When you think of Wi-Fi hotspots, what comes to mind? Coffee shop surely has to be atop that list. Laundromats, shopping centers, and others may pop up as well. One that probably doesn’t is an ATM. Why would you need Wi-Fi at an ATM? I’m not sure of the answer, but the folks at Cashbox and BT Openzone in the UK do. They’ve announced a partnership which will bring Cashbox’s ATMs into Wi-Fi hotspots. This will start with 10, and eventually spread to the 2,500 Cashbox ATMs across the UK.
Just because there is a deal doesn’t necessarily mean it makes sense. It’s still unclear how customers will gain access — will they have to pay a £2.50 fee and withdraw cash for access? Can anyone use it? Most of all: how does withdrawing money pertain to wireless Internet usage?
The PR-spoeak from Cashbox doesn’t shed any light:
“As a customer-focussed business, we are continually looking for ways to extend our service offering, and with exciting initiatives such as this we are providing our customers with additional opportunities to utilise the ATM machines. May was an all-time record month for transaction levels, as people are finding cash preferable to credit in the current economic climate.”
So…yeah. Nothing much there. Time will tell if this partnership is wise. From a distance, it sounds like two flavors which just do not mesh.
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