Where Should You Put an ATM Inside Your Business?

By Meghan Stamelos, Vice President, ATM Money Machine

The best place to put an ATM inside your business is somewhere customers can easily find it, employees can see the area around it, and people have enough room to make a withdrawal without blocking the walkway. Beside checkout, near reception, or along a visible wall near the entrance are the best places to start.

The right spot depends on your layout. An ATM beside a salon’s front desk makes perfect sense, while that same placement in a crowded bar could put someone directly in the way of customers and staff.

Before you choose a spot, look at how people move through your business and where they are likely to need cash.

We’ve been selling ATMs since 1997, and after “Which model should I buy?” the question we hear most is “Where do I put it?” A good rule of thumb is that about 5% of the people who walk past an on-site ATM will use it. That only holds if they can see it, and in an especially good spot, that number can be even higher.

Start With Visibility and Customer Traffic

Stand at your front door and look at the spot you’re considering. Would a customer notice an ATM there without someone pointing it out?

Customers should be able to recognize that you have an ATM machine right when they walk in. Check the view from the entrance, checkout counter, and other areas where people naturally stop.

Then look at that same space when your business is busy. A checkout line, waiting customers, or a merchandise display can hide a machine that looked perfectly visible in an empty room.

Every ATM we sell comes with an integrated lit topper, so it stands out on its own. If the only spot that works is around a corner, add a directional sign. An “ATM Inside” sign on your front door or window also brings in people who need cash and weren’t planning to stop.

Should You Put an ATM Near the Entrance or Checkout?

If you can only pick one, put it beside the checkout or reception, somewhere customers can see from the door. Customers spend the cash right at your counter, and your staff can keep an eye on the ATM machine. The space needs to work while someone is using the ATM. Picture a customer standing in front of it, another person waiting, and someone walking past.

If that creates a bottleneck, look at another spot to place the ATM.

Where to Put an ATM in Different Types of Businesses

Salons, Spas and Barbershops

Put the ATM next to the front desk, where customers pay. A lot of clients like to tip their stylist or barber in cash. With the ATM right there, they can grab it on the way to checkout instead of tipping on a card or skipping the tip.

Keep it clear of the waiting area. If chairs, shopping bags, or a retail display end up in front of the machine, customers walk right past it.

Learn more about ATMs for salons and spas.

Bars, Nightclubs and Restaurants

Put the ATM near the bar, in view of the bartender, or next to the gaming machines if you have them. Those are the two places people run out of cash. In a restaurant, put it near the host stand or the register.

Make sure customers can walk up to it without squeezing between tables or getting in the servers’ way. Check the spot on a busy night, when people are standing around and chairs are pulled out, not just when the place is empty.

In a dark bar, an ATM with built-in lighting, like the Hyosung HALO II, is much easier to spot. Keep it away from where people set drinks down, and leave enough room around it so someone at the ATM isn’t blocking a game.

See our ATM options for bars and clubs.

Convenience Stores, Gas Stations and Liquor Stores

Put the ATM right by the register, where the clerk can see it all day. That’s where customers find out they’re short on cash, and they spend what they take out a few feet away. At a gas station, a customer paying cash for gas can grab it and prepay in one stop.

Keep it out of the aisles and away from the cooler doors. Someone using the ATM shouldn’t have to step aside every time a customer grabs a drink.

Then keep the space in front of it clear. Cases of soda, promo displays, and delivery boxes tend to pile up there, and an ATM customers can’t get to doesn’t make you any money.

See our ATMs for convenience stores, gas stations, and liquor stores.