How should a vending machine operator handle surplus money caused by machine faults, such as swallowed coins or insufficient change, when the owners and amounts are unknown?

Short answer

Sales proceeds exceeding the capital plus its profit are considered doubtful property (syubhah) and should be handed over to the Baitulmal.

Negeri SembilanOpinion (irsyad)

A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.

Authority: Negeri Sembilan Mufti Department
Status: Opinion (irsyad)
Series: Soal Jawab Agama
Topic: Transactions & Finance

No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.

Summary

Sales proceeds exceeding the capital plus its profit are considered doubtful property (syubhah) and should be handed over to the Baitulmal. If the amount and the owner are known, the money must be returned to that person. The faulty machine should also be repaired or replaced promptly so the same problem does not recur.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.

Wang hasil jualan yang *lebih* daripada jumlah modal beserta keuntungannya adalah *harta syubhah* dan ia hendaklah diserahkan kepada Baitulmal.

Excerpt from the original fatwa · Negeri Sembilan

Read the full fatwa on the Negeri Sembilan website (new tab)

How to cite

Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.

Negeri Sembilan Mufti Department. “Wang lebihan dari mesin layan diri”, date not stated. https://muftins.gov.my/soaljawab/wang-lebihan-dari-mesin-layan-diri/. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/vending-machine-surplus-money-ruling/