Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

1. What does ATM stand for?

 ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine. The ATM was invented by John Shepherd-Barron, and the first ATM installation was at Barclays Bank in North London, England on June 27th, 1967. Nowadays ATM's are referred to as "Cash Machines" or "ATM Machines". In other countries ATM's are referred to as:

Mexico, Central and South America: Cajero Automatico.

Puerto Rico: Commonly referred to as "ATH" which means "A Toda Hora" and translates into "All The Time".

France and Monaco: Distributeurs Automatiques de Billets, commonly referred to as DAB's for short.

Germany: Geldautomat, translates literally into "automatic cash machine".
 
2. What areas of Alaska do you serve?

Alaska ATM Service provides ATM sales and service to merchants across the state of Alaska from Anchorage to Juneau, from Fairbanks to Bush Alaska. We also provide on call and contract repair and service for privately owned and financial institution ATM's.

3. Which ATM / Debit Cards are accepted by the ATM Machines sold by Alaska ATM Service?

ATM's sold and processed by Alaska ATM Service are programmed to accept all Visa and MasterCard branded credit cards as well as all Visa and MasterCard branded check / debit cards from all networks including Star®, Plus®, Cirrus®, and Alaska Option®. Our machines also accept American Express and Discover Card charge cards as well as Quest® / EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards.

4. Do we need to provide a dedicated line with the purchase of an ATM from Alaska ATM Service?

No. Although a dedicated line is recommended, we can work off an existing line such as a credit card terminal or fax machine line. We also have other communications options such as wireless, Internet, and Satellite communications; which may incur an additional cost for equipment and communications services, and maybe subject to communication service availability.

5. What if we need service on our ATM?

Our ATM's are programmed to customer specifications and tested before final delivery to our customer. If any issues arise we're just a phone call or email message away, and we can diagnose most problems over the phone in a few minutes. Otherwise we can have a technician dispatched to the location within a day or less to resolve any problems. There is no need for long and frustrating calls to an 800 number in another state or country. Our service and support is 100% local.

For our "hands on" customers, our most popular brand of ATM sold, the Tranax series of ATM's, generally requires a Philips head screwdriver and a pair of pliers in most cases to repair or exchange parts.

6. Is there a minimum or maximum amount of cash required to be placed inside of the ATM?

We do not require our customers to keep a minimum or maximum amount of cash (commonly referred to as vault cash) inside of the ATM. However we recommend keeping a reasonable amount to cover anticipated use taking into account such factors as daily foot traffic at the ATM location, the summer season and the increase in tourism, Permanent Fund Dividend time, Fridays (Pay Day), etc.

7. When is the vault cash and surcharge fee returned back to our business?

ATM vault cash and your surcharge fee is direct deposited back into your business / personal checking account each business banking day.


8. What denomination of currency does the ATM dispense?

The ATM can be programmed to dispense any U.S. Currency ($1.00, $5.00, $10.00, $20.00, $50.00 and $100.00). The most common denomination dispensed from ATM's is $20.00 More sophisticated ATM setups can dispense two or more different denominations.


9. Why should we purchase our ATM from Alaska ATM Service?

Alaska ATM Service is an Alaskan owned and operated business that specializes in ATM sales and service for merchants across the state of Alaska. Our membership in the Buy Alaska Program, the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association (CHARR), the Better Business Bureau of Alaska (BBB), and the ATM Industry Association shows our commitment to providing top notch ATM equipment and customer service to our fellow Alaskan business owners.

Businesses that have an existing ATM and switch their service to Alaska ATM Service see on average a 10% to 20%+ increase in ATM use and profit versus their old ATM service provider. Unlike other companies, our processing service charges a surcharge on all ATM surchargeable withdrawals regardless of the cardholders bank or credit card.


10. Once we purchase the ATM, do we need to do any assembly or programming?

No. There is no need to do any assembly or programming of the ATM once it is delivered and installed at your location. In person training is provided at your convenience and we encourage our customers to call us anytime for follow up training.


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