Sainsbury’s is set to undergo a significant change regarding its cash machines, with all 1,370 ATMs across the UK transitioning to a new operator. The supermarket giant has agreed to sell its ATM machines to NoteMachine, as part of its strategic shift towards focusing on its core retail operations. This move follows the recent divestment of Sainsbury’s main banking arm to NatWest, which included personal loans, credit card balances, and customer deposits.
The sale of the ATMs to NoteMachine will not affect their operation, and customers will still be able to access free cash services from these machines outside Sainsbury’s supermarkets and local stores. NoteMachine, one of the largest cash machine networks in the UK and a subsidiary of The Brink’s Company based in the US, will assume full ownership of these ATMs by May next year. Despite this change in ownership, Sainsbury’s will continue to receive a commission from the income generated by the cash machines, maintaining a beneficial partnership with NoteMachine.
Simon Roberts, the CEO of Sainsbury’s, expressed satisfaction with the arrangement, stating, “We are really pleased that we can keep offering our customers free access to cash at all of our existing locations while also simplifying our banking business and reducing our costs.” This decision to offload the ATM operations aligns with Sainsbury’s overarching strategy to streamline its banking division and concentrate on its retail activities. The move mirrors similar actions taken by competitor Tesco, which also scaled back its banking operations by transferring them to Barclays.
The transition of the ATMs to NoteMachine signifies a strategic realignment for Sainsbury’s, allowing the supermarket chain to refocus on its core retail business while ensuring continued access to free cash services for its customers. Despite these changes, the familiar sight of ATMs outside Sainsbury’s outlets will remain, providing a seamless cash withdrawal experience for shoppers and passersby.