A hotel in Austin, Texas

Business Problems

1. Their business goal is to provide quality service and convenience for their customers.
2. They want to make money off their guests.
3. They want to increase their profits.

Solutions Provided by United ATM Group

1. We installed digital currency conversion software onto their ATM. This allows people out of country to use their international debit and credit cards at the ATM to pull USD in lieu of whatever world currency they have at their banks. This helps the hotel cater to international guests. Guests can withdraw money at the hotel for adventures and sightseeing, which helps the hotel provide the convenience they are known for.
2. People at the hotel can convert any money they need at the hotel. This keeps money inside the hotel for additional tips, restaurant and souvenir charges, and room fees.
3. The hotel makes money off the transfer rates. Additional income is generated on each transaction as they make money off the transaction fees guests pay to use the ATM.

A dispensary in Austin, Texas

Business Problems

1. They have a high volume of sales and need to make sure they didn’t run out of cash.
2. They want to make sure they can operate in the event an ATM went down.
3. Their customers have a wide range of cash needs based on sales amount.

Solutions Provided by United ATM Group

1. We installed multiple machines with high volume cassettes into their location. The high-volume cassettes keep them loaded with the cash they need to run their business.
2. Multiple machines in a single location means if one machine goes down, another machine takes its place, and the store never loses transactions.
3. Multiple cassettes provide multiple denominations. Machines were loaded with up to four cassettes, meaning they could dispense cash in the form of of 5s, 10s, 20s, and 100s. This allows their customers to pull as little or as much cash as they need to make their purchases.

A gas station in Austin, Texas

Business Problems

1. They didn’t have space for a full-sized ATM to service their customers.
2. Their internet connection was spotty and frequently went down, pulling their credit card processing systems down with it.
3. They were concerned about downtimes and the loss of revenue caused by ATM failure.

Solutions Provided by United ATM Group

1. We installed the Genmega Onyx W, which gave them a top-of-the-line machine that hangs on the wall and takes up no floor space. It was as simple as hanging up a flat screen TV, but just as secure as a level 1 safe.
2. We installed a wireless modem, which means the ATM will continue to run even if all of their other systems are down. A working ATM on site means they can still take cash payments even if their credit card machines are down.
3. We installed remote monitoring software on their ATM, which allows them to reboot their ATM remotely to reset errors, pull receipts remotely, download software updates, and update surcharges. The software automatically notifies their technician via text message in the event of ATM failure. They don’t lose revenue because technician is already on the way. The immediate notifications mean their machine is up 99% of the time.

If you fall into this last category, never fear, you are not alone. But it is time to have “The Talk”. The Bitcoin talk.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency, probably the most famous one. Simply put, Bitcoin is a digital currency that is contained in a digital wallet and traded via a distributed network of computing machines. Unlike the gold coins in many Bitcoin pictures, Bitcoin is not a hard currency. It will never be printed onto dollar bills or minted into coins to be exchanged for goods or services. It is a virtual currency.

Bitcoin’s Ideological Beginnings

Bitcoin was first introduced as a form of counter-currency. The basic premise behind Bitcoin is that national banks back the currencies used in most countries today. The value of the currency and it’s exchange rate between countries is defined by an external governing body. Every transaction is verified, governed, and likely taxed by third-party institutions.

Satoshi Nakamoto, the individual credited with “inventing” Bitcoin, believed that there was a better way to conduct transactions. He believed that it was important to be able to conduct these transactions across physical and philosophical boundaries without the oversight of governments with agendas that may not be in the best interest of their people.

How Is Bitcoin Used?

Bitcoin is traded, validated, and stored on a decentralized network, without any oversight from any central bank or overseeing body. Anyone with a digital wallet can purchase, sell, or trade Bitcoin for goods and services. These transactions are recorded in a public ledger, called a blockchain. Additions to the ledger are immutable, unchangeable, and public knowledge.

Isn’t Bitcoin Used on the Black Market?

Bitcoin has a sordid history with the black market, the dark web, and the silk road. However, the currency itself is simply a currency. Only as good or evil as the person using it. Millions of people own digital wallets and most of them own Bitcoin.

What is a Bitcoin ATM

You may have noticed Bitcoin ATM machines popping up at your local stores. A Bitcoin ATM will do everything a cash ATM will do, with the added benefit of processing Bitcoin transactions. Some Bitcoin ATMs will simply enable users to buy and sell Bitcoin, but some will allow users to sell Bitcoin and pull cash from the machine.

How do I get started with Bitcoin?

There are many ways to get started in the world of Bitcoin, and several options for obtaining your digital wallet. This might be a good place to start: https://wallet.bitcoin.com/

Where do I find a Bitcoin ATM?

Bitcoin ATMs can be found all across the country. For help locating one near you, we recommend using this link: https://coinsource.net/bitcoin-atm-locations/

Adding an ATM is not the best answer for everyone, but for those who could benefit from it, the benefits are many.

ATMs Make Tipping Easy

Let’s be honest, tips are a big deal. For businesses in the service industry, like restaurants, nail salons, and tattoo parlors, tips are an important part of an employee’s take home pay. Adding an ATM machine to your pace of business makes it easy for customers to tip in cash. An added benefit to this is that there are no credit card processing fees for the business to pay. More Cash + Fewer Fees = Bigger Pay Days EVERY day

Reach More Customers

Every business has those hard-to-reach customers. Maybe they are the attendees at a festival or food truck who forget that not every vendor accepts cards. It could be the guy who invested all of his money into Bitcoin and forgot to hold onto some cash for living expenses. Maybe your business is a marijuana dispensary and the ever-changing laws make it easier for everyone if transactions are conducted in cash. Whoever your customers are, adding an ATM to your place of business can open doors to more sales.

Make Money off ATM Fees

What your fellow business neighbors may not be telling you is that some of them are actually taking home a portion of every ATM fee paid by their customers. Think about the amount of traffic an ATM could have in your business and multiply that by a small percentage of the ATM fees that are paid on every one of those transactions. Now ask yourself if those fees would add up to enough money to make it worth sacrificing a small bit of floor space–especially if that ATM was installed free of charge.

It may be time for you to consider the benefits of adding an ATM to your business.

One of the big consumers have right now is the possibility of transmitting the COVID-19 virus via the money they exchange at the checkout register. There is a general fear of “dirty money” and a move towards using a credit or debit card in lieu of cash. What most people don’t realize is that the cash inside an ATM machine is often cleaner than the debit or credit card they may be using instead.

People think cash is dirty, that they will get sick if they handle cash when they go out. That’s just not always the case. Under some circumstances, cash is cleaner than the debit or credit card in your wallet.

Here are 3 reasons cash is still king — even during a pandemic.

One of the big consumers have right now is the possibility of transmitting the COVID-19 virus via their cash. What most people don’t know is that the cash inside an ATM machine is often cleaner than the debit or credit card they may be using instead.

Reason # 1 – Cash Dispensed from a Vending Machine Hasn’t Been Touched

That’s right. Those twenty-dollar bills you pull from the ATM don’t just look bran spanking new, they actually are. And they have been sanitized, sterilized, and protected while they waited for your to hold them in your hands. Here’s the way it works.

• The money inside ATM machines comes straight from the federal reserve, where it is sterilized before it is sent out.
• The money inside an ATM is only touched by one person–the cash loader–and they wear gloves when they load cash into the ATM.
• This means customers are the first people to touch the cash coming out of an ATM.

Reason #2 – ATM Machines (Usually) Get Sterilized Regularly

ATM manufactures and vendors are taking sterilization seriously. They have invented UV scanners that kill 99% of the viruses and germs hanging out on touchable surfaces and disinfectant sprays that will do the same job. Their goal is to make sure their machines are protecting the millions of people using ATMs every day.

Business owners who value their customers are taking the time to make sure their machines are cleaned regularly to protect themselves, their employees, and the customers who keep them in business. For the few that don’t take proper precautions, all we can say is, why would you support that business anyway?

Reason #3 – Cash is Secure and Private

Cash cannot be hacked. Let me say that again. Cash cannot be hacked. One of the unfortunate effects of the move to a more virtual world is a significant increase in the number of cybersecurity breaches happening every day. A breached credit or debit account often means loss of access to your accounts until new accounts can be created and cards are mailed to you, which can be far more than just a simple hassle. When you use cash, you protect yourself and your money.

Whatever your motivations and your approach to this mess we call COVID-19, keep in mind the benefits of cash when you are out shopping. And if you choose not to take advantage of the sterilized money sitting inside that ATM machine, clean that debit card inside your wallet!