ATM shortage in Viet Nam

Following the same tendency as in the rest of the world, Vietnamese people gradually switch to plastic cards to manage their finances. But the number of plastic card users and ATMs able to dispense cash are not in a good proportion. "The situation is caused by the fact that many banks form alliances with the purpose of having more machines for their customers to use. But because no new machines are being installed, the total number of machines available is the same," said Nguyen Tu Anh, director of Smartlink join stock company.

"In Viet Nam, the industry standard for all banks is one ATM for 3,000-5000 customers," said Tu Anh. But in reality there are only 50 ATMs for every one million people or one per 20,000 customers. The USA have one ATM per 769 customers while Japan has one per 1,111 people.

The ATMs' shortage results in long lines and aggravation as people have to search for an ATM to withdraw their wages. The number of ATMs is not the only concern. Many of the machines are not serviced properly which causes them being either out of order or out of cash. "The purpose of paying salaries into bank accounts is to discourage the use of cash. If banks want to hold on to their customers they must offer good services, and that includes working ATMs," said a bank customer.