An automated teller machine (ATM, American, British, Australian, Malaysian, South African English, Singaporean, Indian, Maldivian, Hiberno, Philippine and Sri Lankan English), also known as an automated banking machine (ABM, Canadian English), cash machine, cashpoint, cashline, minibank, bankomat or colloquially hole in the wall (British) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables the customers of a financial institution to perform financial transactions, particularly cash withdrawal, without the need for a human cashier, clerk or bank teller.
According to the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), there are now close to 3 million ATMs installed worldwide.
On most modern ATMs, the customer is identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic stripe or a plastic smart card with a chip that contains a unique card number and some security information such as an expiration date or CVVC (CVV). Authentication is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).