Powering enhanced ATM experiences with ATMaaS

By adopting NCR Atleos’ ATM as a Service (ATMaaS) model, Santander UK modernized its ATM network, improving efficiency, customer experience and accessibility.

WHAT THEY NEEDED  

Addressing the challenge of legacy ATM software

Santander UK is a prominent financial services provider with approximately 1,700 ATMs and serving around 14 million customers across the UK. Its existing ATM software was nearing end-of-life, requiring a significant upgrade investment. This natural point in the platform’s lifecycle gave Santander UK an opportunity to re-evaluate its entire ATM management model. 

WHAT WE DELIVERED  

Operational excellence and enhanced customer experience through ATM as a Service (ATMaaS)

After a 20-year partnership, Santander UK fully transitioned its entire ATM network to the NCR Atleos ATMaaS model in 2023. This move allowed the bank to outsource comprehensive ATM operational management—including software, transaction processing and maintenance—while retaining ownership of ATM assets and managing first-line maintenance and cash supply internally.

A key focus was improving ATM accessibility through collaboration with the Digital Accessibility Centre—a non-profit social enterprise—to address diverse customer needs. Santander UK also ensured brand differentiation via customized interfaces while standardizing backend operations, directly addressing previous inefficiencies and high capital expenditure.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT  

The partnership significantly enhanced Santander UK’s ATM services, resulting in faster, more convenient and personalized experiences with streamlined operations, reduced costs and improved uptime. ATMaaS adoption enabled new personalization and accessibility features across the bank’s 1,700 ATMs, including color contrast, voice guidance (developed with the Royal National Institute for Blind People), language selection and unique denomination selection.

This commitment to universal ATM accessibility, highlighted by features like denomination selection (used by 50% of customers), sets Santander UK apart, cultivating brand loyalty and providing strategic insights for the bank's long-term branch strategy, including future capabilities like cash recycling and £50 note dispensing.

Customer-centric innovation and market differentiation

Ian Douglas, Head of ATM Services at Santander UK: “Our close collaboration with NCR Atleos is highly valued, particularly their strategic insights on how ATMs can support our long-term branch strategy, including the potential for cash recycling ATMs and £50 note dispensing. Denomination selection remains a key USP and differentiator for us in the UK market, proving popular with our customers, as evidenced by the 50% who choose to customize their note mix when withdrawing cash (average over six months).”