Overview
Vending Machine is a free Cardano payout tool that lets a stake pool operator hand out ADA or other tokens to everyone staking with that pool. A delegator (someone who has pointed their stake at a pool to earn rewards) checks what they have earned by entering a wallet address, then pulls the tokens out whenever the balance is worth claiming. The service is built and run by SEAL pool, a Cardano stake pool operator1.
In Cardano, the protocol itself already pays out staking rewards. Vending Machine sits on top of that to solve a different problem. When an operator or a partner project wants to send out a separate token, like a community asset or a thank-you airdrop (a free token distribution), each delegator would otherwise need their own transaction. Pooling the distribution into one tool removes that cost. Access is limited to operators who join the Single Pool Alliance, a group that commits to running only one pool each so the network stays decentralized1.
Key Features
- One claim, many tokens. Delegators can pull every token waiting for them in a single withdrawal instead of one transaction per token. The service charges 0.2 ADA per claim plus 0.01 ADA for each unique token included, both deducted from the small ADA deposit you send when claiming1.
- Single-pool gate for operators. Only operators committed to running one stake pool can list a token through the service. This rule supports stake pool alliance goals and the broader Cardano decentralization push, rather than acting as a technical limit1.
- Two payout styles for operators. An operator can either lock the full token amount per recipient up front (reserved mode), or commit funds only as delegators withdraw (overcommit mode). The choice affects how much capital the operator needs ready at any moment1.
- Address lookup with no wallet connect. A delegator types in their stake address, payment address, or readable Cardano username (an ADA Handle that points at a wallet) and the site shows what is owed without asking the wallet to sign anything until the actual withdrawal1.
- Used by other Cardano projects. Beyond the operator's own payouts, third-party projects route their own token distributions through the service, including community tokens shown on the live distributions page2.
What to Expect
Most visitors land on the Vending page, paste a stake address or ADA Handle, and see a table of tokens accumulated for that address. To claim, they send a small ADA deposit from their wallet. The deposit comes back carrying the claimed tokens, minus the service fees. There is no account, no signup, and no signed wallet message until the withdrawal transaction itself.
Stake pool operators see a different surface. They apply through the SEAL pool Telegram channel, prove their single-pool commitment, and get a portal to upload a token, set distribution rules, and pick a payout mode. The Pools page lists every participating operator, so any delegator can confirm their pool is active before checking a balance.
The site itself is utilitarian, with Bootstrap defaults, a table-heavy layout, and no marketing pages. The operator runs the underlying SEAL stake pool at zero margin and pledges a share of profits to seal and wild-animal sanctuaries3.
