# ATM machines **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687 "2006-11-16T15:39:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/1 "2006-11-16T15:39:22Z")
Do you always count the money an ATM machine gives you? Has it ever been wrong, and if so in whose favor? I don’t usually count, I’ve never caught one making a mistake, but I’m sure it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/2 "2006-11-16T16:52:56Z")
Yes, I always count the money. Its not been off that I can think of, but I have had the machine give me no money and debit my account anyway. Friendly note; you do know that ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine, so ATM machine is redundant right? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/3 "2006-11-16T16:55:03Z")
You do know that “debit” is an increase in cash, right? 😛 ::slinks off to input her PIN number ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/4 "2006-11-16T17:02:47Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] You do know that “debit” is an increase in cash, right? 😛 ::slinks off to input her PIN number [/QUOTE] In most cases that is true, but not when it comes to bank accounts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/5 "2006-11-16T17:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] In most cases that is true, but not when it comes to bank accounts. 🙂 [/QUOTE] You’re giving me bad flashbacks about accounting classes. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/6 "2006-11-16T17:07:32Z")
Once it was in my favor by 20 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/7 "2006-11-16T17:11:50Z")
I never count the money given to me, but I do look to see the denomination. Once when I was in Hawaii I was given 20’s instead of 10’s. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/8 "2006-11-16T17:16:39Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] You do know that “debit” is an increase in cash, right? 😛 ::slinks off to input her PIN number [/QUOTE] A debit is not an increase in cash, it is an increase in an asset or a decrease in a liability. From the bank’s point of view, your account is a payable, because it’s your money, not theirs. It’s a liability. When you reduce a payable, it’s a debit, because now you reduce your liability. So the bank says they debit your account when they reduce the balance, and credit it when they increase the balance. If you keep your own books, you carry the same account as a receivable, which is an asset. If you make a deposit, the bank posts a credit to their books, and you post a debit to your books. (There are also offsetting posts in a double-entry accounting system but I won’t get into that.) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/9 "2006-11-16T19:30:23Z")
90% of the time I’m only getting out 20 so I can have a little spare change (I use Interac a lot for larger purchases). Since I’ve only seen one ATM give out any other demomination in something approaching the last decade, there’s not much to count. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/10 "2006-11-16T19:34:56Z")
I still call them “Tyme Machines”, as that is what the first ones around here said on the side. I always count my money right there at the machine. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/11 "2006-11-16T19:41:03Z")
I usually count it. I’ve only had the amount be short once or twice, but they were due to the fact that the machine was physically out of bills (according to the info message on the screen). My account balance was reduced by the amount actually dispensed, not the amount I requested. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/12 "2006-11-16T19:46:27Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I still call them “Tyme Machines”, as that is what the first ones around here said on the side. I always count my money right there at the machine. [/QUOTE] I still occasionally think of them as “Tillie.” In Atlanta, when they were first introduced (or at least first widespread) in the 80s, one of the local banks personified them as “Tillie, the all-time teller,” I suppose to quiet people’s apprehensions about dealing with a machine instead of a person. I can still sing the horrible, nasal, piercing song from the ads: “I’m Till-ie the ALL-time tell-ERRR!!!” Not that I ever do. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/13 "2006-11-16T19:54:40Z")
ATMs give money? Don’t they stand for Automated Time Machine? _slinks back and waits to see if anyone actually gets the reference_ ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/14 "2006-11-16T19:58:34Z")
I usually count, but I’ve never had one dispense an incorrect amount. ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/15 "2006-11-16T19:59:31Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I still call them “Tyme Machines”, as that is what the first ones around here said on the side. [/QUOTE] I still call them MAC machines for Money Access Center. I use them constantly and have been for decades now. I always count the cash since there is a few seconds of delay before you can get your card/receipt, but I have never had any problem. In fact, I don’t know what you would do if there is a problem. And I don’t see a problem with PIN numbers and ATM machines… it just sounds better 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/16 "2006-11-16T20:03:12Z")
We have a case of RAS Syndrome!! That’s Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome, as popularised by NewScientist. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/17 "2006-11-16T20:18:22Z")
I never used to count, but about a year ago I got about $100 out one day, which I routinely do. A couple days later I pulled a $20 out of my money clip to pay for something and half of another $20 fell out from underneath it- the machine had dispensed half of a bill. Nobody has access to my money clip but me, and I was sure I hadn’t inadvertently ripped a bill in half. I still have it, although I don’t know why; half a bill is worthless. I really don’t think the bank would have believed me. So now I check to make sure I have full bills. ---
**Author:** ![50million](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/9fc348/32.png) [@50million](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/50million)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/18 "2006-11-16T20:27:13Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I still have it, although I don’t know why; half a bill is worthless. I really don’t think the bank would have believed me. So now I check to make sure I have full bills. [/QUOTE] I seem to remember that as long as you have 51% of any bill it is worth the full amount. You might want to take that down to a bank to check. I once got $20 extra from the ATM. I kept checking my account statements to make sure the bank didn’t charge me for it, and they never did. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/19 "2006-11-16T20:43:11Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I still call them “Tyme Machines”, as that is what the first ones around here said on the side. I always count my money right there at the machine. [/QUOTE] Incidentally this will get you some very strange looks if you try asking a person for a location that never had that brand. I had an occasion where I was temporarily working on the West Coast, and as a life long Chicagoan I’d never heard the term before (they were Cash Stations round these parts in the day), and had a customer come up and ask me where they could find a “time machine”. I did a double, perhaps even a triple, take before asking the kook to explain exactly what they needed. Once they said “you know, a machine that spits out money” I got it. Silly people. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687/20 "2006-11-16T21:34:08Z")
I have not had the wrong amount. But once I walked off without my cash, and the next guy turned it into the bank. Thanks! 🙂🆒 I had a couple chances to return ATM cards that the prior user walked off without, and did so. Only once cash, only $20. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atm-machines/380687.md?page=2)