Many Japanese banks are planning on investing in mobile ATM vans as a means to provide good customer service to their mostly elderly and rural customers. The first such van is scheduled to be deployed this November by Shimane Shinkin Bank in the Shimane Prefecture. These vans, with mounted ATM machines, will offer users all the basic services that are generally offered at banking branches such as deposits, withdrawals, paymentA transfer of funds which discharges an obligation on the part of a payer vis-à-vis a payee. More services as well as passbook updates (booklets to keep track of spending).
The vans are expected to drive around preselected communities to offer banking services at various locations including schools, community centers and nursing homes.
Nanto Bank and Bank of Kyoto are also testing these vans. The former has mostly focused on municipality offices while the latter is planning on using them to acquire new customers and to offer banking services in areas that have been struck by a natural disaster.
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