Buying an ATM is one thing. Buying an ATM that actually works for your institution, your staff, and your customers is another. Too many leaders focus only on the machine itself (what model it is, what it costs, how fast it can be installed) and overlook the fact that the partner behind that machine will have more to do with your success than the hardware ever will.
We see this mistake all the time. Institutions assume that once they’ve picked the right box and signed the purchase order, the rest will take care of itself.
But the reality is different.
The real headaches don’t usually come from the machine. They come from the process around it: installation that drags on for weeks, paperwork that gets filled out wrong and delays activation, training that never happens, and service calls that turn into endless finger-pointing between third parties.
That’s where the cost and frustration pile up.
The way to protect yourself is simple. Slow down and ask better questions before you sign. A strong partner will welcome those questions because they’ve built their process to deliver clear answers and real accountability. A weak partner will dodge, deflect, or tell you not to worry. That difference tells you everything you need to know before you commit.
In this article, we’ll break down the five questions that matter most when you’re evaluating an ATM partner. These are the fundamentals that determine whether your new ATM quietly does its job for the next ten years or becomes a daily reminder of a decision you wish you could take back.
The delivery and setup of an ATM almost always involves subcontractors. That part isn’t unusual. What matters is who owns the project from start to finish. If no one is accountable for coordinating vendors, scheduling site surveys, managing electrical and network work, and ensuring the machine goes live on day one, you’re left holding the bag.
This is where a lot of frustration starts. We’ve seen institutions sign contracts assuming everything is “handled,” only to discover on installation day that the machine is bolted into the floor but not actually operational. The processor paperwork wasn’t filed correctly. The network line wasn’t tested. Training wasn’t scheduled. And now you’ve got a six-figure machine sitting dark in your branch lobby.
A strong partner doesn’t just drop off hardware. They own the timeline, the vendor coordination, and the go-live process. They should be able to walk you through, step by step, how they keep installations on track and how they resolve problems before they land on your desk. If they can’t give you that level of detail, you should assume you’ll be managing the mess yourself.
Service is where the truth comes out. Plenty of providers advertise “full coverage,” but once the ink is dry, you find out they farm all their work out to third parties. When the machine goes down, you’re left wondering who’s going to show up, what authority they have to fix the issue, and whether they’ll even recognize your setup when they get there.
Here’s the risk: if service is outsourced, problems turn into finger-pointing. The manufacturer blames the reseller. The reseller blames the contractor. Meanwhile, your machine is still out of service and your customers are frustrated.
Ask directly: who shows up when the machine is down? Are they W2 employees who know your institution and have been trained on your environment, or are they contractors who got the job that morning? Uptime depends on the answer. A partner that invests in their own service staff is making a commitment to accountability. A partner that outsources everything is signaling that you’re not their priority.
This is one of the most overlooked parts of an ATM project, and it’s where a lot of delays come from. Processor paperwork is detailed and unforgiving. Check the wrong box, miss a signature, or file it late, and your machine can sit in place for weeks before it ever goes live.
The wrong partner will drop a stack of forms on your desk and tell you to “get these back to us.” That approach leaves you vulnerable. Even if your staff are sharp, they’re not experts in processor requirements, and mistakes are easy to make.
The right partner sees this as their responsibility. They’ll fill out what they can on your behalf, guide you line by line through the sections you need to complete, and advocate with the processor to keep things moving. They’ll be able to tell you exactly how they prevent activation delays, because they’ve built a process for it. If they can’t answer that clearly, you should expect headaches.
An ATM project isn’t finished when the machine is installed. If your team doesn’t know how to balance it, load paper, and troubleshoot common issues, the machine will fail in practice even if it looks good on paper. Training isn’t optional; it’s the bridge between hardware and actual branch operations.
Ask when and how training happens. A partner that takes this seriously will schedule on-site training before they leave. They’ll walk your team through daily operations and common problems so your staff is confident from day one. A weak partner will hand you a manual, maybe point you to an online video, and disappear once the machine powers on.
Operational support matters just as much. Does your partner have a plan for follow-up training when staff turns over? Do they provide documentation tailored to your setup? Or are you expected to fend for yourself after the install? The answer will tell you if the partner sees their role as long-term or transactional.
Every provider loves to talk about response time. “We’ll have a technician onsite within two hours.” On paper, that sounds great. But response time doesn’t tell you how often the machine is actually working. If a technician shows up quickly but you’re still dealing with constant downtime, what have you really gained?
The metric that matters is uptime: how often your ATM is available and functional for your customers. That’s the measure that impacts your reputation, your member experience, and your bottom line.
Ask your partner how they track uptime, how often they report it, and what happens if performance slips. Do they share transparent uptime data? Do they hold themselves accountable with penalties or credits if they miss targets? Or do they deflect and hide behind service windows and call logs?
A partner focused on uptime is focused on your success. A partner focused only on response time is focused on checking their own boxes. That’s the difference between being supported and being managed.
Asking tough questions up front is the only way to protect your investment. ATMs are expensive, and they stay in the field for years. If you choose the wrong partner, you’re signing up for a decade of headaches, downtime, and wasted dollars.
The right partner makes the difference. They own the process from start to finish. They train your staff, not just once but as part of an ongoing relationship. They measure their success in uptime, not excuses. And they’re transparent about who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
That’s what you should be looking for when you buy an ATM. Not the cheapest price on paper, not the fastest promise to install, but a partner you can trust to make sure the machine does its job every single day. If you spend the time now to ask these questions and hold vendors accountable, you’ll save yourself years of frustration and ensure your customers get the consistent, reliable service they expect.