(8 May 2012 – Australia) Contactless ATMs could soon be in use in Australia, allowing customers to withdraw money without putting their card into a cash machine.The new technology was recently introduced in Spain where 500 contactless ATMs will be rolled out in Barcelona.
Many experts believe the move is inevitable that this type of technology will be adopted in Australia. Already contactless point-of-sale terminals are used by many retailers.
The user swipes their card across a machine’s reader and then waits for a beep so they can go ahead with the transaction. Using a touch-screen and data entry pad they can then withdraw cash.
The new technology is believed to be a faster way to access cash and able to reduce the likelihood of customers leaving their cards at machines by mistake. It’s also understood to make it more difficult for cards to be skimmed.
The machines have built-in cameras and a display so the user can see whether anyone is watching them while they make a transaction.