News

Nationwide to update ATMs with cash acceptance, check imaging

January 1, 2002

LONDON -- Nationwide, the world's largest building society, will become the first UK financial services provider to offer advanced cash and check deposit at the ATM following the installation of NCR Personas 72 Sidecars on some of the Personas 70 ATMs in its network.

Under a multi-million pound agreement, the machines will be rolled out across 80 Nationwide branches and branded as Nationwide Fast Cash & Cheque. The agreement also covers professional services, software development, project management and ongoing maintenance from NCR.

Fast Cash & Cheque performs all the usual ATM functions, such as dispensing cash and balance information, via a color touchscreen. In addition, Nationwide members will also be able to: deposit up to 30 banknotes, which are immediately credited to the account and available for withdrawal; deposit checks and receive a receipt incorporating a scanned image of the check; and obtain a building society check.

Unusually, holders of passbook accounts, as well as card-based ones, can use Fast Cash & Cheque -- provided they register to do so and receive a PIN.

Robin Bailey, Nationwide's branch network director, said, "Many of the large banks are closing branches. Our strategy is different. Self-service devices such as Fast Cash & Cheque help ensure our branches remain economically viable by driving higher volumes of business through them."

Andy Morss, NCR's Financial Solutions Division vice president for Northern Europe, compared NCR's technology to "a branch in the box."

He said, "It is easy to use and frees branch staff to deal with customers' more complex needs. We worked closely with Nationwide to meet the specifications designed for their members."