Mobile ATMs spreading

August 19, 2017

TOKYO- An increasing number of regional banks in Japan are introducing automated teller machines mounted on vehicles to cater mainly to elderly people living in areas with no ATMs.

Shimane Shinkin Bank in the western prefecture of Shimane plans to introduce an ATM van as early as November for the first time in the country.

Using the vehicle, the bank plans to visit schools, community centers, nursing facilities and other locations to offer banking services.

"We hope to improve our services as much as possible in areas without bank outlets or convenience stores" as an increasing number of elderly people in the prefecture are living alone, a Shimane Shinkin official said.

The ATM van will offer deposit, withdrawal and payment services. Passbook updates, a service that ATMs in convenience stores do not provide, will also be available.

In Japan, many elderly customers still use passbooks instead of cash cards. In many cases, workers from regional lenders visit the houses of such customers, bring back their passbooks to update them and return them to the customers.

A mobile ATM with passbook update functions can save bank employees from such duties.

According to Oki Electric Industry Co. the developer of the ATM van, the vehicle can access mountainous areas with narrow roads. The ATM van costs some 10 million yen per unit, about one-fifth of the figure for a larger truck-type.

The company aims to sell 1,000 units of the ATM van over three years. Jiji Press