Banks hoping ATM bells and whistles distract

<p>ARLINGTON, Va. – A new wave of ATMs with a host of new services and products will distract consumers from the unpopular fees they are paying to use the ATMs, some bankers hope. According to a story in the June 6 Wall Street Journal, reports that while the numbers of ATMs has risen to 324,000 nationwide in the past decade, the number of transactions per machine, and the income they generate, has dropped by half in the same time period. As a result some banks, along with nonbank retailers who get income from the machines hope a new generation of ATM will pump up the falling fee income. 7-Eleven Corporation, which has the so-called “dumb ATMs” in 5,300 of their stores, is testing a program in Florida and Texas that will offer ATM services even to those who have no bank account or credit card. Each of the test ATMs is able to cash checks and transfer funds in addition to performing the usual ATM services. Many banks plan on using their ATMs even more aggressively to cross-market their other products and services like checking accounts, credit cards and home-equity lines of credit.</p>