Is it time for the ATM to exit?

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  The ATM machine was once known as the most useful invention in the banking industry.

However, in recent years, with the development of mobile payment and mobile banking, the utilization rate of ATM machines is also declining.

However, the industry generally believes that the ATM machine has not yet come out of the market.

Regardless of whether it is smart finance or inclusive finance, self-service terminals, which are important physical existences, should remain present.

In the future, intelligence will become the main direction for the transformation and development of self-service terminals.

  How long have you not used cash?

Recently, "Sorry, I didn't bring physical money" on Weibo hot search.

The topic immediately resonated with netizens, and many people expressed the same feeling. The decline in cash demand in daily life is evident.

  In this context, the utilization rate of ATM machines (automated teller machines) with cash withdrawal as the main function is gradually decreasing, and the bank's ATM machine business is quietly "slimming".

How useful is this once known as the most useful invention in the banking industry?

Is the self-service terminal coming to an end?

The reporter conducted an interview and investigation on this.

ATM machine decline has continued for several years

  "We withdrew 20% in the first half of this year, and now we have about a dozen self-operated units left." A few days ago, a staff member of a basic branch of a state-owned commercial bank in Beijing told reporters that the bank's transaction utilization rate of ATM machines has The assessment requirements will be removed if they fail to meet the standards for one or two consecutive months.

  A few days ago, the overall operation of the payment system in the second quarter announced by the People's Bank of China showed that ATM weaning operations in the banking industry have become more frequent.

As of the end of the second quarter, there were 1.0521 million ATMs across the country, a decrease of 30,900 from the end of the previous quarter, and a decrease of more than 40,000 from the 1.0977,000 at the end of 2019.

The number of ATMs per 10,000 people nationwide was 7.52, a month-on-month decrease of 2.85%.

  In fact, the decline of ATM machines has continued for several years.

According to data from the People's Bank of China, after reaching a peak of 1,128,600 units in the third quarter of 2018, the number of domestic ATM machines has been declining.

It is worth mentioning that this historical high was only set after expanding the statistical caliber.

In the first quarter of that year, the People’s Bank of China’s ATM machine statistics expanded from traditional self-service equipment such as self-service deposit machines, self-service teller machines, cash dispensers, self-service payment terminals to self-service terminals, visual counters (VTM), and smart New terminal equipment such as counters.

  Before the adjustment of the statistical caliber of ATM machines, some relevant indicators have already conveyed the weakness of ATM machine development.

Since 2016, the growth rate of ATM machines has been unable to keep up with the number of bank cards issued, and the consumption amount of ATM cash withdrawal has also fallen sharply.

In terms of the increment of ATM machines, from 251,800 units in 2015 to 36,400 units in 2017, within 3 years, the number of new ATM machines deployed has shrunk by 85%.

Who did the ATM machine lose?

  As an epoch-making innovation in the banking industry, the ATM machine was once known as the most useful invention in the banking industry.

For customers, ATM machines are a bank that never closes; for banks, ATM machines save a lot of manpower and time at the counter.

But now, it faces the embarrassment that both the customer and the bank are unable to please.

  "Now mobile banking and mobile payment are very convenient, the demand for cash is decreasing, the closing rate of various businesses is increasing, and the utilization rate of ATM machines is falling. It is normal." Banking practitioner Wu Dan told reporters that ATM machines are gradually The big background of marginalization is the rise of mobile payments and the banking industry's emphasis on electronic channels.

  The reporter combed and found that 2015 was an important turning point in the development of the industry, and many manufacturers' ATM business began to lose money continuously.

At the same time, mobile payment services have entered a stage of rapid growth.

  While customers choose more convenient mobile payment, the development focus of the banking industry has also changed.

“In the past, more attention was paid to the expansion of outlets, but now the main development is electronic channels.” Zhao Zujun, a manager of a state-owned commercial bank in Sichuan, told reporters that in order to strengthen the construction of electronic channels, banks have strict assessments on the replacement rate of electronic banks, and the requirements have been rise.

  The reporter learned from interviews that in recent years, domestic banks have made efforts to accelerate digital transformation.

Many banking businesses have the characteristics of online and paperless, and the substitution rate of electronic banking transactions in some banks has reached more than 90%.

  "In the past, when there were many offline businesses, the grassroots level would also have an assessment of the small diversion rate, requiring businesses of less than 5,000 yuan to go to the ATM machine. Now the focus is on the development of APP, whether it is to promote business or improve efficiency. "Peng Yiyuan, manager of a state-owned commercial bank in Hunan, said, "All fields and all links require online transformation, and ATM machines will inevitably be affected."

Is the ATM still useful?

  In the face of Hurricane's rapid mobile payment and digital transformation of banks, the identity of ATM machines has become increasingly embarrassing.

However, the industry generally believes that the ATM machine has not yet come out of the market.

Regardless of whether it is smart finance or inclusive finance, self-service terminals, which are important physical existences, should remain present.

  In recent years, although the number of ATMs has been declining, the purchase of non-cash self-service equipment such as smart teller machines and super counters has increased sharply in the process of accelerating business digitization and smart transformation of major banks.

The industry generally believes that the intelligentization of ATM machines will become the main direction for the transformation and development of self-service terminals, and traditional ATM machines may be replaced by smarter VTM (remote video teller machines) and ITM (interactive transaction mode).

  The reporter combed through the announcements of domestic listed ATM machine manufacturers and found that many companies have made clear the direction of intelligent transformation.

From the perspective of financial reports, the proportion of smart financial equipment and technical service revenues of some companies has shown signs of increasing.

  In addition, with the shrinking of physical service outlets and traditional self-service machines, financial service guarantee problems for middle-aged and elderly people have also begun to emerge.

The reporter learned from an interview that during the decline of ATM business, some banks weaned or outsourced ATM business due to cost considerations, which reduced the availability and convenience of offline financial services.

  Recently, the People’s Bank of China released the “Analysis Report on China's Inclusive Finance Indicators (2019)” and pointed out that while digital financial inclusion provides new financial service channels, it also has an impact on offline service channels such as physical service points and traditional machines. To a certain extent, it brings about digital divide and digital exclusion.

  The above report recommends guiding financial institutions to rationally deploy physical outlets and machines, and steadily promote the intelligent transformation of offline outlets.

Provide certain subsidies or incentives to physical service points and machines with obvious social value but not significant commercial value to ensure that offline services are not lacking.

At the same time, coordinate the promotion of online and offline services, and appropriately promote the use of digital financial tools for groups such as the elderly who rely on traditional financial services, maintain traditional service functions, and satisfy consumers' diversified choices.