Bank Machine urges cash-strapped Londoners to take a Cheap-opoly tour of the capital

ATM operator, Bank Machine has launched the country's second free-to-use £5 only Cash Machine in Waterloo station this week in a bid to help Londoners enjoy the city for less.

London has until recently widely been regarded as one of the most expensive capitals in the world. However, Ron Delnevo, Managing Director of Bank Machine, states that switching Monopoly for 'cheap-opoly' can make a fiver go a long way in London.

Mr Delnevo commented:

"There is so much to do in London that doesn't cost much. if you took a tour of the city, you would most certainly find things to do for five pounds.

"You could visit Wimbledon Stadium and watch the greyhound dog racing, stop off for a Pedalo ride on the Serpentine Lake, pick out jewellery from Camden Market or fresh fish from Billingsgate Market. You can even go straight to jail at Clink Prison Museum, getting behind bars for a fiver!"

"This new machine is particularly important given the economic situation, with many people turning away from plastic cards and back to cash in an attempt to manage their finances properly *. Taking out smaller amounts of cash means they watch their budgets but can still enjoy the sights and sounds of the city."

The first five-pound-only machine has already proved a success, dispensing 100,000 £5 notes since it launched in Summer 2008. If you laid down note by note on the streets of London, that's enough five pound notes to stretch from the Tower of London, down the Thames past Millenium Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben and then take you via Buckingham Palace all the way to the Natural History and Science Museums and then out towards Heathrow!

The new cash machine is part of a growing network of £5 only cash machine that Bank Machine plans to launch around the country. Bank Machine is currently looking at other suitable sites acros the country so that more consumers can take advantage.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

* Research carried out by academics from New York University and the University of Maryland (click here to see journal) which showed that people were prepared to pay significantly more when they knew that they were able to pay by card.

• The new five pound only cash machine will be placed at Waterloo Station. The first five-pound only cash machine was installed at Roman Road, East London and more are planned throughout 2009.

• Last year, £186 billion was dispensed from cash machines in the UK, an average of £5903 per second.

• Bank Machine created the UK's independent ATM market ten years ago and now has over 2,500 cash machines in locations including cinemas, garage forecourts and retail outlets - ranging from Selfridges to convenience stores.

• Bank Machine operates both pay-to-use and free-to-use ATMs, with over 500 free-to-use ATMs installed in, for example, NHS hospitals, military bases, Universities and low-income areas.

• Based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Bank Machine (a division of Cardtronics Inc.) now has nearly 100 staff.

• For further information about Bank Machine, please visit its website (www.bankmachine.com) or contact Surinder Kaur Gill at Quintus Public Affairs on 0207 340 6290 / email surinder@quintuspa.com