I went to the ATM to get some cash. After it dispensed the money I looked at the receipt and it said my balance was $0.00. Now, it’s highly unlikely that the funds in my account would exactly match the amount of my withdrawal. Especially since I was paid on the 14th and only wrote checks Friday. But better safe than sorry, I came home to check my account. I cannot access it online. So I tried the 24-hour automated phone line. The phone rang once, then there was nothing. After a bit a recorded voice said ‘the server is unavailable. Goodbye.’
So I’m guessing there’s a glitch in the system. Only if there’s a glitch in the system, why did the (out-of-network) ATM give me money? If it couldn’t get through to my bank, and according to the receipt, it should think I had a zero balance.
I would imagine there is some kind of contingency for that situation - maybe that the machine will let you withdraw up to your card limit in the case of network loss.
I guess if that’s the case, you’d be able to drive around a few machines and withdraw the same limited amount of cash from each of them (because they wouldn’t have any way to communicate to each other how much of the limit you had used), but it would all catch up with you the moment the bank got the network up again.
If the network is down, ATMs run in what’s called stand-alone mode, and they’re generally programmed to allow withdrawals of up to $100. Once communication is restored, they synch up with the bank.
Why this is done is simple customer service - you don’t need to know there’s a problem with the system. You just want some cash, so they let you have some, rather than making you go away mad. Most people only take $40 or $100 at a time, so other than the receipt not showing a balance, they’ll never have any idea that anything was wrong behind the scenes.
Some banks program their ATMs to show a 0 balance unless you explicitly push the right buttons to ask for one. It’s supposed to be an anti-mugging tool; if some thug picks up the receipt you just dropped and sees the goose egg, you’re not going to be held up for more money. :dubious:
A vacation I was on was ruined by this little trick because I thought the account was dry. IRL there was plenty of buckage still available.