Cardless ATMs on horizon for Australian customers
(18 June 2012 – Australia) Australian banks are looking into operating cardless ATMs after British banks unveiled a mobile app allowing customers to withdraw money without a card.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and NatWest* unveiled a mobile phone app called 'GetCash' that allows users to request up to £100 (A$155) by entering a six-digit code generated through the smartphone into the ATM, the BBC reported.
The banks said the app meant people could leave their wallets at home, or withdraw cash if their cards were lost or forgotten.
RBS and NatWest's head of mobile, Ben Green, said the system was 'simple and secure'. A password would be needed to access the app, the withdrawal code would only be revealed when the user taps the screen and the people withdrawing the cash would not be able to take out more or less than the amount specified, the banks said.
The codes would be valid for three hours and would not reveal information about the sender's bank account, they added.
A Westpac spokesman told The Herald that the bank was closely following the innovations and looking at similar initiatives, such as using an SMS to access ATMs.
A NAB spokeswoman said mobile internet banking made up one-third of the bank's online log-ins - and its fastest growing banking platform.
'Contactless transacting is the next logical step and NAB is actively working towards a future where our customers will be able to use their mobile phone as a wallet,' the spokeswoman said.
A Commonwealth Bank spokeswoman added that, while it had no plans to launch a similar emergency cash app, it offers a 'Kaching' app that allows customers to make mobile payments.
The banks said the app meant people could leave their wallets at home, or withdraw cash if their cards were lost or forgotten.
RBS and NatWest's head of mobile, Ben Green, said the system was 'simple and secure'. A password would be needed to access the app, the withdrawal code would only be revealed when the user taps the screen and the people withdrawing the cash would not be able to take out more or less than the amount specified, the banks said.
The codes would be valid for three hours and would not reveal information about the sender's bank account, they added.
A Westpac spokesman told The Herald that the bank was closely following the innovations and looking at similar initiatives, such as using an SMS to access ATMs.
A NAB spokeswoman said mobile internet banking made up one-third of the bank's online log-ins - and its fastest growing banking platform.
'Contactless transacting is the next logical step and NAB is actively working towards a future where our customers will be able to use their mobile phone as a wallet,' the spokeswoman said.
A Commonwealth Bank spokeswoman added that, while it had no plans to launch a similar emergency cash app, it offers a 'Kaching' app that allows customers to make mobile payments.
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