# Do your ATMs prompt you in several languages? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260 "2012-06-25T16:27:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/1 "2012-06-25T16:27:50Z")
Used to be you had the option of French or English on most ATMs in Ontario. At an ATM in _small-town_ yesterday I was prompted with Spanish, and two other options that appeared to me to be Mandarin and Cantonese, although I might be wrong. How many languages do your ATMs speak? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/2 "2012-06-25T16:31:44Z")
Most of the ones in the U.S. are English/Spanish or English only. There may be some other languages on ones in places like NYC but that isn’t typical for the whole country. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/3 "2012-06-25T16:35:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Most of the ones in the U.S. are English/Spanish or English only. There may be some other languages on ones in places like NYC but that isn’t typical for the whole country. BoA ATMs always communicate with me in Russian. ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/4 "2012-06-25T16:36:20Z")
English/Spanish for voice guidance, I think 7 languages total for text on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/5 "2012-06-25T16:44:46Z")
English and French for sure in Toronto; I suspect both of these may be required by federal law, because the big banks are federally-regulated. Of non-official languages, Chinese seems to be the next most common, followed by Portuguese and Italian. These are more or less the largest immigrant groups to the city. Spanish may be there, but, if so, it’s uncommon. I would not be surprised of some branches of the banks, and also more local credit unions, had other additional languages on their ATMs. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/6 "2012-06-25T17:15:46Z")
Just English I think, although it might be different with a Credit rather than a Debit card (this is UK). On mainland Europe I’m pretty sure I always get a choice of English/French/German/Spanish/Local language (if different), I think because wherever I am, the ATM recognises that my card is ‘foreign’. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/7 "2012-06-25T17:19:48Z")
Hebrew, with an “English” button in the corner. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/8 "2012-06-25T17:21:59Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > English and French for sure in Toronto; I suspect both of these may be required by federal law, because the big banks are federally-regulated. Of non-official languages, Chinese seems to be the next most common, followed by Portuguese and Italian. These are more or less the largest immigrant groups to the city. Spanish may be there, but, if so, it’s uncommon. I would not be surprised of some branches of the banks, and also more local credit unions, had other additional languages on their ATMs. I think it definitely depends on the area. In my neighbourhood, I think it’s Chinese and Korean (as well as English and French, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/9 "2012-06-25T17:24:50Z")
Recently, from some bank in my neck of the woods (Wash DC area), I used an ATM that had eight language options. Which I thought was a nice thing as there is a huge international population here. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/10 "2012-06-25T17:34:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Hebrew, with an “English” button in the corner. Some ATMs make you choose a language, and I’ve seen 5 languages (Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Arabic) – but never all 5 on the same ATM. I think maybe there’s a list of languages in the software, and that when an ATM is set up, the local branch (or HQ?) chooses which languages to show, according to the local demographics? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/11 "2012-06-25T17:45:26Z")
From a couple of ATMs in downtown Toronto: Scotiabank – English, French, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Spanish; the same as mentioned by Leaffan RBC – English, Chinese; it must have read my language preference off of my card because I didn’t see an option for French (or maybe I’m just blind) ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/12 "2012-06-25T17:55:37Z")
[Seven years ago](https://www.wellsfargo.com/press/20050309_KoreanVietnamese.jhtml), Wells Fargo was already offering six language options. I think my branch (northern NJ) is now past a dozen. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/13 "2012-06-25T18:02:51Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > and two other options that appeared to me to be Mandarin and Cantonese, although I might be wrong. Probably traditional and simplified Chinese. Here is Seattle, depending on the ATM I’ll be able to choose between 2 and 8 languages. (The really weird thing here is that all our voter registration mail is in English and Chinese. No Spanish, just Chinese.) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/14 "2012-06-25T18:04:20Z")
The first screen asks: “English or Spanish?” ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/15 "2012-06-25T18:06:30Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Just English I think, although it might be different with a Credit rather than a Debit card (this is UK). On mainland Europe I’m pretty sure I always get a choice of English/French/German/Spanish/Local language (if different), I think because wherever I am, the ATM recognises that my card is ‘foreign’. Yes, in the UK you usually only get a choice of languages if you insert a credit card (or, presumably, a foreign debit card). IIRC in the UK the choices are usually English, French, German and Spanish. If you put in a UK-issued debit card, you just get English, although this may vary in Wales and Gaelic-speaking areas, perhaps? Of course, there are [exceptions](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8217499.stm). 🙂 Edit: it looks as if ATMs, at least Barclays ones, offer a Welsh option in Wales. [link](http://www.barclays.co.uk/ImportantInformation/OurWelshlanguagepolicy/P1242558101754). ---
**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/16 "2012-06-25T18:09:45Z")
English and Hmong at my credit union in St. Paul, Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/17 "2012-06-25T18:10:43Z")
If banks were smart they would recognize your preferred language from the strip and default to it automatically. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/18 "2012-06-25T18:11:16Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > (The really weird thing here is that all our voter registration mail is in English and Chinese. No Spanish, just Chinese.) That’s because, based on Census data, most Spanish-speakers here are proficient in English, but a significant number of voters are _only_ proficient in Chinese. Yakima County has Spanish-language voting materials for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/19 "2012-06-25T18:46:15Z")
In Canada, ScotiaBank gave me the option of English or French. In the US, PNC bank gives you a smorgasboard of choices. SunTrust lets you pick English or Spanish, IIRC. I also have used ATM’s in Puerto Rico and I believe all of them offered English and Spanish, which makes sense because the territory is officially bilingual. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260/20 "2012-06-25T18:59:39Z")
In Italy you have about six European languages to pick from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-atms-prompt-you-in-several-languages/626260.md?page=2)