A new law affecting ATM machines has passed under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and went into effect on March 15, 2012. The new ATM machine ADA standards required full compliance by the deadline date of March 15, 2012.

If you are an ATM Operator, an ATM company or a retail merchant operating one or many ATM machines, these new requirements will affect every active terminal in your ATM portfolio or retail location.

Today I’m going to tell what you need to know about these upcoming changes and how it will impact your business.

Starting on March 15, 2012 customers with disabilities should find using an ATM easier than ever before. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with this new ADA requirement your ATMs must be in compliance by March 15th.

Some ATM machines may require that you make enhancements to the way your customers physically access and interact with your ATM machines. Some of the new design standards and requirements include:

Height and Reach:
The reach requirement will change from a height of 54″ to 48″ to the top working button. This will help to ensure customers can easily access the input controls of the ATM. The exception to this change is drive thru ATMs.

Clear floor space:
The area in front of the machine needs to equal 48″ x 48″ (16 square feet).

Accessible route:
One unobstructed side of the clear floor space must adjoin an accessible route or another clear floor space leading up to the ATM and connecting to the clear floor space in front of the ATM. This is for wheel chair accessibility.

Voice Guidance:
All ATMs must be speech enabled to service visually impaired customers. This may require a 3.5mm female jack be accessible for head phones.

Display Screen:
Visibility from 40″ above the center of the floor in front of the ATM, characters on the screen must be in San Sarif font. A minimum of 3/16″ high and must contrast with their background.

Braille Instructions:

Braille Instructions to initiate the aforementioned voice guidance feature must also be provided.

Function Keys:
Function keys must be designed to contrast visually from their background surfaces.

Input device:
Input device controls must be tactically discernible, meaning the key surfaces must be raised above the surrounding surfaces.

Numeric Keypads:
Keypads must be arranged in an ascending or descending layout. The enter key should be marked with a raised circle, the clear key with a raised left arrow, and the cancel key should be marked with a raised X. The add value key should be marked with a raised plus sign and the decrease value key should be marked with a raised minus sign.

These laws will be applied to all lobby and walk up thru-the-wall ATMs. There will be no safe harbor granted for existing units and no grandfathering of currently deployed machines.. While there are many ATM operators and banks taking a “wait and see” attitude this could potentially be a costly proposition as any ATMs that don’t meet ADA standards by the 2012 deadline could result in a civil penalty of up to $55,000 for a first offense and double that amount for subsequent offenses.

ATMDepot suggests you take this opportunity to inventory your existing ATMs and record the manufacturer, model number, and year manufactured. It would also be wise to note each terminals software and speech capabilities.

If you need help, we suggest you check with your respective vendors for more details regarding upgradability and cost. ATMDepot is able to offer several upgrade kits and exceptional pricing on new replacement ATMs in cases where you need to upgrade or replace entire machines (generally older ATM models) in order to be compliant.

Be especially careful of used or previously refurbished ATM machines at this time as there are a lot of non-compliant machines on the market that cannot be setup. Make sure the ATM you plan to purchase, especially if it’s used or refurbished, is already completely upgraded or compliant with new ADA standards. All new machines shipped from ATM manufacturers today come fully ADA compliant.

You can find more information about the ADA standards for 2012 at ada.gov

You can find us at atmdepot.com or you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.

New ATM Machine ADA Standards is a post from ATM Depot.

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Some of the most frequent questions about the ATM Machine business is How do you load an ATM Machine with Cash and the follow up question is how much does it hold.

The answer to how much cash does an ATM Machine hold really depends on the type of ATM Machine and the type of Cash Cassette. There are fixed cassette’s (meaning non-removable) these are typically in lower end ATM machines designed for low volume locations. There are removable cassettes in all sorts of configurations from small Triton TDM (see video below) to the Mini Mech and the SDD or multi cassette machines for multiple denominations.

In retail locations you mostly see the TDM or the Talaris dispensers (formerly De La Rue SDD or De La Rue MiniMech). All of these are easy to load but have different capacities as well as longevity based on use (volume of transactions). Most retail based ATM Machines only have a few hundred to a few thousand dollars and are loaded and unloaded daily to reduce the temptation of stupid criminals.

See how easy it is to own and operate an ATM Machine. Watch this Video to find out how to load cash in a Triton ATM Machine with a TDM dispenser.

How to Load an ATM Machine is a post from ATM Depot.

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Do you Operate Tranax ATM Machines?

Problem: Tranax Error Code 20010

Description: Most likely cause is a receipt paper jam.

Solution: Remove jammed paper.

Steps:

1. Release receipt paper drawer by pressing the tab with the green sticker located at the front of the printer.
2. In most cases you may have to remove the printer to locate difficult jams.
3. Do NOT use metal objects to clear jams, use a business card or stiff paper.
4. Make sure you only use 21# paper. Paper of a lesser thickness is more prone to jamming.

If you followed the above steps and your printer is still jamming, try using a new roll of paper. Make sure paper roll is not damaged in any way (water, crushed, old). If you still have trouble, contact your ATM processing providers help desk.

If your ATM company does not offer toll free help and you would like to switch to an ATM company that offers this service try this ATM Company.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was the original founder of XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi our in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999 and personally assists Investors, dealers, Merchants and other ATM Machine Owners and Operators with their ATM Machine Business. Follow us on Twitter

How to Fix Tranax Error Code 20010 is a post from ATM Depot.

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If you are a retailer or merchant that operates a Triton ATM Machine once in a while your Electronic Journal may fill up after 2,000 transactions. Journal transactions also include cassette close, trial closes, and other admin functions.

So if your doing 2 – 4 admin functions a day and your ATM is used 15 – 20 times a day your Triton ATM Machine Electronic Journal could get filled up in a few as three (3) months. Here are the quick instructions on how to clear your Triton ATM Electronic Journal.

Error Code: 151
Description: Electronic Journal Full
Recommended Action:
Open the control panel and verify that there is sufficient paper on the roll to print a complete journal (32.768 entries). Replace paper as needed. Enter the management functions and complete the print journal command.

If for some reason your Triton ATM Electronic Journal was malfunctioning after you cleared it, it may be the Electronic Journal needs to be replaced (albeit very rare that this part goes bad).

It’s a good idea to print your journal on a monthly basis and save the tape in case there are any discrepancies in your ATM Machine totals or if you need to refer to the information in the future.

Here is what it looks like:

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Machine Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was the original founder of XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi our in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999 and personally assists Investors, dealers, Merchants and other ATM Machine Owners and Operators with their ATM Machine Business. Follow us on Twitter

Triton ATM Error Code 151 is a post from ATM Depot.

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If you’re familiar with Triton ATM Machines you might also know the most common error code is error code 101. Most ATM technicians will simply tell you this is the most common error code for a Triton ATM when your ATM runs out of cash.

However the actual description and recommended action is as follows:

Error Code: 101 (65h)
Description: 2-second timeout waiting for pick. (Feed failure).
Recommended Action:
This error is usually associated with “”unfit”" currency or an empty cassette.
1. Refill the cassette as needed.
2. Inspect the feed path for currency that is stuck together or jammed. If no jams are found, remove the note closest the the pick rollers in the cassette.
3. Install the cassette. Purge the dispensing mechanism with the PURGE command from the DIAGNOSTICS function. Test the dispenser by completing several “Test Dispenses”. If the error clears, put the cash dispenser in service.
4. If the currency is in “”fit”" condition and the error condition persists, consider replacing the note cassette or the dispensing mechanism.

So if you are trying to diagnose your Triton ATM Machine and you are looking for Triton ATM Machine error codes, look no further.

ATM Depot now lists all the error codes with the definition, possible cause and the resulting diagnosis.

Simply visit the ATM Depot Triton Error Code page.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Machine Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was the original founder of XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi our in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999 and personally assists Investors, dealers, Merchants and other ATM Machine Owners and Operators with their ATM Machine Business.Follow us on Twitter

Triton ATM Error Code 101 is a post from ATM Depot.

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I’m happy to report we have finally added a page on our web site for all the Tranax error codes. If you have a Tranax ATM machine and have an issue, simply visit the Tranax Error Codes page to see what the problem is and what steps you can take to cure or clear the error.

By visiting the Tranax ATM Error Codes page before calling the support number you will have a better idea of what steps need to be taken to get your ATM up and running quickly.

So do yourself a favor, you’ll save time and learn something.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Machine Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was founder of the former XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi, Sales Manager, ATM Owner and resident in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999. Follow us on Twitter

Tranax ATM Error Codes is a post from ATM Depot.

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Effective April 2010 MasterCard International announced they have lowered the Interchange for Cirrus ATM Transactions by $0.18.

The ATM Industry Association is conducting a study on the impact of the new fee structure.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Machine Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was founder of the former XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi, National Sales Manager, ATM Owner and resident in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999. Follow us on Twitter

Visa & MasterCard ATM Interchange is a post from ATM Depot.

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Looking to make some residual income? Want to start an income opportunity and know some retail locations that could benefit from having an ATM Machine inside the store or restaurant?

If you’ve been in sales or are seriously dedicated to starting a business for yourself you should look into the income opportunity and residual income stream offered by either owning or selling ATM Machines.

The most important parts about evaluating an opportunity in owning or operating ATM Machines are:

• Get a good deal on ATM Hardware
• Get a good deal on processing
• Don’t sign long term agreements (more than 3 years)
• Work with a company that has been around a while
• Work with someone at the company who has been in the ATM business at least 5+ years.
• Work with an ATM processing company that has several thousand customers.
• Be sure they offer Toll Free Support for both sales and service.
• Be sure there are no hidden charges
• Be sure you get online monitoring of your ATMs
• Be sure to do your homework and use the resources below to investigate and learn more.

Income Opportunity in ATM Machine Business is a post from ATM Depot.

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There are many ways to get an ATM machine. You can purchase one from a reputable ATM company, buy a used one off eBay, get one online, etc.

However, getting it set up to spit out the money and be sure that the funds are put back into your account is another story.

With so many gimmicks, scams, ATM’s stole plus fraudulent use of ATM cards via identity theft you really need to have an expert help you navigate the shark infested waters of ATM ownership.

We suggest you read this article on how to select the right ATM machine processing service.

This eBay guide about ATM Machine processing is also vital to helping you. It’s worth the read.

Chose the Right ATM Processing is a post from ATM Depot.

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If you’re looking on the internet about how to steal money from ATM machines for illegal purposes please see these articles:

1. How to Steal an ATM with a car and a chain

2. How to Steal an ATM with a Tire Iron (Car Jack)

3. Is ATM Theft worth the time?

If you’re an ATM owner that got locked out of your ATM machine or need advice before calling a lock smith to drill out your lock keep reading.

Most of the ATM machines you see in retail merchant locations such as night clubs, bars, convenience stores, Adult Entertainment Clubs, restaurants, liquor stores and most other retail locations, include two different Underwriter Laboratory ratings (UL Ratings).

There are typically only two levels of safes or security cabinets for securing money in the variety of ATM Machines . One type of ATM safe is the Business Hours (BH) vault which has to meet the UL 291 Security Standards.

The other type of ATM is a 24 Hour Level 1 Safe. This safe also has to meet the UL 291 security standard plus a more strict standard.

The UL 291 Standard was designed by Underwriters Laboratories, an independent product-safety testing company. The same guys that rate house hold appliances, electrical cords and almost everything that goes to consumers.

The UL 291 standard requires that the ATM machine offers a certain degree of protection against unauthorized removal of the ATM contents (currency) as well as the removal or manipulation of transaction records.

In other words, if you are a business owner shopping for an ATM look for at least the UL 291 standard. This standard must withstand attacks from someone trying to rob money or change the transaction records. Both type of ATM safes have environmental and endurance requirements.

UL 291 Standard

Business Hours ATM Machine:

An ATM machine with a “Business Hours” rating is only designed to hold and store cash during normal business hours (when someone will be on the premises) . Basically this ATM is designed to be loaded and unloaded like a cash register by a responsible owner, manager, or employee.

The money kept in this type of ATM vault should be removed at the close of the business day. Now if your store or location where the ATM is located is operated 24 hours per day (or has employees on site 24 hours a day), then removal of the cash is not necessary.

Specifications: The metal of a UL 291 Business Hours ATM Machine can withstand a physical attack from a potential thief armed with wires, lines, chisels, pry bars, or wrenches for several minutes (at least five sometimes more). Rarely is an ATM theft attempted during business hours. It’s a very stupid thing to try and almost guarantees incarceration. Should anyone see a person attempting to open an ATM by force, the store owner, manager, or employee would call the police.
For more information see the UL site

24 Hours Level 1 ATM machine:

ATM Machines with a Level 1 safe rating are designed to protect currency storage 24 hours a day with our without supervision.

These ATM machines typically weigh around 300 lbs or more. The steel used in a Level 1 safe can typically withstand physical pressure of 50,000 psi. This type of ATM is designed to withstand an attack, using fishing, trapping, and forcing techniques, on the currency container from the customer access panel for 30 minutes or more.

Attacks on other portions of the safe, using picks and portable electric tools like drills and grinders, can also be resisted by this type of safe for 15 minutes or longer.

ATM Machines sold and used by ATMDepot.com have the ATM safe separated from the customer access panel area, which is an extra security feature that makes ATM fraud and robbery that much more difficult.

Standard Environmental requirements:

All ATM machines have to withstand 85% humidity for 24 hours. This ensures that all ATMs maintain records and the quality of the currency in the cash dispenser.

If you are an ATM owner and lost or forgot your ATM machines combination, first try to contact your service provider. They may know someone in your area that can help you drill out the lock carefully without damaging any other part of the ATM.

Trying to break into an ATM by any means other than having a professional drill out the lock will risk damage to the machine and could be a potential liability. If hiring a locksmith to drill out your combination, be sure they are bonded.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Noah Wieder, Founder of ATM Depot an ATM Machine Processing Company, has been in the ATM Machines business since 1994 and was founder of the former XtraCash ATM. Jeremy Camhi, National Sales Manager, ATM Owner and resident in-house ATM Expert has been in the ATM Machines business since 1999. Follow us on Twitter

Don’t Steal Money from the ATM is a post from ATM Depot.

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