ATMs Go Multilingual

In a move to make ATM transactions more convenient, user friendly and faster, Bank of New Zealand has introduced multilingual options and improved functions across its nationwide network of 420 ATM machines.


Customers can choose from eight languages: English, Māori, Japanese, German, Korean, French, and simplified Chinese or traditional Chinese. New Zealand bank customers can also personalise their options by creating “MyCash”, a favourite cash withdrawal to make visits to a BNZ ATM even faster.


The language changes are targeted at local customers whose first language is not English, tourists and other visitors to New Zealand, says Blair Vernon, Bank of New Zealand General Manager of Strategy and Marketing.


“Customers make their language choice just once, and the ATM technology is smart enough to remember that customer on repeat visits and present the screens in the customer’s chosen language.


“Not only is this a clever enhancement, the great thing about this feature is that it applies to everyone that uses our ATM network, not just BNZ customers. During testing we found that customers were pleasantly surprised by the option of conducting an ATM transaction in their own language.”


Language options were selected on the basis of inbound tourist data and will be regularly reviewed to make sure they remain appropriate for ATM users.


Languages chosen at the Bank’s first two multilingual ATM’s were English (90 per cent) and simplified and traditional Chinese (seven per cent). The eight language options will be available across the BNZ ATM network by the end of this week.


BNZ’s MyCash enhancement – replacing Fast Cash, a cash withdrawal without receipt – will speed up customer service by 50 per cent.


“It only takes seconds to set up and from then on there will be available at every visit,” say Vernon.


More than 212 million transactions are conducted at New Zealand ATM machines each year.