Here’s a little ATM news via The Billfold

Chase Bank and PNC have rolled out ATMs that will dispense $1 and $5 bills. So if your account balance is getting perilously low, but you still want exactly $19 in cash, you can take it out at the ATM.

Of course, you still have to factor in the $2 or $3 fee, so if you have just $13 left in your checking account, you might want to do a little math* before simply withdrawing the entire balance.

I can’t say I’ve ever felt the need to withdraw an amount that was not some multiple of 5 or 10. I’ve seen ATMs that dispense $10 bills, but usually those machines dispense only $10 bills and don’t give you a choice in the matter. The ATMs discussed in this story apparently do.

I also got to wondering why exactly ATMs usually only spit out $20s. My best guess is that it’s more cost-efficient to manufacture machines that deal in only one denomination, and denominations of $20 are probably the most popular, but I’d like to hear from a slightly more reputable source than Yahoo! Answers.

In semi-related news, a San Diego-based firm is rolling an ATM – err, ATM-like device, actually – that will turn your old electronics into cash.

*Just addition and subtraction. No multivariable calculus necessary.  You would think this point might be obvious, but I have worked many customer service jobs, including teller, and alas, it is not.

When You Have Just $13 Left, But Still Want To End The Week Broke

by Banker & Tradesman time to read: 1 min
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