ATM Marketplace: August top 5

With Labor Day weekend behind us, summer is unofficially over. It won't be officially over until Sept. 23, but by that time, the sounds of ocean waves will be a distant memory for many of us. 

What follows are the five most-read stories on ATM Marketplace for the month of August.

5) What Visa and Mastercard don't want you to know about cash
Ron Delnevo, executive director at industry association ATMIA, argues that cash is quicker. In fact, Deutsche Bundesbank found that the average cash payment transaction at the point of sale takes only around 22 seconds — that's 7 seconds faster than the average card and PIN payment and a whole 16 seconds quicker than a typical card and signature transaction. What do you think of them apples? read more

4) NCR surpasses Q2 estimates thanks to boost in ATM sales
The ATM gods were good to NCR last quarter. The company's strongest Q2 performance was in its banking segment, where total revenues were up 20% as reported to $828 million from $725 million a year ago. The increase was driven primarily by ATM revenues, which were up 73%. read more

3) Card skimmers are targeting gas stations and older ATMs
ATM skimmers and gas pump skimmers — particular blue tooth skimmers, which thieves can collect data from at a distance — are popular among cyberthieves who are looking to steal credit and debit card numbers. In this Q&A with cybersecurity expert and CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems Scott Schober, we learn why old ATMs are particularly easy targets. read more

2) ATM outsourcing — a growing trend that takes the pressure off banks
As banks grapple with branch closures and improving customer experience, increasingly, many are outsourcing their ATM operations — handing over tasks, such cash management, system updates, compliance issues and, in some cases, even ownership to someone else. Why are they doing it? When did the trend start? read more

1) Bank branches aren't dying, they're serving coffee, beer and yoga
Contrary to what a lot of people think, bank branches are not going by way of the dinosaur. Plenty of them are still around, but they are doing more to blend in with the community, offering services that you typically don't think of when you think of bank. read more