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Do you have an atm machine in yopur lobby? We don't take cred cards. Does and ATM make sense? Do you own or let someone else set up?

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

We have one at our three screen. It pays for itself with a little profit (we charge $1.50 per transaction). Its made it a lot easier when people dont have cash as we are a tourist community in the summer. Im sure weve picked up additional concession business because of it.

Absolutely is a good idea. We have had one for nearly 3 years now. People seem to naturally take out their credit cards these days to pay for everything. So its good customer service to have something in your building to point to when they do, rather than say 'sorry, you'll have to go down the street".
Ours is owned by another company.We do have to stock it, but the company pays us back each month direct into an account. We pay rent on it, but also make a commission, so it pretty much pays for itself. Ours just charges the customer whatever their bank charges them for using a non-bank ATM.
Many people will have the cash already in their purse for their tickets, but will often get out an extra bit for candy and drinks.
If you are a small business that cannot have lines taken up with credit cards, then an ATM is definately the way to go

Just beware...
I seem to recall an old topic here about a theatre where the front door was destroyed and an ATM machine was yanked out of the lobby by overnight burglers.

I hate when that happens. Can't forget that the atm is a safe full of money.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Don't want it near the door. A 4 wheel drive and a tow chain and off they go. Yeee Haaa!!

I once got $20 out of an ATM at a Burger King to pay for lunch for the guys helping me move. That $20 cost me $4 with the ATM fee and the Bank fee. So I lost 20% on that transaction.

So I don't like the idea of visiting other ATMs other than my bank.

I just read an artical that Debit card usage for those under 30 is around 40% and that they are using cash less and less.

Do the right thing and accept credit cards and debit cards. If the bank card fees are 5% and 40% of you customers use cards, you only need to raise your prices 2% to cover the fees. $.25 would be about double that 2% in most cases.

The article also stated that people under 30 are more unrestrained in the spending habits with their debit cards than with cash.

Remember that when Starbucks started a coffee shop coffee was $.50 with a free refill, but now Starbucks gets $4.00 for a sweet flavored coffee drink.

Marble slab creamery takes substandard icecream and mixes in M&Ms and charges you $5 for it.

Both accept credit cards.

Here's our setup:

The only theater I am involved with that has an ATM is the Historic Park Theatre in Estes Park, CO. Even at that, it is not in the theater building. There is an L shaped indoor mall, The Park Theatre Mall that butts up the the theatre and is also owned and managed by the same family who owns the theater. Our ATM is located inside the actual mall, only about 2000' away.

When plastic bearing customers come, we direct them out to the ATM. During our shows that occur after the mall closes, one of the family unlocks the mall and escorts the customer to the ATM.
not sure if we own the ATM or not.

They also do not accept out-of-state checks in this tourist town.

Hope this helps,

Tony


[This message has been edited by Parktheatre1913 (edited January 13, 2006).]

We just had a big debate over whether or not we should go with a credit card machine or an atm. We decided on a credit card machine but I am not certain it was the right move for a smaller theatre.

First of all, we are paying an additional percentage to the credit card company where as with the atm we had potential to generate additional revenue.

Secondly we have lost revenue with contested charges. You are given a short window in which to provide proof of sale and even with that you don't always get paid.

I would recommend the atm (for a small theatre). We are looking into one for another theatre we own. CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A VENDOR IN DETROIT?

I put in an ATM machine for my 5 screen a few years ago in hopes that it would keep us from having to accept credit cards. It didn't. While it helped for a awhile, it wasn't long before we were right back where we started with people walking out the door when they found we didn't accept credit cards. So now we have the ATM machine which does still get quite a bit of use and we accept all major cards. My husband was totally against this move, (one of the few times I did something without his approval), but now even he has agreed that it was the right move. People really do spend more money on plastic than with only cash. They will use their card to buy tickets and then again at the concession stand, where a lot of times they wouldn't even stop at the concession stand or they would stand and try to figure out if they had enough cash for what they wanted.
Mike, don't you have RTS? They make accepting credit cards so easy and seamless, it is totally worth the extra licensing fee. Besides that, it pays off in the good will it generates from the customers. We just fininshed a record year in gift card/certificate sales and a good part of that was put on credit cards. I would much rather take a credit card than a check as you don't know whether a check will clear or not and the credit card money is there in your bank account in the next day or two. My next effort in this is to try and get the system to that clears a check on the spot.
We purchased our ATM machine on a lease/purchase plan from a company called ATM network, thinking it would eventually pay for itself. It didn't and never would have. Like Large said, a lot of people don't want the extra fees that An ATM charges. Our fees are about the norm (I think) at $1.75, but then when the bank adds their fee on, it tends to add up. So my recommendation for what it's worth is to forget the ATM and accept credit cards.

[This message has been edited by Linda (edited January 14, 2006).]