News Release

1 November 2006

LINK response to Bank Machine press release on cash machines in deprived areas

1st November 2006 - LINK, operator of the UK cash machine network, clarifies the following points in response to today's announcement by Bank Machine, a LINK Network Member.

• LINK has not accepted Bank Machine's proposal that other LINK members pay for the fees that Bank Machine charges cardholders for using its cash machines in socially deprived areas across UK.

• LINK members have been working on proposals to bring more free to use cash machines to areas in the UK which currently lack them, but at a cost per transaction that is around one quarter or one fifth of that suggested by Bank Machine.  This offers a better deal to bank and building society customers, and considerable success is already being achieved in finding sites for the new machines.  Far lower costs means that a bigger difference can be made, and a more widespread and sustainable solution achieved. 

• Unlike the Bank Machine proposal, the ideas being worked up by LINK members cover not only areas that have charging machines but no free machines, but also work to protect last-free-ATM-in-town sites and areas (well over half of the total identified) where there is currently no cash machine at all - free or fee-charging.  All have recognised, however, that it will never be economic or feasible to have a free machine in every street and village.

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About The LINK ATM Scheme

The LINK ATM Scheme brings together the banks, building societies and other institutions that issue the 105 million cards enabled for use in the LINK Network, and the operators of the 59,000 UK ATMs that make up that Network.

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