The humble ATM, once the center of the cash-disbursement universe, is facing a steady erosion in use. It has been battered by the pandemic—first, by an abrupt and permanent shift in consumer payment habits, and second, by a sharp rise in criminal activity targeting the machines and the people who use them—and faces grim prospects as newer, nimbler, easier money movement tools emerge digitally. This Javelin Strategy & Research report looks at the factors shaping ATM use and how these machines can be made more useful even as their influence declines.

Despite all that, ATMs remain essential to certain consumer segments, chiefly those who aren’t yet comfortable with digital banking, and providers can heighten their utility by taking steps toward fuller service options and greater security.

Key questions discussed in this report:

• Why is ATM usage down when debit card usage is up?
• How can ATMs catch up to innovation?
• How does crime affect ATM use?

Companies mentioned:

Allied Market Research, Apple Pay, Bank of America, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Chase, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FedNow, Google Pay, Mastercard, PNC, Samsung Pay, The Clearing House, Wells Fargo