Current Releases

30 July 2003

LINK Members accept proposal for pre-notification of charges at Cash Machines.

LINK PROPOSES PLAN FOR ATMs TO
CARRY EARLIER ADVICE OF FEES

At a meeting of the LINK Card Scheme Development Committee (CSDC) today, it was agreed to recommend to the Network Members’ Council (NMC) that the customer must be informed, prior to the insertion of a card into a fee-charging ATM, that a charge may be imposed for LINK cash withdrawals. This message will be: “This machine may charge you for LINK cash withdrawals’.

The next meeting of the NMC in August will decide the mechanism by which this will be achieved but will be one of:
1. a notice on the machine;
2. an up-front on-screen message;
3. either of the above at the discretion of the ATM deployer.

The message must be displayed so that it can easily be read. Implementation to be no later than 1st April 2004, as originally proposed.

- ends -

Further Information

A sign saying 'this machine may charge you for LINK cash withdrawals' must be clearly visible to cardholders before a card is inserted in a surcharging ATM (either by notice on the macine or an up-front message, at the discretion of the ATM deployer) to be implemented no later than 1 April 2004".

About LINK

LINK Interchange Network Ltd specialises in electronic transaction management services on behalf of the UK's largest financial institutions and other commercial organisations. LINK manages the LINK network, the world's busiest shared ATM network with 44,000 cash machines deployed and over 92 million LINK-enabled cards in issue in the UK. In addition to providing ATM transaction switching and settlement to its network Members, LINK operates ATMOS, the UK's leading provider of outsourced ATM management and card services. LINK also manages transactions for the basic bank accounts that form part of the Post Office's universal banking services programme and has developed a building society branch sharing service on behalf of MutualPlus Ltd. LINK is pursuing opportunities to use its proven, secure and reliable network infrastructure to support a new generation of transaction services, including overseas developments.

2. The LINK network has 44,000 cash machines (ATMs) throughout the UK, of which 32,000 are free of charge to the user and 12,000 make charges. The number of free ATMs has grown by 19 per cent since over the last three years.

3. 98 per cent of all ATM transactions are not subject to any charge.

......................................................................................................
For further information:

........................................................................................................

© LINK Interchange Network Limited 2003. All Rights Reserved.