# Dumb ATM design **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260 "2019-02-26T21:33:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260/21 "2019-02-27T18:41:42Z")
For my bank, you can only do one transaction at a time at the ATM. So, if I want to check my balance, transfer money, maybe deposit or withdraw…each time I’m done with one of those, it spits my card back out and says “Thanks for stopping by!” or whatever. So, I have to put the card back in, enter my PIN again, and do another transaction. I usually just stop in and see a teller. However (unrelated rant)…one of my local branches changed to some sort of “concierge-only” branch. I walked in and everything had been redesigned. All I wanted to do is withdraw some money from my account. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, we don’t have any cash at this location.” WTF? A bank with no cash? I can’t go into my local bank and withdraw cash? I have to drive to some \*other \*branch 10 minutes away? What in the world are things coming to if your local bank doesn’t even keep cash on hand. ☹ Oh, and they’ve taken the “open design” to extreme levels. Before, if I wanted to discuss a mortgage, or a loan, there was a little office you could step into and talk to a manager or specialist. Now, everything is right there in the open! I’ve been in the teller line many times and have been privy to all sorts of mortgage/investing/CD/account discussions that are none of my business. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260/22 "2019-02-27T20:23:07Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > Once upon a time I came across an ATM machine that didn’t keep your card in the machine while you completed your transaction. The issue with this is that you have to stick around to manually end your transaction, i.e. if someone walks up after you and you neglected to hit “I’m done!” they could take money out of your account without re-entering your PIN. I thought that was beyond crazy. You have to re enter your PIN each time. The designers aren’t\* that\* naive. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260/23 "2019-02-27T21:28:42Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > You have to re enter your PIN each time. The designers aren’t\* that\* naive. > > Dennis No, you didn’t in this instance, that’s why I found it remarkable. Ask me how I know ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260/24 "2019-02-27T22:03:55Z")
One that had me puzzling was after entering the PIN and selecting, say $60 from checking, the ATM would display “Invalid card” and stop the transaction. I’d try again and again, and finally give up, driving the extra three miles to my closest branch. It was there, in front of a teller, that I discovered the reason the ATM wasn’t working. It says “Invalid card” if there isn’t enough money in the account for the withdrawal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-atm-design/830260.md?page=1)