Financial watchdog to add closing warnings at ATMs

The Financial Supervisory Service announced Wednesday that it will require banks to provide more prior warning before an ATM closes for the day after numerous complaints from customers about machines abruptly cutting off their transactions.

ATMs that do not operate for 24 hours currently either display their hours on a wall next to the machine or make several verbal announcements before closing. Customers have complained that these notices are insufficient. In some cases, ATM users ignore them and continue with transactions, only to have their cards stuck inside the machine after it shuts off.

The financial watchdog will require machines to display a pop-up message three minutes before closing to notify users in the middle of transactions as well as increase the frequency of verbal announcements.