Innovation

5 ways to make your ATM more user friendly

If you want your customers to have a good experience using your ATM, follow these five tips to make your ATM more user friendly.

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February 6, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

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In an age where AI agents make everything easier, it's absolutely imperative that self-service operators make their devices as user friendly as ever. After all, customers judge every experience not based on similar companies or services but on innovative companies like Amazon.

ATM operators are not immune from this effect either. Customers won't accept single feature devices that have old or malfunctioning features, such as screens you can't touch, or malfunctioning cash and check deposit peripherals. If you want your customers to have a good experience using your ATM, follow these five tips to make your ATM more user friendly.

Add advanced features

First off, it's key to include advanced features in your ATMs. While many customers just come to an ATM to withdraw cash, by adding in other features you can help them accomplish other tasks, which will in turn boost the user experience.

For example, modern ATMs should include cash deposit features, even ones owned by nonbanks, so customers can take cash tips and gifts and easily deposit it to their accounts. They should also include basic self-service banking features from balance inquiries to transfer and more.

"We've seen an increasing number of ATMs used for day-to-day 'manual' transactions like deposits, withdrawals, balance inquiries, etc., so the easier it is to enact these transactions, the more valuable your fleet can be," Jodi Neiding, VP of Americas Banking Portfolio at Diebold Nixdorf, said in an email interview.

Some advanced features can work on the back end to reduce device downtime, such as cash recycling, which reduces the number of times the machine needs to be replenished with cash.

Enable customization

ATM operators can meet their customers where they are at by enabling certain forms of customization. This can be done through simple methods such as allowing customers to pick what denominations of cash they receive with withdrawals and more advanced features.

The ATM can offer tailored marketing messages for customers based on their age and income level. A college age student could receive information on student loans, car loans, or accounts that offer higher yield savings. In addition, by adopting cloud-based servers, ATMs can turn features on or off based on market or customer demands, such as dynamic currency exchange or cryptocurrency purchases. This can be done through remote hosting which can control these features.

Integrate contactless/mobile

Customers use their phones for everything, so why not ATMs? In fact, some people don't even carry a physical debit card with them, so ATMs need to accommodate these people. That's where contactless/cardless ATMs come into play.

Contactless improves the user experience by making it faster, safer and secure. Contactless ATM access also improves transaction processing speed and convenience. And, contactless take less than half a second and is faster than inserting a chip card. Faster and improved self-service experience can lead to increase in loyalty and ATM usage," Terry Pierce, product management director of Co-op Solutions, told ATM Marketplace in an email interview.

With contactless tools, customers can a QR code on the device or display then enter their PIN number. This is helpful on multiple levels. First it gives customers the choice to interact with the machine on their terms. Second, it prevents card skimming, as they are not inserting a card into the card reader.

"It reduces the number of EMV fallback transactions and fraud losses due to skimmed cards," Pierce said. "Contactless provides the same security embedded with the use of an EMV chip."

Use remote monitoring tech

One key pain point with ATMs is when they break down. Frustrated customers hate driving to the ATM only to find a sign on it that says out of order, or even worse they try to complete a transaction and it malfunctions, either by not dispensing cash or ripping apart cash they try to deposit into the ATM.

The best way to address this issue is to catch faults in the ATM before they occur. A good remote monitoring tool can help with that. It can catch software faults or detect hardware issues such as a malfunctioning cash dispenser or cassette and call in service workers to fix the issue. It can also perform tasks like power on/off or software updates.

Incorporate customer feedback

It's crucial to consider customer feedback. Whether you are an independent ATM deployer or a bank, you should interact with your end users to figure out what they want from an ATM. Do they want more denomination options, self-service banking tools, or contactless support? By asking them through surveys or social media, you can gain better insights that you can take to improve your machine.

By taking into account what the customer wants, you can ensure your ATMs deliver a crisper user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why should I upgrade to a contactless ATM if my customers still use physical cards?

A:Contactless technology isn't just about catering to cardless users; it significantly increases security for everyone. Because there is no physical card insertion, it virtually eliminates the risk of card skimming. Additionally, contactless transactions are nearly twice as fast as traditional chip-and-pin entries, reducing wait times and increasing customer throughput.

Q: What is "cash recycling" and how does it benefit the operator?

A:Cash recycling is a technology where the ATM uses the cash deposited by one customer to fund the withdrawals of another. For the operator, this dramatically reduces the cost and frequency of armored car cash replenishments and keeps the machine operational for longer periods.

Q: Is remote monitoring expensive to implement?

A: While there is an upfront cost for the software and connectivity, remote monitoring typically pays for itself by reducing "blind" service calls. Instead of sending a technician to diagnose a problem, you can often fix software glitches remotely or ensure the technician arrives with the exact part needed, minimizing machine downtime.

Q: How can an ATM offer "tailored marketing" without violating privacy?

A: Most tailored marketing is based on anonymized data or existing bank profiles. For example, the machine can be programmed to show specific ads based on the type of card inserted or the location of the ATM (such as offering student-centric services at an ATM located on a college campus) without ever compromising individual personal data.

Q: Does adding features like cryptocurrency or currency exchange make the ATM harder to use?

A:Not if the interface is designed well. By using cloud-based servers, operators can ensure that the "base" menu remains simple for those who just want cash, while advanced options are neatly organized in sub-menus or activated only for specific users, keeping the experience clean and intuitive.

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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Diebold Nixdorf

As a global technology leader and innovative services provider, Diebold Nixdorf delivers the solutions that enable financial institutions to improve efficiencies, protect assets and better serve consumers.

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