Gruen on Bank ATM Fees

   Loved episode 4 of this series of Gruen on ABC TV in Oz!! The show is always an insightful exploration of advertising and consumerism more broadly with a focus on Shopkins [an aussie success story] but of more interest to me was the Sunday announcement of Comm Bank removing fees for use of ATMs by non customers! The other big three followed suit...
   Crafting this as a exercise in listening and a great thing for customers seems to ignore 20 years of annoyance and feedback from said non customers. The truth would be somewhere between avoiding a royal commission and the shift in behaviour to supermarket cash out and pay wave... providing profits for EFTPOS and rendering bank ATMs less useful. This move will make them more useful and place less pressure on banks to have their own 'brand' present in the lineup!! In my own little local shopping centre it's been 70m from 2-3 ATMs and simply seeking cash out at IGA... both are now options with the newsagent half way between. It'll also be good for health as the cake shop is closer to IGA!! I assume though that fees will rise for places like pubs or small shops to host machines... Note: image is not my local shops, but it typical of larger centres...