Many Dutch ATMs will be out of service more frequently this summer

Many ATMs in the Netherlands will be unusable with some regularity this summer, said ATM provider Geldmaat and secure transport firm Brink's. There is a staff shortage at Brink's, which does not have enough workers to refill the cash dispensers. This can lead to consumers standing in front of an empty machine when they want to withdraw money in a shop or on the street.

The companies also said that the holiday period and absenteeism due to illness will lead to a reduction in available staff. This will exacerbate the problem of Re supplying the ATMs during the summer period. "We are doing everything we can to meet the requested capacity, but it may be that an ATM falls out of service for longer than average during the summer," said Bas Rodenberg, director of Brink's in the Netherlands.

Higher priority locations will be given preference when emptying and filling cash machines. This includes ATMs in touristic locations.

Geldmaat advised consumers and business customers to use their location guide to find alternate ATMs and to see which ones are online available. Geldmaat also advised "not to wait until the last minute" before depositing or withdrawing money. "If more people make withdrawals at staggered moments, this will reduce the peak load," said Peggy Corstens, Director of Operations at Geldmaat.

Geldmaat pointed out that there are also ATMs in many stores, but that people are not always aware of this. These can be found in Albert Heijn supermarkets, Primera, Bruna and Readshop. Retailers who work with Brink's will be informed of the potential disruptions.

For several years now, consumers have been making payments less with cash and more with debit cards or smartphones. This is partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, when retailers often asked customers to use a debit card in order to limit personal contact. People are also still getting used to the new Geldmaat locations, the manager said.