Fee-free ATM access remains an important part of the customer experience, even as digital banking and mobile payments continue to grow. Consumers still rely on convenient access to cash for many everyday transactions, making ATM availability a key competitive advantage for financial institutions seeking to improve customer satisfaction.
Santander’s expansion of its fee-free ATM network through Cardtronics demonstrates how banks can extend their physical presence without building additional branches. By placing branded ATMs in high-traffic retail locations, the bank is improving convenience while giving customers easier access to essential banking services.
HOUSTON, June 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Santander Bank customers looking for the nearest fee-free ATM now benefit from the addition of 200 new machines to its ATM network. Through an extended relationship with Cardtronics, the world’s largest ATM owner/operator, Santander-branded ATMs are now in most Market Basket grocery store locations in Massachusetts and additional CVS Pharmacy stores in the Northeast.
This marks the first time Santander ATMs have been available in Market Basket stores. With these additional locations, Santander now has more than 2,000 ATMs available to customers throughout the Bank’s eight-state footprint from New Hampshire to Delaware.
“Offering our fee-free ATMs at popular retailers is one of the many ways we show our customers how we respect their time and money,” said Michael Cleary, co-president of Santander Bank and head of Consumer and Business Banking. “By expanding our ATM service relationship with Cardtronics, we are creating greater convenience for our customers and improving their banking experience with Santander.”
Powered by Cardtronics, the use of Santander-branded ATMs is free for Bank customers, allowing them to withdraw cash, transfer money between accounts and check their account balance without incurring fees. Customers can find the new machines at 41 Market Basket grocery stores in Massachusetts and 173 new CVS Pharmacy locations, bringing the number of Santander-branded ATMs in CVS Pharmacy stores to more than 1,100.
All participating fee-free ATM locations can be found using the Santander branch and ATM locator on the Bank’s website and Santander’s mobile banking app.
“Helping banks extend their service footprint in ways that are equally cost-effective and customer-focused is something Cardtronics is uniquely capable of doing,” said Brian Bailey, Cardtronics Managing Director – North America. “With the help of our ATMs at CVS Pharmacy and Market Basket, Santander can offer their customers convenient and fee-free cash access – from a Santander-branded ATM.”
Santander and Cardtronics will continue to work together to add more ATMs at Market Basket stores in Massachusetts and CVS Pharmacies throughout the Northeast as they become available.
Although digital banking continues to reduce routine branch visits, convenient access to cash remains an important component of a well-rounded banking strategy. Expanding fee-free ATM networks through retail partnerships enables banks to improve customer convenience while controlling infrastructure costs.
As consumers increasingly expect banking services to be available wherever they shop and travel, partnerships that extend ATM access will continue to strengthen customer relationships and enhance the overall banking experience.
About Santander Bank
Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country’s largest retail and commercial banks with $74.5 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank’s approximately 9,600 employees, over 600 branches, more than 2,000 ATMs and 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) – one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is managed by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander’s intermediate holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.
About Cardtronics (Nasdaq:CATM)
Making ATM cash access convenient where people shop, work, and live, Cardtronics is at the convergence of retailers, financial institutions, prepaid card programs, and the customers they share. Cardtronics provides services to approximately 230,000 ATMs in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Whether Cardtronics is driving foot traffic for top retailers, enhancing ATM brand presence for card issuers, or expanding card holders’ surcharge-free cash access, Cardtronics is convenient access to cash, when and where consumers need it. Cardtronics is where cash meets commerce.
