The prime example has been provided by the Finnish banks. In order to promote the usage of ATMs and bill payment terminals, they have imposed heavy fees on customers who wish to carry out routine transactions on the teller line, while the same service at ATMs has been offered free of charge. Over the past five years the average usage rates of the cash withdrawal facility on ATMs in Finland has risen from around 3,500 transactions per terminal per month in 1989 to its current level of almost 5,000 transactions per terminal per month. Although banks in the UK have so far fought shy of charging for teller-line transactions, a number have used differential charging to encourage loyalty on ATM networks, charging customers a small fee for every transaction made at an ATM other than their own. Fraud is a Threat Public confidence in the reliability and accuracy of an ATM network is of the highest importance.
Security cameras are a relatively expensive way of solving rather than preventing such crimes.
Since the problem is in large part attributable to the compromising of secret PINs, a sensible preventative measure is to allow customers to select their own PIN, thus reducing the need to keep a written record of the number. In areas where street crime is a problem, action can be taken to promote ATM usage by making customers confident that they will be safe during the transaction. Possible steps include ensuring that lighting around the machine is adequate, allowing for parking close to the machine, installing cameras as a visible deterrent to muggers and ensuring customers have an unobstructed view of the area, for example by fitting self-service lobbies with transparent walls. Improving usage is not an option, it is a necessity in an increasingly competitive environment. Although there is no single solution, banks can win by using a set of complementary actions within their strategy.