Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'

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ATMs PLUS
ATMs that offer one additional feature
  (+5, -3)
(+5, -3)
  [vote for,
against]


I bank for 3 people. The three of us have multiple sources of income, hence multiple checks.

I usually take the time, before I go to the bank, to seperate, tally, organize, and place the checks in bank envelopes, (3 different banks). That's when I'm running in my *efficient* mode. (Rare). On other days I have all our checks stuffed into my brief case and when I pull up at the bank I have to tally in my head the totals, scoop up from under the seat a pen, write the total on the envelope and it's very time consuming, my additon is always wrong, and the person behind me who's car is breathing down my back makes me even more anxious and I end up a blathering gel mass, unable to drive away with any sense of dignity left. (Sorry, I can't do spell check cause it's gonna tell me that sentence is far too long.)

So, to make many, many, many people happier, I propose a very cheap, easy to do, and very useful addition to the standard ATM.

You pull up, walk up, whatever. Insert your card. The menu pops up and you press English, or atleast I do. From the many options that follow, would be the new "PLUS" feature.

"Would you like me to help you tally up your checks today", and you would hit the "yes" button.

At that time the keypad becomes a standard calculator, and you get your CORRECT total. Since it's linked to your ATM account it remembers this amount, and when you slide in the 20 sealed envelopes, you can do so with great certainty and pride.

Job well done, Mr. ATM Man!


blissmiss, Mar 12 2007

Wells Fargo's envelope-less ATM http://www.financet...articleID=188501213
"Customers simply insert their checks in one stack into the ATM, and the ATM does the rest—scanning the front and back of each check, reading the amount, doing the math and presenting the customers with a summary of their deposits." [jutta, Mar 13 2007]

Wikipedia: Remote deposit http://en.wikipedia...wiki/Remote_deposit
What MechE's bank is supporting - and what's behind the ATM service mentioned above, too. [jutta, Mar 15 2007]


Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee

Destination URL. E.g., http://www.coffee.com/

Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)







       This would get my [+] as an easily- implemented and useful nicety. But then I wondered how I'd feel if I were behind you in the line for the ATM....

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       just fill out the envelopes in advance. My wife always grabs a big stack from the ATM and does them all at home. I think Bank of America has machines that will count money for you but I don't know if they can do that with checks.

jhomrighaus, Mar 12 2007
  

       Max, that's the point. It takes me a lot longer to scrounge through the car to find a pen, do the addition, etc, then it would to plug in a few numbers on a keypad.   

       PLUS THE MATH WOULD BE CORRECT!   

       jh, did you read past the first sentence?   

       "I usually take the time, before I go to the bank, to seperate, tally, organize, and place the checks in bank envelopes, (3 different banks)."

blissmiss, Mar 12 2007
  

       I did read and then for some reason chose to post that comment anyway.   

       Max's point and mine(less artfully articulated) is that this is something that would be really annoying for most people who take the time to be courteous and prepare their tally in advance of arriving at the machine. Ive even driven up, grabbed an envelope and then driven around and parked to fill it out then returned to the machine when I was ready. Also having a calculator does not mean that you will get the correct total if you make a mistake with your data entry(a very real possibility when typing with your left hand hanging through your car window on a snowy day in NE)   

       I am loath to support something that will promote people stopping up the system for their own convenience.

jhomrighaus, Mar 12 2007
  

       I hate to say it, but I'm with Jhom - I'm a social coward and I don't think I could hold up the people behind (whether using a pen-and-paper or the machine's calculator). I'd just go round again or add the things up before I went.   

       On the other hand, maybe queues for ATMs in the UK are longer and more impatient than thet are in the US.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       hands up who is in the uk, I'm confused.

po, Mar 12 2007
  

       Po, I have had my hand up for the last 12 minutes and the blood is draining.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       This is the first time I've even heard of drive-through ATMs. I feel so... undecadent.

imaginality, Mar 12 2007
  

       Undecadent (adj.): possessing eleven teeth.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       if I can ask where do you live that you have never heard of them?

jhomrighaus, Mar 12 2007
  

       Yep, that too. In over 129 million ways (32!/(11!.21!)).

imaginality, Mar 12 2007
  

       [imaginality] - that annotation was highly relevant, but to what?

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       To the number of ways in which I have 11 teeth.

imaginality, Mar 12 2007
  

       I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. I did find a thread where Kiwis mentioned a few drive-thru ATMs in the North Island, but pretty sure I've never seen one here, or even in the UK when I lived there (up to 2001). Mind you, not having a car might mean I'm less likely to notice them.   

       Best comment on drive-thru ATMs I found while googling: "The best part about them is the use of Braille on the keypad... Slightly worrying!"

imaginality, Mar 12 2007
  

       //To the number of ways in which I have 11 teeth.//   

       Damn. You are right and I didn't spot it. Oddly, by that reasoning, someone with a full set of teeth is more undecadent than someone with only 11 teeth (since they can only have 11 teeth in one way).

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       //blood is draining// clockwise or anti-clock?

po, Mar 12 2007
  

       It depends on which way round my U-bend is.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2007
  

       Heh. Good un.

blissmiss, Mar 13 2007
  

       "going to the bank", "checks", "envelopes"... Could you please explain which country you live in and why your bank holds on to those old methods? Incredible, it sounds like France or Italy.   

       Last time I have been inside a bank was to get a new "identifier" to do my internetbanking with. The battery ran out after four years of use and I can't replace the battery.   

       Can't you just open an account with any Dutch bank?   

       (shakes head in disbelief)

rrr, Mar 13 2007
  

       its a little tough to get the checks into the computer at home. They don't fit in any of the slots.   

       I personally use direct deposit and most of my banking occurs electronically, however my business receives many checks from customers and these must be delivered to the bank for processing.

jhomrighaus, Mar 13 2007
  

       +1 cos its blissy   

       I send the twit from the agency who's meant to do our book=keeping

po, Mar 13 2007
  

       I like the idea - you might want to use a calculator for lots of money-related things, not just for totalling up your checks.   

       The newish Wells Fargo ATMs have made deposits even easier than that - as long as you write your number legibly on your check, the machines read (that is, OCR) it and add it themselves. No typing, no envelope, just feed the check into the slot, done. See link for details.

jutta, Mar 13 2007
  

       [Jutta] you mean the machine reads the cheque (which would be unlikely, I guess), or the cashier who opens the envelopes?   

       I was going to suggest that there's no real need to do the arithmetic oneself if you don't want to. After all, you can be sure that the bank will not trust your sums, and will calculate their own total. So, just leave the "total" blank if it's that much trouble, surely.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 13 2007
  

       God jutta, it's like pulling teeth around here to get a really not that difficult of an idea, pushed through the throngs of naysayers.   

       In my idea I clearly state if you are behind me, and for whatever reason I was *NOT* able to perform my bank duties before I depart the group home, it's gonna take you a lot longer to sit behind me, than if I have a LARGE KEYPAD TO ENTER MY DATA, WITH A "CLICK IF THIS IS THE CORRECT AMOUNT" OPTION, then if I was manually adding with the pen that I dug up from the bowells of my car, that never works cause it's been there for 20 years. Not to mention I then have to make return trips to correct the math mistakes I made the first go round.   

       Good heavens...I am clearly trying to save the person behind me time, and the miscalculations of my bad science have frequently caused both my residents and me to suffer financially, without cause.   

       And yes I keep a large calculator in my briefcase. Let's see, me searching for it. Me adding the data, me then enterning said data into the ATM, again, and then maybe having to re-adjust or begin again, if by then my session hasn't timed out, well by then you probably have.   

       Oh jutta, oh jutta. I saw this as something so much more useful than a panic pin. Cause if you have the calculator, you could punch in many more characters/numbers then your standard transaction requires, and if you punched in the code, "HELP THERE IS A MAN WITH A GUN TO MY HEAD", in braille, on the keypad, while earnestly scratching your head like your math just isn't quite comin out the way you had hoped, etc., the security guard would be all over the thug like flys on, well, ya know.   

       No Wells-Fargo here :-(

blissmiss, Mar 14 2007
  

       This is clearly a topic close to <blissmiss>'s heart, so by all means go brightly into that brave new dawn. I retract all naysaying.   

       I only mention (quietly and englishly) that I, for one, would do my accounting in the privacy of my own home before I set off for the machine, rather than delay those behind me by one microsecond longer than necessary.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 14 2007
  

       sorry bliss its just not that interesting an idea.

jhomrighaus, Mar 14 2007
  

       I always just invent different amounts like £99,999 because no matter what you enter, they re-calculate it anyway, but may be just once they will enter MY amount instead of the puny £3.25 on the real cheque. I do get the odd letter of complaint, but who wants to grovel to the rules of any bank ?

xenzag, Mar 14 2007
  

       [jhomrighaus] - My bank actually does allow electronic deposit of checks. It requires a scanner, but you fill it out normally (account #, endorse it, etc) scan it, and send them the scans.

MechE, Mar 14 2007
  

       MechE, I don't know what country you're from but the scan thing is fantastic. But rrr should just wake up and realise that the Netherlands are about 10 years ahead of most of the rest of the world. They are the freaks, in a good sense.   

       Dutch banks don't allow non-residents to open an account with them. And I don't know that the "identifier" (a small card scanner that phones the bank up directly to cut internet security risks, for those of us who are 10 years behind) could cope with international numbers. I'll ask my dad to bring his with him and we'll give it a go some time.   

       Cheques are dying a death here in the UK, there's no real reason for them seeing as everyone asks for a cheque guarantee card with them anyway. May they Rest In Peace.

TheLightsAreOnBut, Mar 15 2007
  

       //I always just invent different amounts like £99,999// Brilliant. [xen], you're an example to us all, and I'm gonna do that from now on.   

       Incidentally, my local bank branch has now forgone having people in it at all and is entirely automated. I've been wondering if this will make it easier to rob.

moomintroll, Mar 15 2007
  

       if a machine can read a postcode on an envelope, it must be possible to read a clearly written cheque.

po, Mar 15 2007
  

       You send post cards through your ATMs there?   

       Hmmm, I like that.   

       Obvioulsy every country has different technology, that impresses, or works differently than others.   

       The fact that jutta thought my idea was good, has cancelled out everyone else.   

       More times than not, it is her solid scope of doable ideas, that also prove to be helpful, that I care about impressing. Through the years, she's just about the only one left I do care about

blissmiss, Mar 16 2007
  

       I am sorry to do this but I cant stand it any more!   

       I really wish you would stop your whining and bellyaching. It is really negative and is growing old. If you don't want to get feedback on your ideas then please don't post them. If the HB is horrible for you to visit then dont. But if you are going to come and post then please try to do it in a positive way. I would expect more from one of the old guard of the half-bakery who spends so much lip service to how great the bakery used to be.   

       Try living up to the ideals you profess to desire as a part of this community.   

       For what its worth I didn't vote either way.

jhomrighaus, Mar 16 2007
  

       You are mean spirited.   

       I stand by the fact that if the site owner finds value in my idea, and I know her to be a very intelligient being, than I have impressed justly.   

       Has nothing to do with whatever garble you speak of. I like this idea, believe in this idea, would love this idea to be available next week, and stand by it.   

       Don't give a flying duck what you think. If jutta hadn't said anything, or had said something negative, wouldn't really have mattered.   

       I still find it an easy attribute to apply to existing technology.

blissmiss, Mar 17 2007
  

       What kind of crappy spell checker doesn't tell you which words are misspelled until you abide by its evil grammar rules?

Smurfsahoy, Mar 17 2007
  

       Are you talking to me [smurfs]?

blissmiss, Mar 17 2007
  

       Yeah. I'm not upset about spelling, I'm just pointing out that MS Word's checker, for instance, allows grammar and spelling scans to be made separately. So the length of a sentence shouldn't get in the way of spelling checking.   

       Which is generally kind of important, since most computer grammar suggestions are utterly ridiculous, as you seem to have noticed already.

Smurfsahoy, Mar 17 2007
  

       Well yes and no. Mostly no. At this time of night, and when I have felt personally attacked, I just want to go away and make the mean man be happy.   

       Thanks for your guidance however.   

       It's been a tough couple of lifetimes, for me and many.

blissmiss, Mar 18 2007
  

       I'm Mean spirited?????? I am not the one making statements such as;   

       "it's like pulling teeth around here to get a really not that difficult of an idea, pushed through the throngs of naysayers"   

       and   

       "The fact that jutta thought my idea was good, has cancelled out everyone else."   

       and   

       "Through the years, she's just about the only one left I do care about"   

       You have also been negative to myself and other bakers in other ideas(most of them gone now or the annos deleted)   

       This is a more recent thing as in the past you seemed chipper and positive. I just find such comments dismissive of the things that are good about the bakery, most importantly that it is a community which is inclusive and no-one is "canceled out" and we all care about each other and what others think. If we lose that then what becomes of the bakery and all those who have supported it in the past and in the future.

jhomrighaus, Mar 18 2007
  

       huh? (Me chipper and positive?)

blissmiss, Mar 18 2007
  

       If you fail to see such commentary as carrying a negative connotation then I do not know what to say, but I felt put down by such commentary. As if my participation here was being trivialized and the input of other bakers was pointless as long as Jutta liked the idea.   

       I intended no personal attack rather to share my frustration at your comments. I have attended 2 meets with fellow bakers and have found the company delightful and inclusive, it is one of the things I value most about this community. I am angered and saddened when I hear members of this community dismiss and trivialize the participation of others. I value everyone's input to my ideas even if I don't agree with it. I am sorry that your idea wasn't well received as some of your others but to say that we are all naysayers and that you don't care about anyone else is just rude.   

       I am very regretful that you have chosen to interpret my comments as my being mean spirited, and to accuse me of attacking you. Perhaps this is not the kind of place I thought it was if this is how our elders choose to respond to honest feedback.

jhomrighaus, Mar 18 2007
  

       If ATMs also did personal psychological councelling, the queues certainly might become quite long. If there were a way of compressing the timespan of a councelling session, it might be possible to have an effective and efficient drive-through ATM to attain councelling (or for people like myself who don't drive, a walk-through one, which also congratulates you for not driving or smoking or leaving the light on when you leave the room, thus setting up the session on a positive note).

Ian Tindale, Mar 18 2007
  

       I tried to get into the habit of always turning the lights out when I left the room. Everyone else in the lab complained, though.

MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 18 2007
  

       Ian, are you suggesting I need counseling?   

       jh, you give my words far more power than they were intended. And now I *am* going to be dismissive.

blissmiss, Mar 18 2007
  


 
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