Financial inclusion has a lot to do with cash In previous newsletter articles and committee meetings, I have made mention of the fact that ATMIA joined the Fed-sanctioned U.S. Faster Payments Council (FPC). Primarily because there is no doubt in my mind that the future of ATM transactions will be closely tied to Real-Time Payments (RTP) – and the ATM industry needs to be represented in the formative process.
So I was quite pleased a few weeks ago when the FPC announced the formation of a new Work Group on financial inclusion. One of the reasons that cash is so important is that, for many, it is their sole vehicle for financial inclusion. And reducing the cost of cash transactions at the ATM will be of significant benefit to this segment of the population.
The Work Group held its first meeting two weeks ago. Representation from within the FPC was very broad, including financial institutions, fintechs, other trade associations, and smaller businesses. All seemed very determined to ensure that RTP doesn't leave the unbanked and underbanked behind – in part, because the success of RTP depends on ubiquity, which requires financial inclusion.
In similar fashion, ATMIA CEO, Mike Lee, is participating in two working streams of the European Savings and Retail Banking Group, which is developing a questionnaire regarding safeguarding the access and
acceptance of cash throughout the Eurosystem.
ATMIA has also published a new Position Paper on Universal Cash Deposits. The paper points out that the number of bank branches in many countries has been in decline for well over a decade and this trend of bank branch closures has opened up the threat of “cash deserts”, where there’s no ready access to cash for some communities and businesses. This is yet another factor potentially exacerbating efforts to promote financial inclusion.
These are all issues that ATMIA is aggressively advocating for, and will continue to do so in the months ahead.
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Best regards to all,
David
Feel free to reach ATMIA USA executive director David Tente by email at david.tente@atmia.com or telephone +1.407.833.7906.
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"Summer School" is just around the corner One of the main reasons that the ATMIA USA Annual Conference & Expo continues to be the largest and most highly regarded event for the ATM industry, is the educational opportunity it offers every year. This is the industry’s finest and most engaging educational program – without exception.
EVP, FI & Retail Solutions, Cardtronics, David McCrary, will discuss the good news for ATM operators – consumers continue to demand and use cash as a favored payment instrument. And how they can continue to profit from the importance of cash, while leveraging alternative services to bolster cash out transactions.
Early in the program, William Budde, VP Product Marketing, Hyosung, presents a session on Maximizing Cash Management with Recycling Automation. Learn how software can now automate more tasks in the cash cycle, creating an environment where employees are focused on customer service and relationships.
Following along with our “Summer School” theme, opt-in for some “extra credit” by staying for the entire program on Day 3, which includes a big focus on cash. Branch Automation: Beyond the ATM, presented by Brenden Watkins, VP ATM Product Management, Fiserv, explores the challenges of providing an adequate supply of cash to the various interaction points where cash is required to serve customers.
Don't miss a thing. Register now for the lowest available rates!
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Job Convergence Ahead!Job seekers and employers are after the same thing – CONVERGENCE.
The ATM Industry Career Center provides convergence – offering job seekers and employers in this unique industry a place to converge on common objectives. And it is the only career site dedicated solely to ATM talent and the ATM industry. There are currently 483 job seekers registered on this site and 200 resumes are posted.
This is a critical time for the world and the ATM industry. In the months ahead, there will be a surge in hiring as we steadily get back to more normal employment. Make sure that your organization is ready to get out in front of the ATM industry’s best talent. A big step in that direction is to make sure that your hiring managers know about the ATM Industry Career Center.
Both employers and job seekers can set up a free account. ATMIA membership is not required, but members do receive discounted rates on job postings and other services. And this is not just a robust and sophisticated job board. It is also a marketing resource that can help you “sell” candidates on the benefits of working for your organization.
Contact ATMIA USA Executive Director, David Tente for more information.
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The ATMmy's
The only marketing award program for the ATM industry is officially accepting submissions through May 1st. Will you be the next industry winner? Click here for more information
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Universal cash depositsATMIA has published a public position paper recommending the widespread adoption of Universal Cash Deposit systems and standards for ATM networks worldwide.
“Japan led the way with the first cash-recirculating ATM in 1982, and deposit-taking ATMs and recirculating ATMs are now quite popular,” commented Mike Lee, CEO of ATMIA and Chairperson of the Consortium for Next Gen ATMs. “However, with the number of bank branches continuing to decline in many countries, our industry needs to go up a gear to increase this functionality on a more standardised basis.”
The paper, which will be posted in the public domain and sent to regulators, promotes the position that Universal Cash Deposit for ATMs will assist communities and businesses in dealing with the decline in bank branches, while making cash itself more competitive in order to protect on-going access to cash for all demographic groups.
"As pointed out by Cash Essentials, deposit is a key element of access to cash, both for consumers but, more especially, for retailers and merchants, who need to deposit their cash into a bank account frequently and at a reasonable cost,” Lee added. “Otherwise, they might become reluctant to accept it on their premises as a form of payment.”
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Legislative alert sponsorship availableATMIA USA has renewed the Stateside Associates monitoring services for 2021. This is a terrific benefit for all ATMIA members. It includes legislative alerts, regulatory (new law) alerts, and the ATM compliance portal.
It is set up as a dual sponsorship – and Cardtronics has already committed to continuing as one of those sponsors. A second sponsorship is also available.
The number varies a bit, but somewhere between 400 and 500 ATMIA members receive every alert throughout the year. In a typical year, 250-300 alerts are sent out – which totals somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 impressions!
Linked logos of both sponsors are displayed in the header of the email alert, along with a printed link at the bottom of the message. Sponsors also receive multiple mentions for their support in the this newsletter, during meetings, and in news items generated by Stateside activity.
This is a great opportunity to give your organization additional and repetitive visibility to a significant segment of our membership. For more information, contact David Tente. These alerts begin in early January and are at their highest level of activity during the first half of the year. Get on board now in order to take full advantage of this opportunity.
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Local and State advocacy updates
COVID-19 and vaccinationsNumbers received earlier this week indicated that 42 states are now making COVID-19 vaccination available to any adult who wants it. The CDC announced yesterday that about 124 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is equal to just over 59% of the adult population.
Bans on Cashless Retail EstablishmentsEfforts to ban cashless retail establishments are going exceptionally well. Undoubtedly there is strong grass-roots support for these measures. Pennsylvania and Maryland actually pre-filed bills toward the end of last year, to be introduced in this session. The City of Philadelphia already has its own ban on cashless retail.
A total of 9 states introduced bills earlier in the year – including Michigan, Mississippi, Arizona, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Connecticut. Connecticut has taken the unusual approach of introducing two bills – one that prohibits retail establishments from refusing cash and another that prevents them from forcing customers to use credit cards. New York had introduced two new bills, which replace three bills introduced in 2019 but never passed.
Then late last month, bills were introduced in Colorado, Alabama, Idaho, and Delaware. And New York introduced two more bills, bringing their total to four.
Texas HB 2629 would create a new ATM registration regimeThe proposed legislation targets non-bank ATM operators, and creates a new licensing and registration regime for ATMs not owned or operated by a financial institution. Although the proposed fees are not overly burdensome, such fees have a tendency to balloon by the time they are implemented. In addition, such programs are very burdensome from the standpoint of compliance - and serve no real purpose, except to generate revenue for the state.
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We need YOUR sponsorship to make our 2021 Washington, DC Fly-in a reality
Our 2021 DC Fly-in had been scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, 2021 on Capitol Hill, with a strategy meeting to take place March 23rd at 5:00pm ET. Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding in-person meetings, the Fly-in has been postponed. Once we have confidence in our ability to have face-to-face meetings, a new date will be scheduled.
In order to host the Fly-In this year, we will need a Sponsor for the event! This is a great opportunity to host a very visible and important advocacy event – and give your organization some unique exposure for the next 6 or 7 months. And promotion of the event will continue until it takes place.
It is too early to determine what our focus will be, but support for reintroduction of the Payment Choice Act bills in the Senate and House, as well as the new OCC rulemaking, are expected to be at the top of our list.
For more information about sponsoring or participating in the Fly-In, contact David Tente.
Fly-In Sponsor Logo Here!!
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ONLINE e-TrainingATMIA Academy offers ongoing, certified ATM operator education and training that conforms to industry best practices.
Courses are designed for ATM operators/owners doing business in regional, national and global markets. Content draws on the collective knowledge of ATMIA members, and is based on extensive research into the operating practices and procedures of ATM businesses worldwide.
There are five courses comprising complete ATM Operator responsibilities with several short, interactive and highly informative sessions. A click and learn-at-your-own-pace approach provides flexibility to control progress through each session on your own schedule and terms.
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Become a NextGen Champion today!Our project has exceeded all expectations. It has proved to be an awesome, global future-proofing exercise.
Now, it’s time to become Next Gen Champions as we move forward powerfully as an industry to implement the global project. We will need to fund the upcoming PR campaign, the development of standards and the creation of an ATMIA self-certification tool, among other steps.
At this exciting time of reinvention and innovation in our global industry, we cordially invite you to pre-order your Next Gen ATM certification. ATMIA is offering the following two free benefits if you pre-order for 2020 certification.
- A free copy of the Next Gen ATM business case matrix, valued at $250.00
- Two free hours of Next Gen ATM consultancy with the technical editor of the project, Marcel Ficken, valued at $500.00
ATMIA has been a leader in the ATM industry for over 20 years and this is the greatest project our association has ever facilitated. Nearly 400 companies worldwide are now participating. Learn more . . .
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Membership Benefit ReminderThere are so many benefits to ATMIA membership, it's easy to lose track of them all. Watch the Newsletter each month for reminders about one of those membership benefits and tips about how to take advantage of it.
ATMIA Provides Market Research
We invite you to our online library of resources for ATMIA members on current issues and trends in the global marketplaces of our industry. Sort through conference presentations, research papers and white papers in the Top Topics category for reading and downloading.
The purpose of this market intelligence library is to collect and display valuable, current information about our industry to enhance decision-making and strategic thinking.
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Committee UpdatesCheck out what's happening with our committee groups:
IAD Committee creating new Work Group to address rash of so-called "cashless ATMs"Concerns are increasing over the proliferation of POS terminals that are processing debit purchases as ATM transactions. Much of this activity is occurring in cannabis dispensaries. Transactions are being rounded up to the next $5 or $10, with the cash going back to the customer.
Regardless of where they are occurring, such transactions violate card scheme rules and the policies of processors and sponsor banks. Fines range from $5,000 to $50,000 – per transaction.
Committee members suggested formation of a Work Group to protect our industry's reputation by visibly staying in front of this issue and educating all members on how to remain in compliance. Any IAD Committee member interested in participating in this Work Group should contact David Tente.
Why you should be involved in at least one committee groupAccess to ATM committee groups is one of the most beneficial perks of membership. And you have your pick of regional groups, global groups - or both. There are no limits on how many groups you may participate in. The only restriction is that you can only join regional committees that are part of a region of which you are a member.
Two of the most popular U.S. regional groups are for ATM deployers – one for financial institutions and one for independents. Our largest global groups are the Consortium for NextGen ATM and a variety of different security related committees.
Obviously each group is a great vehicle for keeping up with happenings related to its area of expertise. It is also a conduit for expressing your own views on critical policies and developments. And there is no better way to get to know your colleagues.
More information about committees is available on the ATM Committees home page. Your can join a committee by signing into your ATM account and clicking on the 'My Committee' link. Also feel free to reach out to David Tente regarding USA Regional groups and to Mike Lee regarding global groups.
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ATMIA Facebook Page
Have you checked out ATMIA's Facebook page yet? Here are some of the benefits of joining our community on Facebook:
Keep abreast of ATM industry news and developments on:
- Latest technology
- Operational efficiencies
- Upcoming ATM focused events
- And more….
On our page, you can find all things ATM's and so much more. "Like" us on Facebook us today!
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Upcoming committee meetings
U.S.Government Relations Committee (GRC)The GRC meets regularly to discuss regulatory and compliance issues affecting the industry, from federal, state, and local governments. It meets next on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 11:00am EDT. Meeting invitations will be been sent to all committee members, with agendas to follow prior to the meeting.
Questions and requests for committee meeting invitations may be directed to David Tente
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Welcome our new membersNew U.S. members since the last newsletter was published:
U.S. Regional Sponsor
Board level memberships
Associate and Small Business level memberships
Did You Know? You can upgrade your membership level at any time. Move up to Board level for greater visibility and a stronger voice in the direction of the Region. Interested in becoming a U.S. Regional Board Member? A unique membership level for financial institutions? Contact David Tente for more information on this and other membership options.
Don't Forget - if your membership is expiring soon, you can receive a 5% discount by renewing before the end of the month in which it expires.
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Earn discounts on your membership and offer new members a 20% discount ATMIA members can now offer friends and affiliates 20% off membership AND earn a discount on their own membership renewal. For a limited time, earn up to $500 USD in discounts on your next renewal as part of ATMIA’s new Membership Referral Program. Each referral is worth $100 USD.
“To make it as easy as possible for members to promote the referral program, ATMIA has put together a variety of resources and each member company has been assigned a unique referral codes that can be found under the ‘my account’ tab on the ATMIA site,” says Amber Howell, ATMIA Membership & Social Media Manager. For mor details about how it works, click here.
Members can find their own personal link and email text/images to use under the ‘Member Referrals’ icon in their My ATMIA Account section of the website.
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April Memberof the Month
Digital Cash Processing (DCP) delivers payment switching services, innovative solutions for ATMs, Kiosks, Electronic Payments, Cash Access, Trust Accounting, and Time Tracking –since 1996. They are a Qualified Integrator and Reseller (QIR) recognized by the PCI Security Standards Council, LLC. A full-service consulting firm, DCP solves client problems in an agile manner that reduces complexity and leads to early successes. This allows their clients to focus on their future, knowing that their present is secure. DCP has been a loyal ATMIA member since 2012.
When asked to comment on the key benefits of their ATMIA membership, DCP President, Richard Beer stated, "With our recent entry into the U.S. ATM and POS processing space, the support, exposure, and industry knowledge our ATMIA membership provides is instrumental to our success. I also need to mention they’re just great people to work with who are genuinely interested in our business."
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