Well, bank customers in the UK could soon be able to start using the automated teller machine for such information and more. It’s down to boffins at NCR in Dundee who have developed sophisticated new software.

Thanks to the work by the product development team at the firm’s Discovery Centre building at Wester Gourdie Industrial Estate, ATM users will be able to personalise their transactions in order to dispense their usual amount of cash and also remind them of important information, such as insurance renewal dates or important birthdays.

The ATM they use will also be able to welcome the customer by name when they log in.

NCR — the world’s leading ATM manufacturer — said banks in the UK are looking to introduce new software technology that enables ATMs to greet customers by name and offer their usual service such as their £30 cash withdrawal or a balance check.

Details of an NOP survey published today by NCR have revealed that 69% of people select the same services each time they use a cash machine. Personalising ATMs to the usual service means there are fewer screens to navigate and this cuts transactions time by up to a third.

Research and product development teams in Dundee have led the way in the ATM field worldwide for years — bringing forward talking ATMs, machines which recognise the customer by scanning the iris of the eye, and many other features.

A spokesperson for NCR said the new software developed in Dundee represented a “leap forward” for ATMs.

“It will mean that customers will get away from cash machines much quicker than at present, more than 30% quicker,” she commented.

Customers will be able to load information they want held on ATM either via the Internet, a branch of their bank, or using an ATM at a quieter time.

NCR say the new development is very much like Internet banking, but that while Internet banking is used by a minority, the majority of people use ATMs.

“We see this as very much a trend – the way cash machines are moving forward.”

The new software from NCR is called APTRA Relate. It allows for reminders flash up on the ATM while transactions are processed, so no extra time is taken at the machine.

The NOP research released by NCR today shows 20% of UK consumers want to be reminded their car insurance is up for renewal and over a fifth wanted birthday and anniversary reminders when they use the ATM.

Banks in North America using NCR's ATM personalisation technology are also letting customers know they are approaching their overdraft limits and allowing them to extend the limit using the ATM.

Simon Rubin, NCR’s vice president for financial self-service solutions for the UK, Simon Rubin, said today, “UK banks are already rapidly introducing new ATM services such as mobile phone top-ups and new instant cash and cheque deposit. Given the success of ATM personalisation in North America and Asia, we could expect to see the first personalised ATM in the UK within a year.”

Research from banks in North America and Asia shows that bank customers like being given brief information at the ATM because it fits in with the time the transaction normally takes to complete. APTRA Relate allows bank customers to set their preferences for the ATM screen, such as a choice of options for cash withdrawal, e.g. £30 and to print a mini-statement. Subsequently, every time a customer enters their ATM card, the bank recognises the individual and their personal screen appears.