Category: FAQ

For an automated teller machine (ATM) to work, it has to be connected to a network through some form of ATM processing. This is a concept many ATM owners go along with but don’t fully understand—especially when the processing takes a fee for each transaction. What is ATM processing, exactly, and how does it work? Let’s demystify the process a bit.

How ATM Transaction Processing Works

When someone uses an ATM machine to withdrawal cash, the machine doesn’t just “give” them the money. Those funds must ultimately be reimbursed by the cardholder’s financial institution, and the transaction must be approved before the ATM will dispense the money. To complete any ATM transaction, two things need to happen:

1. The transaction must be authorized by the user’s bank (i.e., the bank needs to confirm the money is in the account); and
2. The actual funds need to be transferred from the user’s bank.

This is where ATM processing comes in. Think of the ATM processor as the central hub or intermediary that connects your ATM machine to the network. The ATM processor facilitates both the authorizing of transactions and transfer of funds over this network. The processor also records the transactions and provides them in a report so there is always a valid record every time money changes hands.

If you run a business that is equipped to accept credit cards, you’re already familiar with this type of processing. Credit card processing works much the same way as ATM processing. Your credit card reader is connected to an ATM network that authorizes transactions and ultimately makes sure you get paid.

Does ATM Processing Cost Money?

In many cases, yes. Just as a credit card processor will charge a small per-transaction fee each time you swipe a customer’s VISA, MasterCard, or American Express credit card, your ATM processor will charge a fee for each transaction conducted at your machine. This surcharge is typically deducted from the service fee charged to the customer for using the machine, and it may be a combination of a flat fee plus a small percentage of the transaction itself. The fees may vary according to the processing company, and some are cheaper than others. In some cases, as with National ATM, the ATM processing fees may be waived.

ATM Services

As a full-service ATM company serving the United States, AtmMachines.com, LLC offers business owners a range of new ATM products, including Hyosung, Genmega, and Triton ATMs, as well as ATM business programs to meet your specific business needs and budget. We want to help our customers keep as much of their revenue as possible, which is why we offer ATM transaction processing services free of charge and with no hidden fees.

To learn more about our ATM processing service, along with ATM sales, free ATM placement, and additional ATM services like deposit processing, vault cash stocking, receipt paper refills and more, give us a call at 1-866-295-2329. We are happy to answer any questions you have.

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An ATM is a great idea for almost any brick-and-mortar business frequented by customers, but many business owners ask whether it’s better to buy an ATM machine outright or to participate in our free ATM Placement Program. The answer is different for each business, based primarily on that business’ priorities, cash flow and long-term interest. Owning an ATM allows for greater profits in the long run, but it also requires time, effort and an investment of money—and some business owners would rather leave those tasks to someone else. In deciding whether an ATM Placement Program is right for your particular business, here are a few questions to ask yourself.

How much money am I willing to spend?

If you have an initial outlay to invest (ATM’s don’t cost that much to buy) plus cash with which to stock the machine, you can definitely increase your revenue and profits over time by owning an ATM—provided, of course, that it sits in a place with plenty of foot traffic. If you don’t want to spend the money up front but simply want the convenience and secondary benefits of having an ATM on your premises, a free Placement Program might be a good solution for you.

How much time am I willing to spend?

Operating and managing an ATM machine does entail a small learning curve. While some business owners don’t mind the extra time it takes to learn and to manage the process, others would rather just focus on what they’re in business to do. As yourself what’s more important to you: Time or profits? If you said the former, you would probably do better with an ATM Placement.

How much responsibility do I want?

Along with the investment of money and time, owning an ATM requires an ongoing effort to keep the machine stocked with cash and in proper working order. Some business owners don’t mind the added responsibility, while others are uncomfortable handling that kind of cash on their property or having to deal with maintenance and repairs. If you don’t want the extra responsibility for taking care of an ATM and you’d rather leave it to us, you’re probably a good candidate for ATM Placement.

AtmMachines.com, LLC offers a variety of programs tailored to the needs of all types of businesses. To learn more about our ATM Placement Program to decide whether it’s right for you, call us at 1-866-295-2329.

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For those who are unfamiliar with ATM machines, one of the biggest mysteries is who’s responsible for filling them with cash when they run out. Obviously, ATMs at banks will be refilled by the bank itself. However, for standalone ATMs, there are a few different options when it comes to the responsibility of refilling the machine.

If a business is the outright owner of its ATM, they have the option of refilling the machine on their own. This isn’t necessarily the easiest option, but it’s usually the best way to maximize profits from the ATM. Part of the problem is having enough cash available to refill the machine every time it starts to run low. This requires business owners to have a great deal of capital available to them. The other issue is finding a time when it’s safe to refill the machine. Otherwise, they run the risk of something going wrong and losing a significant amount of money.

The difficulty and risks involved with filling an ATM on your own often lead business owners to hire a cash management company to handle the task for them. Obviously, this takes away from some of the profits brought in by the ATM. However, it also brings peace of mind. A business can work out a schedule with a cash management company for when to refill the ATM. They can then go about doing so a secure way. Cash management companies will also have insurance just in case something goes wrong. This means the ATM owner won’t risk losing thousands if there’s a mistake while loading the machine.

A business may also partner with an ATM provider like AtmMachines.com, LLC, who will take care of filling the machine with cash. AtmMachines.com, LLC has a longstanding relationship with a trusted vault cash supplier, which helps to simplify the process for businesses. While it may be beneficial financially to take care of refilling an ATM on your own, the peace of mind of leaving it in the hands of trusted professionals also has its perks.

To learn more, call us today at 1-866-295-2329.

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Explore More ATM FAQs

Almost any brick-and-mortar business who has visiting customers is a potential candidate for installing an ATM machine. For some, the benefits are more obvious—for example, if many of your customers pay in cash, or if you run a cash-only business. But there are many other reasons why you might need an ATM for your business. Let’s look at just a few.

Makes it easier for customers to buy

Everyone needs cash. How many times do customers come into the store only to realize she doesn’t have enough cash, and the purchase is nearly too small to warrant a credit card swipe? By installing an ATM, you resolve this issue and give your customers more options for payment. (For cash-heavy businesses like gas stations, bars and convenience stores, an ATM is practically essential to keep sales from walking out the door.)

Encourages more foot traffic

Having an ATM encourages more people to come into the store—and more traffic generally translates to more sales. Even if the customer didn’t initially intend to buy anything, studies show customers are 30-50 percent more likely to buy with cash they got from your ATM.

Offers your customers more value

Having an ATM onsite gives your customers a whole new set of services they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. It gives them another reason to visit you—and another way for you to generate revenue.

Provides a passive income stream for you

Every time someone uses the ATM at your business, you make money from that transaction. If you buy the machine outright, it pays for itself quickly in a high-traffic area; if you participate in our ATM Placement Program, you pay nothing for the machine—you just earn revenue. It’s basically free money—and who couldn’t use more of that?

Reduces your credit card processing expenses

When you make cash readily available to your customers, they’re more likely to pay you in cash than by credit card—and that means you don’t pay the credit card processing fees on those transactions. So while the ATM generates revenue for you, it also helps lower your average cost per transaction.

From affordable purchase options to free placement options, AtmMachines.com, LLC makes it easier than ever to get an ATM for your business. To learn more, call us today at 1-866-295-2329.

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An ATM machine is a great investment for almost any business—but some business owners either can’t spare the money to buy one or don’t want the responsibility of ATM ownership. However, there is a way to get a free ATM for your business: Through the ATM Placement Program by National ATM Wholesale. Under this program, you enjoy the benefits of increased customer traffic and revenue without the added costs of buying, vaulting, managing or maintaining the ATM itself.

How does it work?

With the ATM Placement Program, we place an ATM machine in a favorable location at your place of business. Installation, management and maintenance of the machine are all free; you simply provide the location. As people use the ATM machine, you receive a percentage of the surcharge per transaction as payment for the use of your space. This revenue is deposited daily into your bank account via ACH direct deposit. You’ll begin to experience the benefits of ATM placement almost immediately, both in surcharge revenue and increased cash sales from your customers.

Choose between full and partial placement

Under our program, business owners get to choose between our full and partial ATM placement service. Under full placement, the machine comes pre-loaded with cash, and we take responsibility for keeping the machine stocked (“vaulted”) with cash for withdrawals. With partial placement, you load the machine with your own cash in return for a larger share of the profits. In either case, the ATM is installed and managed at no cost to you.

Is this better than owning an ATM?

We’re commonly asked whether it’s better to buy an ATM outright or to allow AtmMachines.com, LLC to place an ATM for free. The answer depends on your business itself and how much responsibility you want. Owning an ATM requires an initial outlay and keeping it stocked with your own cash, but you receive 100 percent of the surcharge, and after the machine is paid for, your profit margin increases substantially. With free ATM placement, you receive less revenue, but it’s essentially free money because you have absolutely no financial outlay.

To learn more about how you can get a free ATM at your place of business through our ATM Placement Program, call AtmMachines.com, LLC today at 1-866-295-2329.

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For anyone who owns an ATM machine or is considering getting one for their business, one of the biggest concerns is someone breaking into the machine. With an increase in the number of ATMs in the world, attempts by criminals to break into ATMs isn’t likely to cease, so it’s important to know how difficult it is to break into machines and what can be done to protect your ATM.

The first thing to know about ATMs is that they’re designed and built with potential break-ins taken into account. There are measures in place to hinder thieves and criminals from breaking into the machine and taking all the cash inside. Obviously, this doesn’t prevent criminals from trying, but most of the time, it does keep them from succeeding.

Newer models of ATMs come with more intricate designs that help to deter and prevent break-in attempts, making them more secure than older ATMs. The days of brute strength being used to break into ATMs are all but over. Thieves can still cause damage to the machine, but it’s far more difficult to actually gain access to the vault or cabinet where the money is held.

Certain ATMs are also more difficult to break into because they have additional security measures in place. Some machines may have silent alarms that alert authorities of a break-in attempt. It’s also possible for the money inside the ATM to be dyed the same way bank money is dyed to deter bank robbers. It’s also become common for closed-circuit security cameras to monitor ATMs in public places. Simply advertising on the machine that such security measures are in place is sometimes enough to prevent thieves from attempting to break into an ATM.

Finally, having insurance on an ATM can be a failsafe option. Obviously, this can’t prevent break-in attempts, but it will protect ATM owners if there’s somehow a successful ATM robbery. With a top-of-the-line ATM and ample security measures in place, it’s quite difficult for a thief to break-in and steal money from an ATM. However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. To learn more about your options, call us today at 1-866-295-2329.

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Explore More ATM FAQs

Deciding who will be responsible for refilling the machine with cash is one of the most important decisions for an ATM owner. An equally important part of the process is knowing when the machine needs to be refilled to ensure that the ATM never runs out of cash.

Obviously, when it comes to the right time to refill an ATM, there’s no definitive answer that applies to every ATM in the world. After all, some machines get more use than others. Also, some machines are capable of holding more cash than other machines, so there are a number of variables at play. Fortunately, ATM owners and operators have ways to track the money left in their machines so they can refill them before they run out of cash.

For starters, all ATMs are connected to a network that allows them to ensure that a person has enough funds in their account to access the amount of money they are requesting. This makes it easy for the company that owns the ATM or the company that’s in charge of refilling the machine to track the amount of money that’s left in each ATM.

In most instances, the company in charge of stocking the machine will be able to work out a refilling schedule based on how much use a particular ATM receives. In some instances, a machine may need to be refilled daily. In other cases, a machine will only need to be refilled weekly or monthly.

Regardless of the exact needs, the cash management service will have enough information about a particular ATM to develop a schedule for how often it needs to be refilled. They will have also have a rough estimate of how much money they will need to put in the machine when they refill it. Of course, it’s common to put in roughly 10% more cash than is estimated just in case that ATM is a little busier than usual in between refills.

Most of the ATMs in use today, particularly the newer models, have systems in place to track how much money is removed. Even if an ATM is running out of money ahead of schedule, it’s easy to have it refilled before it’s completely emptied out. This is why it’s rare to find an ATM that runs out of money before it can be refilled.

To learn more about your options, call us today at 1-866-295-2329.

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Installing an ATM can be a great way for any business to help their customers and increase their revenue at the same time. Of course, owning an ATM is far from free, so before committing to buying an ATM, it’s important to learn more about how much they cost to own and operate.

Much like other products, there are different variations of ATMs that have an impact on how expensive they are. A freestanding ATM, which can be a nice option for businesses of all sizes, typically cost between $2,000 and $3,000. However, there are over a dozen models available for this type of ATM, and the different features offered by each model will alter the price.

If you prefer to have a built-in ATM, the cost will typically be more in the neighborhood of $5,000. These are more expensive than freestanding ATMs because they are safer and easier to put outside, allowing them to get more use and create more revenue. Again, each model of built-in ATM will have different features that alter the price.

It’s also possible to save money by buying a pre-owned ATM. Third-party websites like Craigslist and e-bay often times sell used ATMs at a significant discount, sometimes as low as $500. If you don’t have a substantial budget, this can be a great way to buy an ATM that can bring in extra revenue. However, buying a used ATM does increase the chances of the machine breaking down and needing repairs that may offset the money you saved.

It’s also important to keep in mind some of the expenses that come along with owning an ATM. You may need to pay a cash-management service to refill the machine with cash when necessary. There are also routine maintenance and repair costs to consider that may detract from the profits the ATM brings to your business.

Ultimately, there are a number of variables that dictate the cost of an ATM. Depending on your budget, buying an ATM may be an expensive proposition. The best thing you can do is get a quote from an ATM provider like AtmMachines.com, LLC, who provide free consultations to help you find the right ATM to fit your business. To learn more about your options, call us today at 1-866-295-2329.

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Explore More ATM FAQs

One of the biggest fears people have when using a debit or ATM card is losing the card or somehow having their card or identity stolen. However, if you’re careful and go about things the right way, you should have nothing to worry about. Here are a few ways you can keep your debit card safe every time you use an ATM.

Be aware of your surroundings

It’s important to exercise some level of caution when using an ATM. Take a look around to make sure no one is watching you or trying to steal your pin number. If there’s a line at the ATM, most people should know to stand a respectable distance behind the person at the machine. When in doubt, cover up the keypad with your hand when entering your pin.

Inspect the machine thoroughly

You don’t have to do a thorough search, but take a quick look at the ATM to see if anything about it looks off. If you have reason to believe the machine has been tampered with in any way, it’s best not to use it. If there’s a component on the ATM that’s not fully attached, it could mean a criminal has placed an ATM skimmer on the machine. Use your best judgment, and if anything about the machine feels off, don’t use it.

Put your card and cash away before leaving

Always put your debit card and any cash you’ve withdrawn back in your wallet or handbag before walking away from the machine. Even if there’s a line behind you, always make sure these items are securely put away so you don’t draw attention to yourself. You also don’t want to risk forgetting your card in the machine, so get in the habit of putting your belongings away before leaving the machine.

Report suspicious activity

If you notice anything wrong with an ATM, alert the proper authorities right away. If you notice any suspicious people around the machine or believe the machine has been tampered with in any way, don’t hesitate before calling for help. If you happen to forget your debit card in the machine, call your bank to cancel it right away. Even if you find it, there’s no guarantee that someone didn’t see it there and steal your information, so cancel the card just to be safe.

Contact National ATM Wholesale to learn more ATM security best practices.

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Explore More ATM FAQs

Most people of a certain age know how to use an ATM without a problem. But few people have a great understanding of the process that happens behind the scenes that make bank transactions via an ATM possible. Fortunately, transaction processing is not as complicated as you might think and not all that hard to understand.

First, the user will swipe his or her ATM card and enter the pin number associated with that card. This confirms the cardholder’s identity and allows him or her to request a bank transaction, usually a withdrawal of money. The machine then contacts a host server with the cardholder’s information and transaction request. Years ago, this would be done through a telephone line. That is still the case for some machines, although more modern ATMs connect with host servers via the internet nowadays.

The host server acts as an intermediary for contacting the bank or financial institution that issued the ATM user his or her card. Once the user’s bank is contacted, the host server is able to facilitate an electronic transfer of the funds being requested by the cardholder, assuming the user’s home bank approves the transaction. The host server will then send the ATM an approval code that enables the machine to dispense the funds the cardholder requested. If requested, the ATM will also be able to share with the cardholder the balance in his or her account.

Finally, the host processor uses an automated clearing house (ACH) to transfer funds from the cardholder’s account into the account of whatever entity owns the ATM, whether it be another bank or a business. This will typically happen the next business day and ensures that the party responsible for filling the ATM machine is reimbursed for the funds the cardholder just took out of the machine.

Essentially, when you request money from an ATM, the money moves electronically from your account to the host server and then to the party that owns or operates the ATM. All of this happens within a matter of seconds, with important information like your pin and account number encrypted during the process for security reasons. When it’s all over, you get your ATM card back and take your cash with you. Not so complicated, right?

Contact National ATM Wholesale to learn more about our ATM transaction processing.

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