New Zealand ATM Services Limited, which is partly owned by Customers Limited, an Australia-based independent ATM deployer (IAD), will begin deploying more ATMs in New Zealand after reaching a key agreement with the country's largest bank.
New Zealand ATM Services is aiming to complete the roll out of more than 600 ATMs at new sites prior to the Rugby World Cup in September, said Tim Wildash, managing director of Customers Limited, which owns 34.5 percent of New Zealand ATM Services. Private investors in New Zealand and Australia own the balance of the shares in New Zealand ATM Services, which is based in Wellington. New Zealand ATM Services also owns existing ATM sites.
The Rugby World Cup will be played in 10 cities throughout New Zealand from September 9 through October 23.
"We will work closely with NZATM (New Zealand ATM Services) in supplying the latest equipment, technology and support services, enabling it to establish a leading customer-centric convenience service across New Zealand for merchants and cardholders alike," Wildash said.
New Zealand ATM Services first introduced non-bank-owned ATMs in New Zealand in 2008 under a trial program that now comprises 101 terminals. The trial, however, was not able to fully deploy because ANZ National Bank Limited and ASB Bank, two of New Zealand's largest banks, could not access independent ATMs.
Customers Limited, however, reached an agreement with ANZ National Bank Limited, which also operates under the brand name The National Bank. ANZ National Bank, the country's largest financial services provider, has its headquarters in Wellington.
"Customers announces today that ANZ National Bank Limited has agreed to allow its customers—ANZ and The National Bank cardholders—to use NZATM's independent ATM services," Customers Limited officials announced Feb. 23.
With ANZ and The National Bank cards being accepted, more than 85 percent of cards on issue in New Zealand will be able to access independent ATMs, officials of Customers Limited said.
"After eight years of due diligence and testing of convenience ATMs, NZATM will now have a scale of cardholder acceptance where it can realize its plan to establish a comprehensive and reliable independent network across New Zealand," Wildash said.
He estimates that the New Zealand market has the potential to support 2,000 to 2,500 independent ATMs. This is small compared with neighboring Australia, which has more than 28,500 ATMs. Customers Limited is Australia's largest ATM deployer with 5,850 machines as of Dec. 31, 2010.
