Europe Newsletter

November 2019

Dear Member,

Only around 40 shopping days to Christmas!

Where did 2019 go?

For me, quite a fair portion of the year was spent organising the speaker programme for the ATM & Payments Innovation Summit in Rome.

Demanding work - but worth it, because it turned out to be a tremendous success!

You can read all about three wonderful days in Rome here.

The Summit has received very high praise from the vast majority of attendees, which is very gratifying for everyone in the ATMIA team.

You can read some of the praise here.

Now attention turns to organising the speaker programme for the ATM & Payments Innovation Summit 2020, which will be staged in Berlin over three days (19-21 October).

If you are interested in speaking, please drop me a line at ron.delnevo@atmia.com - early days I know, but the earlier the better if you want to be considered for what will be a hugely popular event!

Moving on, I would like to very warmly welcome Komerční banka to ATMIA Europe. You can read more about Komerční banka in later issues of this newsletter.

That’s all from me for this month - I am off to get a fitting for my new Santa Hat!

Advocacy

This section covers only the most up to date news on Europe’s Advocacy. For further background, see the Europe page of the ATMIA website here and previous issues of this Newsletter on the website here.

Six key issues for ATMIA Europe Advocacy in the next months - and, in some cases, years - as we support all aspects of Payment Choice around Europe:

Ensuring changes to payment scheme rules do not damage the interests of ATM operators, endangering access to cash for all.
Ensuring Dynamic Currency Conversion at ATMs remains an option for customers and a profitable transaction for ATM operators.
Supporting the implementation of a transparent European model for the calculation of ATM interchange.
Supporting the implementation of a Universal ATM Cash Deposit, allowing ATM users to deposit cash at any ATM.
Ensuring the UK LINK ATM Network survives to provide cash access that is conveniently accessible for all members of the public and businesses.
Supporting the introduction of legal safeguards in every European market, to legally protect both access to cash and the acceptance of cash for in-person payments.

We shall update on some of these key issues each month.

Changes in Payment Scheme Rules Which Can Impact The Economics of ATMs

Around Europe, there are Payment right Scheme Rule changes in prospect which can impact the economics of ATMs.

Universal Cash Deposits at UK ATMs

This wonderful and intensely practical innovation will allow cardholders with bank accounts to deposit cash at ANY enabled ATM in the UK, rather than having to search for a branch or ATM of their own bank.

In their 29 August 2019 Access to Cash Report, the Scottish Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament came out strongly in support of the ATMIA stance on cash deposit ATMs.

Dynamic Currency Conversion at ATMs

The European Commission announced in 2018 that new transparency proposals for DCC will NOT include a cap on margins.

This is an important matter, with new transparent measures being introduced in early 2020.

The European ATM Executive Team have a meeting with the European Commission in early November to discuss all aspects of this issue.

Supporting Payment Choice in the UK

An arbitrary 10% cut to LINK interchange in 2018 has seen 10% of UK ATMs disappear and thousands more free-to-use ATMs switch to pay-to-use in 2019.

In the next 12 months, the number of free-to-use ATMs could reduce to around 40,000, a loss of more than 20% of the free ATM estate from peak levels of convenience to the UK public.

On 28 August 2019, ATMIA Europe issued an important press release on this subject.

Link announced a small scheme in late September, asking communities that want an ATM to contact them. However, there are strict criteria and the initial funding for this idea only covers 40 to 50 ATMs. It is not a solution to the loss of thousands of ATMs already since 2017 or the new losses of ATMs every day.

Barclays dealt Post Offices a blow in October when they announced that their customers would not be able to use cards to obtain cash at Post Office Counters from early 2020.

Even though Barclays reversed their decision within two weeks, their initial move alerted everyone to the fact that government intervention, in the shape of legislation, will be required to safeguard access to cash. Which? have now joined ATMIA Europe in calling for the government to intervene.

Read even more here.

Ron Delnevo Speaking to the Scottish Affairs Committee, in the UK Parliament

Payment Choice in Sweden

Sweden has been the source of boring and inaccurate stories about “cashless” for years.

You can find out the truth here, including up to the minute news on the bill the government is working on to compel bank branches to handle cash - both deposits and withdrawals - at the counters.

It was announced on 1 August that cash in circulation in Sweden increased by over 7% last year. This shows that cash IS able to make a comeback in the country!

A Bill to compel banks to accept and dispense cash at ALL branches is likely to be put before the Swedish parliament in Q4 2019.

Visibility

News From ATMIA Members Worldwide

ATMIA CEO Q&A: 'Cash and digital payments need to coexist'

Contributing Editor: Amy Castor, ATMmarketplace.com

Mike Lee is the quintessential diplomat. The CEO of the ATM Industry Association greets you with a smile and a warm handshake. He is the sort of person who appears to always have time for everyone.

But in meeting him, what you quickly learn is that despite his pleasant demeanor, Lee is a man with strong convictions, fiercely devoted to defending the use of cash.

Mike Lee on stage at an ATMIA conference in Rome talking about next-generation ATMs.

Last week at ATMIA Europe in Rome, ATM Marketplace caught up with him over cappuccino for a long chat about the war on cash and the future of ATMs. We even asked him about bitcoin.

Read the full Q&A.

How can Banks Balance Digital Transformation with IT Costs?

Digital transformation can mean huge IT costs. While traditional banks are absolutely right to invest, how can they do it in a way that doesn’t overstretch their budget?

Discover Auriga’s top tips for banks saving money while future-proofing their business.

Read full article.

Spain's CaixaBank reports success with facial recognition at ATMs

Contributing Editor: Amy Castor, ATMmarketplace.com

A PIN (stands for personal identification number) is easy to forget, but facial recognition means you don't have to remember a PIN if you want to access services at an ATM.

CaixaBank's Alejandro se Oleza at an ATMIA conference in Rome last week. Photo: Networld Media Group

Earlier this year, Spanish lender CaixaBank introduced facial recognition at a handful of its ATMs in an effort to shorten queues and create a "frictionless" experience for its customers.

Six months into the pilot, the lender is reporting encouraging results.

Read the full article.

SPC Kiosk Stars on Jeremy Vine Show!

SPC was recently contacted by the Jeremy Vine Show, one of the most popular daytime shows on Channel 5, and asked whether we could supply a self-checkout to use as the focal point of a discussion on the merits of this new technology. The only problem was that the call came just two days before transmission! Given the time scale and the logistical problems of getting a full-sized self-checkout to their Central London studios the only viable option was one of NCR’s card only self-service kiosks. SPC was happy to arrange to deliver one of these in time for the show.

Read full article.

Submit an Article for Publication in this Newsletter

Supply up to 250 words, your company logo and/or photograph (as separate .jpg or .png files), and your company website address. Please email material to both Ron Delnevo and Jo Ryan.

Education

Market Intelligence Library

The MIL contains some strong overviews of the payment and regulation landscapes in a number of different countries. It includes recently issued articles and document on ATMs and payments, plus key items from the press.

The following links will take you to listings of current interest:

The Cash Repository

A wide range of current data and information about the global role of cash in society, from a variety of sources.

Recent Articles & Resources:

Find more resources including reports, articles, white papers, position papers, infographics, videos, links and presentations at CashRepository.com.

ATMIA Academy E-Learning

ATMIA Academy offers both general industry and job-specific training opportunities.

ATM Tube

Featuring videos about all things ATM. Be sure to check out the latest video on our ATM tube as well as upload your own company videos.

ATMIA Resources

ATMIA News

Join the Future-Proofing of the ATM Industry

ATMIA’s Consortium for Next Gen ATMs is developing a new API App model for future ATMs. This global movement is free to join - simply email Mike Lee to become part of this critical exercise to ensure our technologies stay relevant for the next generation.

Connections

ATM Industry Career Center

For more information on this industry-specific recruiting tool go to the ATM Industry Career Center, or contact U.S executive director, David Tente, or global director of finance and member services, Sharon Lane.

Member to Member Introductions

Connecting with ATMIA members is easy. Go to the Member Directory, sign in and search for new contacts by keyword, company type, country or region.

Simply click the Request Introduction button to email a personalised message with your contact information. Recipients will know that ATMIA sanctioned your outreach.

Member of the Month

Our European Member of the Month for November is Scotia.