June 27, 1967 — The First ATM Arrives

Today, you probably don’t even think about it.
You insert your card. Tap your phone. Punch a few buttons.
Boom: Cash.

But there was a time when getting money meant waiting in line at a bank… and only during business hours.

That all changed on June 27, 1967, when the very first ATM (automated teller machine) was installed in a London suburb.

No card. No screen. No PIN.
Just paper, secret codes — and a whole new way to bank.

Let’s cash in on the story.

🏦 The Problem: Banking Closed at 3 PM

Back in the 1960s, banks were old school.
No online access. No apps. No weekend hours.

If you needed money, you had to go during work hours, fill out a slip, stand in line, and speak to a teller.

So when a British inventor named John Shepherd-Barron got locked out of his bank one day, he thought:

That simple frustration inspired a global revolution.

🧾 The First ATM: Not Quite What You Think

On June 27, 1967, Barclays Bank in Enfield, England, unveiled the first ATM.

But here’s the twist:
It didn’t use debit cards or plastic.

Instead, it worked like this:

• Customers were given special paper vouchers, kind of like checks

• They inserted the voucher into the machine

• Then entered a 4-digit personal code

• The machine verified the voucher using radioactive ink (yes, really)

• If everything matched, it dispensed £10 in cash

Just one transaction at a time. But it worked. And people loved it.

💳 How Did It Evolve?

Soon, inventors added:

• Plastic cards with magnetic strips

• PIN codes (personal identification numbers)

• Computer links to check account balances in real time

The U.S. followed quickly — the first American ATM launched in 1969 at Chemical Bank in New York.

By the 1980s, ATMs were everywhere: 24/7 access to your cash, no matter the time.

🌎 ATM Facts That Might Surprise You

• There are over 3 million ATMs in the world today

• The original max withdrawal in 1967 was just £10

• The first ATM user was given free champagne for life

• ATMs have been used in Antarctica, cruise ships, and even convenience stores in deserts

And while mobile banking is rising fast, millions still rely on ATMs daily.

🧠 What We Can Learn

• Some of the best ideas come from small annoyances (like locked bank doors)

• Changing a single step — like skipping a line — can transform an entire industry

• People will always value convenience, especially when money’s involved

So next time you grab cash in seconds, think about how wild that would’ve seemed in 1967.

Because on that day, one machine quietly changed how the world handles money — forever.