Swedbank ATMs to first spit out user's card and then cash
On July 1, Swedbank will introduce a change to how its ATMs operate: when withdrawing cash, the machine will first return the bank card and only then dispense the money. With this change, Estonia's largest bank aims to reduce the number of instances where customers forget their cards in the machine.
"Customers tend to walk away from the ATM after receiving their cash, leaving their card behind. This is a frequent issue for both customers and the bank," explained Ede Raagmets, head of customer services at Swedbank. "That's why we tested a different sequence at selected ATMs: card first, then cash. The results clearly showed a significant decrease in the number of cards left in the machines."
Understandably, the change may raise the question of whether people will now start forgetting their cash instead. The risk does exist, but the bank noted that in practice, cash is left behind far less often than cards.
"If a customer does forget to take their cash, the ATM is programmed to automatically retract the uncollected money after a short period," Raagmets added. "This way, financial loss can be avoided, and if necessary, the customer can contact the bank to request clarification or a refund."
The change will apply to all Swedbank ATMs across Estonia and will take effect on July 1. Customers will be informed about the update through notifications displayed on ATM screens.
Globally, the "card first, then cash" sequence is commonly used. From the start, however, major Estonian banks have employed the opposite order.
Other banks not planning to follow suit
According to Karel Hanni, head of public relations at Luminor, the bank will continue using its current system, in which cash is dispensed first and the card is returned afterward.
"We have previously discussed the possibility of changing the sequence, but the rate of cards being left behind hasn't been significant," Hanni said. In his view, the change would actually increase the risk of customers forgetting their cash, so both approaches come with their own pros and cons.
SEB's ATMs also dispense cash first and return the card afterward, and the bank has no plans to alter this system.
"Returning the card at the final stage supports a user flow in which many customers wish to continue with other ATM operations after withdrawing cash, which requires having the card inserted," explained Evelin Koplimäe, head of strategy and customer value proposition at SEB.
As of March 2025, there are 664 ATMs in Estonia.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
