Welcome to the portal dedicated to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ATM industry, which took place in 2017. The world’s first ATM was installed in London in 1967!
We celebrate the advancement of this great technology and industry which has revolutionized financial services, access to cash and human spending habits. Continue the celebration by reading the 50th ATM Anniversary Fact Sheet.
On May 18, 1980, a major volcanic eruption occurred at Mount St. Helens, a volcano located in Skamania County, in the state of Washington, United States. Well-known ATM and business historian, Professor Bernardo Batiz-Lazo, co-author of Cashbox, is searching for a photograph of an ATM which was still standing after the eruption. Please let Bernardo know if you have access to the photo or know where to source it. Thank you.
Bernardo Batiz-Lazo [email protected]
ATM 50th Anniversary Presentation: The Power of the ATM
ATMIA showcased the Power of the ATM during our 2017 celebrations of 50 years of the ATM.
In planning the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ATM’s, ATMIA held a global competition to find the most extreme ATMs along with some "fun" ATMs. Enjoy the Extreme ATM Dossier. We have also published a paper that outlines the Swedish Bankomat contribution to the development of the early ATM.
Johnny Cash endorses Cash in this Johnny Cash ATMs video
In 2017, we also marked the 20th anniversary of the ATM Industry Association.
Early German ATM
Ralf Bülow presumes he was the first researcher after the production on those machines ended, and his main findings occured in the archives of the Berlin Technikmuseum, which has the papers of the Telefunken company. The German ATM engineers were the first at the patent office - in late February 1965 - but then lost three years. It seems that a prototype or clever mock-up was shown at the Hannover industrial fair in the spring of 1966 ! The museum's archive has Telefunken press photos stamped "Mai 1966". Telefunken and the Ostertag safe company - both firms no longer exist - developed the ATM as a joint venture; the basic idea came from an Ostertag engineer.
You can view brochures from Ostertag, which marketed the ATM, from 1969 or 1970 and the US patent from 1968, which gives the best technical description. The 1965 application was rather incomplete and never lead to a patent.
You can also read Ralf's blog on the very first ATM in West Germany, which became operational on the 27th of May, 1968. https://blog.hnf.de/panzerplatten-mit-elektronengehirn/
To help continue celebrating the ATMs 50th Anniversary, we invite you to use the official logo in your marketing.
Usage - Logo must be used in its original color. Minimum logo size for print is 0.625" and for online use, the minimum size is 45 pixels at 72 dpi.
If you have questions on the use of the logo, please contact Dana Benson or Amber Howell.
It has been 50 years since the first ATM installation. This infographic looks at how history has shaped this cornerstone of the payments industry and what the future may hold.