The ING Bank Slaski S.A. in Warsaw and Katowice is aggressively strengthening its position in Poland’s banking sector through contactless ATM environments with state-of-the art technology from NCR Corp., which is based in Duluth.
ING Bank Slaski retail customers can now withdraw cash from an ATM without needing to insert their card. The bank’s contactless-card enabled machines permit its customers with VISA and MasterCard debit cards to initiate fast cash withdrawals by holding their card near the ATM reader. Once customers have confirmed their PIN code, they may withdraw “fast cash.”
NCR claims that a “contactless dispense transaction” is about 25 percent faster than a traditional withdrawal requiring insertion of the card into the card reader.
“This the first time we’ve installed this technology for ATM authentication,” NCR spokesman Jeff Dudash told Global Atlanta. “To our knowledge, this is one of the first in the world. There may be a few other examples, but it is exceedingly rare at the moment.”
An increase in mobile-based payments in Europe is a major factor prompting changes in how consumers wish to access ATMs. Banks are beginning to adapt their ATMs for the use of contactless cards in regions where these cards are commonly used for small purchases and public transit. The proliferation of payments by mobile phones also is pushing the demand for new technologies.
According to NCR figures, 70 percent of all cards in Poland are equipped with contactless technology, and more than 50 percent of point-of-sale terminals accept contactless transactions.
Bank ÅšlÄ…ski was established in 1988 first as a state-owned bank. Three years later it was transformed into a private company. In 1994 its shares were placed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Since 1996, the bank’s majority shareholder has been the Dutch ING Group with its name eventually changed to ING Bank Slaski.
The global technology company NCR operates in more than 100 countries.