300 ATMs Shutting Down Every Month
Last week a row erupted over ATMs in the UK. While Link announced that the fee paid each time a cash machine is used will be cut from Sunday, consumer champions Which? claimed that 300 ATMs are closing every month.
Stuart Rye, Director of business development for financial services at Fujitsu UK, believes that it’s vital to ensure a spread of ATMs across the regions that addresses consumer demand and for ATM networks to look to technology to lower costs.
“Even as we move towards a cashless society, ATMs still play an important role in the financial life of Brits across the country, and reduced access might have unpredictable consequences for a number of industries besides the financial services – such as retail and hospitality – as well as for consumers.
“There is clearly a mandate for a more homogenous spread of ATMs across all regions, but if closures need to happen, they should be done in a strategic manner that still takes into account ATM supply and consumer demand. Other countries, such as Sweden, have developed cashless economies that work well for everyone, but we would need a more sophisticated ecosystem to do this in a cost effective and efficient way – ATMs are still vital.
“Maintaining an ATM estate can be challenging, with cash replenishment and machine maintenance involving high recurring costs. However, there are other ways to lower these costs; investing in technology can help create power and energy savings and better install and maintenance processes. At Fujitsu, we’re looking at how we can use AI and advanced computing techniques to optimise cash management, a development which could reduce the cost of cash handling and create a more efficient ATM network.
“Ultimately, this is a complex issue involving numerous important stakeholders – banks, retailers, consumers, and ATM businesses. It’s tough to get it right, and requires a considered approach which takes into account those parties needs now and the trends that will determine their needs in the future.”
