£30m in contracts awarded in Post Office's £357m ATM overhaul

The UK Post Office has awarded two contracts worth a total of £30m for a banking network and ATMs system in a procurement expected to be worth £357m once all contracts are awarded. UK government-owned company which runs the familiar local outlets has awarded Cennox a £26m contract for banking automation managed services while …

[amacater]

Fewer ATMs is possibly unsurprising just at the moment in the middle of a pandemic when everything is trying to be cashless - but that assumes you've got debit cards / credit cards, IT to manage some sort of account on line - and that excludes many of the people that bank with the Post Office because there's someone they can talk to to get help / collect benefits / pensions there. Cities are becoming deserts if you need cash machines and corner stores taking £2 per transaction or whatever aren't helping those on the lowest incomes.

[Andy The Hat]

Please explain

"In addition, the system is intended to support the Post Office Card Account, a specially created bank account systems designed to allow people who have no other banking access to collect social security benefits, although the Department for Work and Pensions has since decided to withdraw support for the service."

I have a relation that collects her DWP pension in cash via a 'post office card account'. That facility was planned to and, as far as I'm aware, is still going to be withdrawn. Two things arise from this (a) she can't get to her money as it's got to go into a current account in a bank branch miles from home (don't even think of telling me to put an 89 year old onto internet banking so she can pay her milkman or how she should annoy the shopkeeper by using a card for a pint of milk.) and (b) it makes the above support facility a complete waste of money ...

So are the DWP "withdrawing support for the service" - in which case why are they spending money supporting it - or are they continuing to support the service in which case why haven't all those using the facility been told of a policy change?

Somewhere I have a picture of an arse and an elbow which I can hire out for comparison training ...

[Pascal Monett]

"decommission 600 existing ATMs it said were little used"

Oh, so the small amount of electricity and maintenance on an ATM is more important than its usage ?

I'm guessing that 600 less ATMs is going to inconvenience a fair amount of people. How are they going to be able to get some cash then ? Drive another 20km to some bank teller and wait in line ?

Honestly, what is the cost of maintaining an ATM and where do you draw the line on its usefulness ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "decommission 600 existing ATMs it said were little used"

Back in the days of the old Post Office and telephone boxes, our local phone box was taken away "because it was little used" - it was little used because they never emptied the cash, so no-one could make a call because there was no room for fresh coins. Can't they come up with an original excuse?

The modern Post Office is on the point of closing our village Post Office where I currently draw cash with my debit card. Here the black economy thrives and it either requires barter or folding notes. Unfortunately, an ATM would not be the answer because other locals like pulling them out of the wall.

[Blazde]

Re: "decommission 600 existing ATMs it said were little used"

"what is the cost of maintaining an ATM"

They're spending 16 million squid on keeping the remaining 1400 machines so that gives you some idea.

[Claverhouse]

To Service You Better

...and in response to public demand we are withdrawing services.

[Santa from Exeter]

Replies to above comments

@amacater

You state that "Cities are becoming deserts if you need cash machines" would you care to give an example of a city where this is happening? The cities with which I am familiar all seem to be pretty well supplied with bank branches and retail branches offering free cash withdrawals on a widespread basis.

@Pascall Monet

"I'm guessing that 600 less ATMs is going to inconvenience a fair amount of people" Why guess? Do some research and you may well find that many of these ATM's are in areas already well supplied with them and that is the real reason they are under utilised. Locally the main Post Office was off the High Street, fine if you needed to go there to get a parcel weighrd for posting, bloody inconvenient to visit to withdraw cash. Additionally, why would someone "Drive another 20km to some bank teller and wait in line", where there is a bank, there will be an ATM. Oh, and in the UK they would be driving around 12 miles :-)

[Barrie Shepherd]

Re: Replies to above comments

"Oh, and in the UK they would be driving around 12 miles :-)"

Outside your local area cop a £200 Covid fine. :-)

[Azium]

Re: Replies to above comments

Going to a bank or other 'money shop' is a reasonable excuse to leave home, according to the Coronavirus Regulations.

[IT Hack]

Prison

I wonder how many innocent people will wind up in prison.