27 March 2026

An early bank ATM card

 Looking for something else I found a "bank cash-card" from the late 1960s!

The card, same size as today's bank cards, has holes punched in coded to the owner and could be used to withdraw £10 from a machine outside a bank.  The cash (IIRC 1 x £5 and 5 x £1 notes) was contained in a plastic sleeve.  The card was retained by the machine and returned in the mail to the user a few days later. More than £10 - you asked the bank for an extra card(s)


I had a Coutts & Co account as the company I worked for from 1966 - 1971 banked with Coutts and was located above the (then) branch in Fleet Street so opened accounts for all of the sales people to pay our expenses.  I retained the account until about 1995.

.oOo.

I looked up some detail on a banking history website:

Early cash withdrawal cards, introduced in the late 1960s and 1970s, often used punched-card technology to store customer data and authenticate transactions. These early "cash cards" allowed customers to withdraw a set amount of cash, £10, from early ATMs, with machines retaining the card for processing. 

Key Features of Early Punched Bank Cards:

Technology: These cards used a series of punched holes (often called "chads" or "chips" when removed) to store identifying information.

Use Cases: In 1970s Britain, a user inserted the card, entered a personal identification number (which was not yet widely called a PIN), and received cash, with the machine keeping the card to be returned by post later.

Rarity: These cards are considered collectors' items

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