Expert: Mark Hanke - 11/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: Have you ever had any instances where the ATM surcharge went into the wrong owner's account?  And, on top of that, the person who received the money doesn't want to return it?  Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi - thanks for the question. I think that I can help you.

It sounds like you are referring to an ATM owner that is receiving surcharge income from an ATM. I'll provide an answer for that context. If you mean something else, then just let me know.

All ATM owners use a host processor to consolidate and route transactions. The host processor can be Firstdata, Lynk, Columbus Data Systems, etc...  The ATM owner will be managing their ATMs through an internet based reporting system,

Also, the ATM will be linked to (1) or more bank accounts. This will have been down when the terminal was first set up. You should always maintain  copy of this paperwork for your records.

You will need to remember that the "business day" for an ATM does not exactly match the "calendar day". What I mean by this is that most "business days" are set to close in the mid to late afternoon. In other words, the business day may end around 4:00 pm EST and any ATM activity after 4:00 pm will be reported against the next business day.

So, now go to your internet reporting system and look for something called ACH reports. All systems have this option. If you cannot find this option, then it is possible that whoever set up your user account for the system did not enable you to view ACH information (first warning flag). If you can't see the ACH reports, then ask the administrator to enable ACH reports for your user ID.

Run an ACH report for your terminal and select a long date range. The system will provide a report showing
1) surcharge account (where the surcharge income is being depositing)
   > look for any changes in this bank account for the entire time period
   > take note of the business day for each deposit
   > look for the surcharge amount to match against the transaction reports for that business day
   > look for the vault cash amounts to match against the transaction records for that business day.

If you see unknown bank accounts that are receiving deposits, then you probably have a problem! The problem could be accidental (someone accidently entered the wrong account info) or intentional.


This is a long answer. I hope it helps. Let me know if you want additional info or if you were asking a different question than how I interpreted it.


Mark Hanke
Franklin ATM Service








---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If you see unknown bank accounts that are receiving deposits, then you probably have a problem! The problem could be accidental (someone accidently entered the wrong account info) or intentional.

So, if this happens, how can the situation be resolved if the person receiving the funds in error refuses to return them, even after being contacted several times saying they were not supposed to receive this money (and we have the proof from the processor (and also transaction reports).  Thank you and I hope I am not being to pushy looking for answers.  you are great with the way you respond.

Beth Ann Fuhrhop

Answer
Hi Beth -

If you have an ATM that is sending surcharge payments to an unknown (and unauthorized) bank account, then you definitely have a problem.

It might be time for you to switch processing companies.

Do you know how to reprogram your ATM? There have been plenty of unethical people in the ATM business....you may have gotten involved with one of them.

If you are unsure how to reprogram your ATM, I have a free guide that can show you how to do it. Plan on 45 minutes to reprogram the ATM.

Let me know if you would like to reprogram your ATM and switch processing companies.

Mark Hanke
Franklin ATM Service
mark@franklinatm.com