World ATM Day – Celebrating the World’s Original Fintech

As is widely recognised, the invention of the ATM has been one of the single most significant developments in the history of money – providing it with the core attributes of near-universal availability and convenience that continue to this day.

To celebrate the importance of ATMs in our everyday life, World ATM Day will take place on 27 June – 54 years to the day that the invention became reality.

It was on 27 June 1967 that the world’s first semi-automated cash dispenser – developed by De La Rue and later to be known as the Automated Teller Machine – was unveiled by Barclays Bank at its North London Branch in Enfield.

Over half a century later, this humble machine can now be found at over 3.2 million locations around the world, with many having transformed into sophisticated deposit-taking, cash recycling, currency converting, video-linked financial services hubs capable of replacing bank branches. Despite recent closures, the overall number is growing.