What are they, and what are the benefits?

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are a staple of modern society. First put into use in 1967 by Barclays Bank in north London, there are about three million ATMs worldwide today. Billions of people throughout the world use these devices to conduct the most basic banking functions. Not only do they provide convenient access to cash withdrawals, they allow customers to check their balances, transfer funds between accounts, and most importantly make deposits.

atm

Depositing cash or checks at an ATM has always been a bit of a hassle. It required filling out deposit slips, inserting the entire deposit into an envelope, manually entering the total deposit amount, and using a complicated interface to complete the transaction. Even worse, customers would need to wait to have these funds available to them.

These issues have been remedied by Deposit Automation ATMs. These machines are outfitted with modern components such as check scanners, cash acceptors/recyclers, deposit processing software and built-in fraud/counterfeit detection. This new technology allows customers to simply insert their debit card, insert their signed checks or cash, and let the machine take care of the rest. These machines are even designed to ask for clarification if they are unable to read a check, allowing a customer to manually enter the check amount if needed. Deposit Automation is allowing banks to drastically improve funds availability and allow for true 24/7 banking. This also reduces the need for customers to speak with a Teller to complete basic transactions. There has already been a dramatic increase in transactions at the new, automated ATMs. By cutting down on the need for in-branch transactions, banks can enhance customer service by allowing employees to spend more time on each customer interaction while providing more options to the customers who prefer quicker or more convenient methods of service.

Rhinebeck Bank is continuing to roll out more Deposit Automation ATMs at additional branch locations this year, as part of our effort to continually expand our self service delivery channels.

Sources:

www.bai.org/banking-strategies/article-detail/the-case-for-atm-deposit-automation
 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_teller_machine

Dawn Scherer

SVP, Operations and Technology