Fiserv Inc., a global provider of payments and financial technology solutions, is expanding its CheckFreePay network for in-person bill payment to include the ATM network of NCR Atleos Corporation.
Cash-preferred consumers will be able to pay an array of household bills at thousands of ATM locations, including at retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies, NCR Atleos announced.
Traditionally, ATMs that accept cash have primarily been available at bank and credit union branches. With more of these ATMs in place at retail locations, consumers can pay utility, phone, cable, insurance, credit card, auto, and other bills securely via self-service instead of walking up to a counter or paying in the checkout line.
Retailers can shift cash payments previously made with assistance from store personnel to self-service ATMs, automating transactions and improving efficiency of store operations, while still benefiting from increased foot traffic.
“Many consumers prefer to pay bills in person in cash, and CheckFreePay helps them streamline financial tasks with multiple ways to pay in places they visit every day,” said Brian Seemann, senior vice president of Biller Solutions at Fiserv.
Bill payment capabilities will initially be available at thousands of Atleos ATMs that accept cash today, expanding as more cash-in ATMs are rolled out across the United States.
At the register, more retailers are embracing self-checkout capabilities, according to a study released by NCR Voyix and conducted by Incisiv. The study found that 43% of retailers have mature self-checkout systems in place, and an additional 17% are expanding self-checkout deployments.
The study polled senior executives in convenience and fuel, and food and grocery about common technology challenges they face in their stores.
According to the survey, executives who have already have self-checkout in their stores report benefits for both retailers and shoppers, including:
- 79% Better customer experience
- 75% Enhanced store layout and space utilization
- 58% Lower labor costs
- 51% Improvements in operational efficiency
“Self-checkout is now essential for retailers aiming to provide a better and more convenient checkout, while also freeing up employees for other engaging and critical tasks like helping customers in the aisles or keeping inventory stocked,” said Eric Schoch, executive vice president and president, retail at NCR Voyix. “NCR Voyix will continue to enable retailers to optimize their store technology for faster, frictionless customer experiences.”
In August 2023, NCR, an enterprise technology provider, announced that the company would split into two separate entities: NCR Voyix and NCR Atleos.