CommBank’s New-Look ATMs Are Terrible

A few weeks ago, the Commonwealth Bank updated the onscreen menu on its Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). Presumably, the redesigned interface was implemented in an attempt to make customers’ lives easier (and perhaps to garner some good will after that recent ATM money-laundering scandal.)

Unfortunately, the results are a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Here’s why.

Last week, I inserted my credit card into a CommBank ATM to withdraw some cash. Like thousands of other Aussies, I was mildly perturbed by the drastically different UI that popped up on screen.

For those who have yet to see it, CommBank’s familiar yellow/blackinterface has been replaced by a new menu that looks nothing like its predecessor. Observe the above screenshot, which is what you see after typing in your PIN code. It’s like staring at the ATM screen for a different bank.

In terms of design, this is a big no-no. If you’re going to implement a customer-facing change to a product used by millions of people, you need to ease them into it.

This goes doubly when it comes to software applications, which are something many users find confusing to begin with. We don’t imagine the average pensioner had a fun time when first confronted with this menu. It’s simply too different.

In addition, the new UI just looks bad. The tiny fonts, drab colour scheme and menu layout are uninspired and half-baked – it almost feels like a software prototype before the final skin is spruced up.

Personally, we think the prominence given to a Facebook-esque “Favourites” icon is another misstep by CommBank. A lot of people don’t want social media trends to invade their banking – even if the similarity is purely cosmetic.

Adding to the headache, a lot of the new options require the customer to use the ATM’s touchscreen, which tend to be annoyingly unresponsive. I was forced to press down on the screen three or four times before the input registered. Clearly, any ATM change that prolongs transaction time is not for the better.

The adage: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here. Hopefully CommBank will revisit its ATM screens sooner rather than later.


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