Article

Wincor Nixdorf signs ATM deal with British bank

September 21, 2010

Wincor Nixdorf AG has signed a contract to deploy ATMs for Metro Bank, London’s newest bank.

Wincor Nixdorf will deploy 120 ATMs over two years for Metro Bank, which opened July 29, said Paul Price, Wincor Nixdorf’s senior account manager.

The bank purchased Wincor Nixdorf Pro Cash 1500xe machines, which are cash dispensers that bank officials deployed in the lobbies of three branches that have already opened. A fourth branch is scheduled to open at the end of October, said a Metro Bank spokesperson. In 2011, Metro Bank plans to open another 10 branches throughout the London area. Each branch has or will have three to four ATMs, Price said.

“They [bank officials] deployed the ATMs in the lobby to attract people to the bank,” he said. “Once they come in, employees will greet them to tell them about the bank.” The ATMs, which have four cash cassettes, dispense 20 pound and 10 pound British banknotes. Eventually, the machines will dispense 5 pound banknotes, Price said.

The ATMs also are equipped with technology to prevent skimming and card trapping, which is the theft of a cardholder’s card. Card trapping occurs when a thief tampers with the ATM’s card reader to ensure the card remains stuck inside the card slot and cannot be returned to the customer, said the ATM Industry Association.

“Card skimming and card trapping are common occurrences in London, and Wincor Nixdorf’s technology will give customers and bank officials a peace of mind,” Price said.

Craig Donaldson, CEO of Metro Bank, agrees.

“Being able to offer customers Wincor Nixdorf’s easy-to-use, secure ATMs is just one of the ways that we’ll be proving our commitment to customer service,” Donaldson said.

Metro Bank is Britain’s first new High Street bank to open in 100 years, said bank officials. “We are very proud to be associated with London’s newest bank; it is bringing new blood to the banking industry,” said Lorraine Bent, a Wincor Nixdorf spokesperson.

The financial institution is determined to change British banking. Its branches are open seven days a week. Monday through Friday, the branches are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturday, the branches are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, the bank is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The bank’s hours coincide with times London’s retail shops are open, Brent said.

Wincor Nixdorf, which is based in Paderborn, Germany, is the world’s second-largest ATM manufacturer based on annual shipments, according to Retail Banking Research, a London-based strategic research and consulting firm.