Bank ATMs are constantly "slimming" intelligent transformation into a trend

Reporter Peng Yan

As the payment methods are becoming more and more convenient, ATM has never seen it again. Recently, a reporter from the Securities Daily visited the bank outlets in Beijing and found that the ATM machine area of ​​most bank outlets is quite deserted. In a bank branch outlets, only one citizen used ATM machines for half an hour of waiting for the reporter.

In April this year, according to the "General Situation of the Payment System Operation of the 2021 Payment System in 2021" announced by the central bank, as of the end of 2021, the national ATM machine was 947,800 units, a decrease of 66,000 units from the end of the previous year. 7.34%.

According to statistics, from 2018 to 2021, the bank ATM machine showed a three -year decline, and the number dropped from 1.1108 million units at the end of 2018 to about 940,000 units at the end of 2021, a decrease of 15%.

"At present, due to the decrease in utilization rate, banks have taken the initiative to withdraw from some ATM machines." Said the lobby manager of a bank outlets, when the ATM machine is not used or used for a long time, the daily operation and maintenance costs still need to be paid as usual. Cost and maintenance costs.

Behind ATM business, it is the growth of non -cash business. According to the overall situation of the 2021 payment system disclosed by the central bank, in 2021, the national bank handled a total of 439.506 billion non -cash payment business, with a amount of 441.556 trillion yuan, an increase of 23.9%and 10.03%year -on -year. A total of 274.969 billion in electronic payment business, with a amount of 29.7622 trillion yuan, a year -on -year increase of 16.9%and 9.75%. Among them, the online payment business was 102.278 billion, with a amount of 235.396 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.32%and 8.25%year -on -year; the mobile payment business was 1512.28 billion yuan, with a amount of 52.698 trillion yuan, a year -on -year increase of 22.73%and 21.94%.

Xue Hongyan, deputy dean of the Xingtu Financial Research Institute, told reporters of the Securities Daily that with the popularity of mobile payment, non -cash transactions account for higher and higher proportion, and cash demand gradually shrinks. The decline in total demand is declining. In order to reduce operating costs, banking institutions have gradually reduced investment in the field of ATM. With the gradual decline in the number of ATM machine operations, in turn, it will reduce the convenience of cash access, continue to increase the proportion of non -cash transactions, and promote bank institutions to continue to reduce the investment in ATM machines and form a positive feedback cycle.

In order to cope with the rapid development of mobile payment, various banks have begun to transform ATM machines and transform and develop to self -service terminals through intelligent transformation. In addition, some banks have upgraded the ATM machine, such as launching face recognition technology, and face -to -face access.

According to many bank staff, although mobile payment is an inevitable trend, many people still have the need to use cash payment, such as the elderly group and some people with relatively backward remote areas limited by the network infrastructure.

In this regard, the co -director, researcher Pan and Lin, the co -director, researcher at the International United Business School of Zhejiang University International Commerce Business School, said that with the decrease in cash demand, the density of ATM machines at bank outlets is decreasing. In the future, the ATM machine will definitely develop into a more comprehensive bank intelligent self -service business processing terminal, integrate the function of a large number of outlets to the intelligent self -service business processing terminal.

It is worth noting that after digital payment methods such as digital RMB are fully rolled out and popularized, they also have great upgrade needs for ATM machines. For example, in June 2021, ICBC and Agricultural Bank of China have launched digital RMB access existing functions in some ATMs in Beijing.

Su Xiaorui, a senior analyst of the financial industry, said that with projects such as "smart outlets" and "digital RMB ATM machines", some equipment with intelligence and integration, and applied the latest technology will have a broader prospects Essence Therefore, on the one hand, ATM machines need to comply with the trend of the development of the digital economy, and implement digital transformation of business processes and terminal equipment. On the other hand, they also need to insight into user actual needs. Play greater value.

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