# When did ATM machines first become widespread? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672 "2015-02-14T21:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/61 "2015-02-20T08:55:47Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Curiously, AIB have this facility but only inside their premises. :smack: I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing though. When I was with AIB they had deposit machines inside their premises, where you could key in the amount of your deposit and drop your envelope in, but the deposit wouldn’t be linked to your account in any way until it was manually input by the staff. I think most banks in Ireland have something like that - it’s basically just a teller-free deposit box. ATMs in the US have a different facility, where you use your ATM card and your PIN to deposit in the same way you do when you’re withdrawing, and the deposit is immediately registered to your account (although the funds won’t be immediately available). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/62 "2015-02-20T11:06:25Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing though. When I was with AIB they had deposit machines inside their premises, where you could key in the amount of your deposit and drop your envelope in, but the deposit wouldn’t be linked to your account in any way until it was manually input by the staff. I think most banks in Ireland have something like that - it’s basically just a teller-free deposit box. ATMs in the US have a different facility, where you use your ATM card and your PIN to deposit in the same way you do when you’re withdrawing, and the deposit is immediately registered to your account (although the funds won’t be immediately available). No, I am pretty sure now they have something akin to the latter system though they used to have what you describe in the former. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/63 "2015-02-22T08:31:59Z")
> [@Bones\_Daley](#): > > In Scotland, early or mid eighties, the TV advert I remember was of a bespectacled geeky looking guy in a suit and tie approaching the ATM somewhat nervously , looking round him and then bending down and saying to the screen “is the manager in?” Ooh, I remember that one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/64 "2015-02-24T14:59:07Z")
In my often-behind-the-times Rust Belt hometown, I remember them popping up at banks in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Machines from the late 1970s often had mechanical displays, while those from the early 1980s often had what I called “Spock viewfinders”. ATMs away from banks seemed to become more common in the mid-1980s. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/65 "2015-02-24T16:37:15Z")
They were around earlier, but **ubiquity** was certainly in the late 80s. Urban legends about withdrawal requests of $100 spitting out one hundred $1 bills were still floating around then. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Milton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@Mr.Milton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Milton)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/66 "2015-02-26T16:43:19Z")
I was stilll in college (Northern CA) in the 77-78 timeframe when a freind got an account at a bank specifically because it had a then-novel ATM. It was the only one in the greater area. Since he didn’t operate around anything like a regular schedule, it suited him perfectly to be able to go to his bank at 2 in the morning and withdraw a couple of twenties. I remember being skeptical that it would ever really catch on, but as an earlier contributor pointed out, within a couple of years they were as common as weeds. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672/67 "2015-02-27T11:46:22Z")
They weren’t available to me in college–I graduated in 1983–but were becoming available in my hometown around 1985. I got my first MOST cart in 1986. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-atm-machines-first-become-widespread/712672.md?page=3)