passing out that hot and piping and newly and freshly ground coffee to curious and caffeine-craving customers.

That’s the big question.

With the specialty coffees running from a buck to a buck-fifty for a 12-ounce cup, entrepreneurs can definitely spot the earnings potential per year for trying to get one of these franchises, just like folks have tried to get RedBox machines outside their stores for years now.

However, the targeted retail locations of these new coffee kiosks are approximately 50,000 mass merchants, supermarkets and drugstores, and each kiosk is expected to bring Coinstar approximately $11,000 to $12,000 each year in sales.

So business owners who want to try their hand at getting a coffee kiosk outside their businesses might do best to contact Coinstar via the same application process spelled out at the link above that the wannabe RedBox DVD machine owners take.

After all, this automated retail business is obviously the hot new thing, what with cupcake ATMs and everything, and it would behoove us to get in on the new trend.

Read more about the new coffee kiosks.

If you’ve recently applied to receive a Redbox DVD machine at your store, please comment below and let us know how the process went for you as a business owner — and whether you were accepted or rejected, and more details about the response from Coinstar.

Thank you for your feedback!

Indeed, my husband cancelled our Netflix DVD mail-in service after that — no more pretty red envelopes in the mail. Boo hoo. But we have Blockbuster blue DVDs in the mail now, and we still enjoy Netflix’s streaming on demand video service from time to time.

But today, Yahoo will discover more information about the new Redbox product, where a video-on-demand feature will be added via Verizon, in addition to the love all those folks have so much for Redbox physical DVD kiosks.

“The world has another potential Netflix-killer,” wrote Yahoo.

“Verizon and Coinstar, owner of DVD kiosk service Redbox, have announced that they’ll be launching a joint venture combining Redbox’s product with a video on-demand streaming and download service from Verizon. Planned for the second half of 2012, the venture joins the biggest provider of physical DVDs with Verizon’s massive network. Verizon will hold a 65 percent ownership share, with Redbox having a 35 percent ownership share at the outset,” they stated.

“We’ll have more details on the joint venture later. The companies have a conference call scheduled for 9:30,” Yahoo informed us.

Read the article…

Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinstar announced a renewal agreement with Walmart to continue featuring Redbox® kiosks at more than 3,700 Walmart locations nationwide. The agreement extends the availability of Redbox kiosks and builds upon the companies’ more than five-year relationship.

So that answers the question that many Walmart locations are indeed big enough and have enough traffic to merit having a Redbox featured at their store.

In fact, I was driving past a store the other day — it wasn’t my local Walmart, but was either a Walgreen’s or CVS store (I guess it wasn’t a Blockbuster’s, huh?) and I saw two Redbox machines outside the location.

I thought to myself: That’s probably great on those Friday and Saturday nights when the Redbox machine lines are extra crowded and long — at least people don’t have to wait as long as they would have if there were only one Redbox machine at that store.

So check the link above if you want to apply to receive a Redbox machine at your location, and to find out further information from the Coinstar-owned Redbox company.

I love my local Ohio Menchie’s store — it’s a bustling and positive place, and I see why the YouTube video referenced below that shows an interview with a Menchie’s franchise owner proves that people in cold-weather states still love to eat froyo!

Menchie's franchises can cost up to a half million dollars

Thankfully, there’s information out there about the cost of a Menchie’s franchise that gives us a clue to how much one of these popular frozen yogurt stores may run you.

How much does a Menchie’s franchise really cost?

The Menchie’s franchise, a store first founded in 2007, could cost you anywhere from $170,000 to $574,790, reports Entrepreneur — and shows how much the froyo store has grown in popularity over recent years.

According to the magazine, the franchise fee alone is anywhere from $25,000 – $40,000 — with an ongoing royalty fee of 6%.

You’re going to need a net worth of at least $500,000 — and $120,000 in liquid cash available.

In 2009, there were approximately 12 Menchie’s stores (with three company owned stores) in the United States — and none in Canada. But by 2010, that number had more than tripled to 38 stores in the US, with four company owned stores.

By 2011, there were 95 Menchie’s stores (and five company owned) in America and two Canadian franchises.

Expect the number of Menchie’s franchises to continue growing in 2012, as witnessed by the plethora of folks who fill up the froyo store on weekends for their tart frozen yogurt fix — topped the way they like it.

My personal favorite is to mix the tart froyo with chocolate or any measure of the new and exciting flavors the store always has, like coconut or red velvet — and then I top mine off with lots of nuts and chocolate candies and brownie bits and cheesecake pieces. It’s no wonder people love this stuff!

Get more information about owning your own Menchie’s franchise

One Menchie’s franchise owner in this YouTube video explains why the “Have a smiley day!” mantra is very important in the Menchie’s experience, and how much the good feeling makes people want to come back.

“Welcome to Menchie’s!” is how customers are greeted when they walk in. And when they enjoy the Menchie’s radio — oh yes, they do always play great tunes that get me singing along — it all plays into the customer retention and word of mouth that makes people want to come back again and again.

If you want additional information, visit the franchise page on Menchie’s website and enter your name, email, phone number and click “request information” to learn more:

http://menchies.com/franchise.php

“Congratulations! You have successfully submitted your request and started the Menchie’s smiling process,” is what Menchie’s will tell you once you’ve submitted your information.

I just submitted my info, and here’s what they immediately emailed to me:

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Menchie’s Franchisee! A member of our Franchise Development Team will reach out to you. We look forward to learning more about who you are and how we can make you smile.

With Friendship,
Menchie & The Menchie’s Franchise Development Team

I’ll update this page with more info as I get it, and in the meantime, if you’re a Menchie’s franchise owner — or have applied to become one — leave comments letting me know how the experience was for you, and any additional info you discovered through the application process.

How much money does a Redbox machine make in a day?

“Redbox kiosks can make a few hundred dollars a day,” writes the ChaCha website. “It’s all about placement. If it is located in a busy area it can make up to a thousand a day.”

Now, this may be well and true — but if the ChaCha person answering the question didn’t speak with a person who owns a Redbox machine directly (or rather, someone who has a Redbox machine at their place of business) then they won’t know exactly how much cash Redbox machines average until Redbox owner CoinStar releases that specific information.

Redbox Automated Retail LLC was initially funded by McDonald’s Ventures, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of McDonald’s Corp. In 2005, Coinstar bought 47 percent of the company. In February 2009, Coinstar paid McDonald’s for the rest of the company.

And no matter how much searching has gone on online, until a Redbox owner begins to unveil their actually split of the earnings, we may never know. But I hope I find out soon…

I have a Google Alert set up on the term “Redbox franchise” — and that’s how I was led to one forum posting by a guy asking, “Anybody own know anyone who owns a Redbox franchise?”

One guy replied a simple “yes” and that’s all. If I find that entry again, I may try and hunt him down and ask questions. I thought about asking questions of the manager of my local Giant Eagle store that has a popular Red Box machine outside of it — but I’d probably feel more comfortable asking the local beauty supply owner about it, when and if he gets a Redbox outside of his popular hair weave supply store.

Anyhoo, I was searching around through the database of questions on Redbox’s website again to see if they’ve added any new information about owning a Redbox machine — anything more substantial outside of the email requirements that they ask potential owners to send them. (See the “How to Own Your Own Redbox” link above for that info.)

But alas, the only thing I found out new was that people can only enjoy Redbox franchises inside the US:

“Does Redbox have franchise opportunities outside of the United States?” asked the website.

No, came the answer: “Sorry, but redbox currently doesn’t operate outside of the U.S. and Puerto Rico.”

And about the business owners who want a Redbox at their store, Redbox says “click here” but the link isn’t functional.

I’m a retailer. How can I get a Redbox kiosk installed in my store?

Before a Redbox kiosk is installed, an analysis of a location’s suitability needs to be done. Click here [but they don't have their "here" linked, so I guess people must go to https://redbox.custhelp.com/app/ask/ for answers] to submit a request for review.

And finally, the same old elusive question that people are asking over and over again:

Who can I contact if I’d like to discuss business opportunities with Redbox?

Please use the Redbox Ask a Question form if you’ve got any marketing or business ideas you’d like to share. We’d love to hear them!

So the main deal I’m wondering is: Are people still getting new Redbox franchise machines installed in their places of business each day?

I’ve read over 33,000 machines have been installed.

I guess as average everyday citizens, if we noticed new Redbox machines being installed in cities and neighborhoods around us, then that’s our answer.

Have you seen a new Redbox machine pop up at a store near you in the past year?

As for me, I’ve noticed the same main Redbox machines we have outside our Giant Eagle grocery stores, but haven’t noticed too many new ones. What about you?

RedBox ownership of the DVD kiosks is still a strong business, especially with the Blu Ray DVDs and game rentals

Check out the link above titled “How to Own a RedBox Machine for Your Business” if you’re interested in applying to own a RedBox machine — but it’s not a franchise. There are minimum foot traffic requirements, and an application-by-email process.

Let us know if you get in the RedBox program and if they deliver a RedBox kiosk machine to your store by leaving a comment below.

How will RedBox benefit from the Netflix changes in streaming video content charges?

I just asked my husband which Netflix option we got rid of due to the upgrade in charges for streaming content and DVD rental by mail. He said we can still stream Netflix movies via our Ps3 and other devices, but he got rid of the Netflix by mail option after they went up 60%.

“So I can still look on the Netflix queue for new releases?” I asked.

No, he said. Netflix usually has older movies to stream online, so I can use the Blockbuster DVD by mail to get the new releases.

And there’s the rub for RedBox, says Investors. Places like Blockbuster, I’m assuming, are the ones getting the new releases 28 days before Redbox, (yes, I think I remember that advertising campaign) and consumers like me that really want to see a certain movie may be willing to pay more to see it now than to wait for it to hit a RedBox DVD box.

I haven’t been to a RedBox DVD kiosk to rent anything in a long good while…but at least they’ve got Blu Ray and game rentals now…but so does Blockbuster…

I used to love stopping by the RedBox machine to grab DVDs for only $1.03 that are right outside our Giant Eagle grocery stores in Ohio. It was cheap and convenient, and at least you could return them to any RedBox DVD kiosk the next day before the 24-hour deadline.

But then we got Netflix and found getting those red-covered DVD mailed to us a little more convenient — and adding stuff to the Netflix queue online or via their app (I don’t think I’ve used that yet but my husband did) was also groovy.

And we also later got Blockbuster — and I see they smartened up with their own blue DVD kiosk rentals, but I haven’t used that option yet either. I think it’s easier to just search on Amazon for the new coming releases in movies and DVDs, and then pop over to Netflix and search for those and add them to my queue instead of standing outside a RedBox machine to search for them there.

Especially if there is a line at the RedBox machine. But we still may peruse it from time to time, I just haven’t used it in a long good while, because we don’t need to.

Even after they added the games, which my son loves, we haven’t seen much at a Redbox to compel us to come. But that doesn’t mean we’ll never use a Redbox machine again to rent DVDs or games, and it appears lots of people are still making the slow transition from DVDs to streaming online, so says Investors about the affect Redbox-owner CoinStar is feeling after Netflix price increases.

I believe it. Some people at church didn’t even know the difference between a CD and DVD, let alone start talking about the streaming movies online process.

So Redbox DVD box ownership is still a very viable business it appears.

Now, if we could just find out how much money those Redbox DVD owners are making by having them outside their stores.

Heck, with over 33,000 Redbox machines and counting popping up outside of businesses around the nation, obviously it’s a lot of money and a good revenue sharing split, no doubt.

Investors says the real dilemma is figuring out what movies and games and Blu Ray disks and the like to put in the Redbox machines.