NCR Expands Its ATM Service With Walgreens To Include Almost All Stores

NCR Corp. has expanded its agreement with Walgreens Co. to provide ATM services to nearly all Walgreens stores in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NCR already provides ATM services to an unspecified number of Walgreens locations through its Allpoint ATM network. Walgreens operates 9,021 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the company’s website.

As part of the deal, NCR will enable consumers to purchase Bitcoin at ATMs deployed in Walgreens stores through its LibertyX platform, which supports digital-currency solutions, including cryptocurrency, at ATMs, kiosks, and point-of-sale terminals. In addition, NCR will enable its ATMs deployed at Walgreens stores to send and receive cash from a variety of sources using a secure code through its NCR Pay360 application. NCR360 can be used at more than 20,000 ATMs across the U.S., according to NCR’s Web site.

In addition, the deal will provide Walgreens access to more than 1,300 Allpoint+ cash-accepting ATMs, enabling cash-in and cash-out transactions that will mimic bank-branch functionality. NCR’s Allpoint ATM network provides surcharge-free cash access to more than 1,200 issuers, including two of the five largest U.S. banks by deposit, representing more than 70 million cardholders, the company says. NCR could not be reached for comment.

“When consumers walk into any Walgreens in the country, they will know they have access to safe, reliable, everyday banking services delivered through NCR ATMs,” Don Layden, executive vice president and president for NCR Banking, says in a prepared statement. “Through Allpoint and other NCR innovations, Walgreens will be able to better serve its customers while enjoying greater foot traffic driven by the many differentiated services offered.”

Late last year, NCR announced plans to separate its business into two independent, publicly traded companies, one focused on digital commerce, the other on ATMs. The split is scheduled to occur at the end of 2023.

NCR said the ATM company will be focused on delivering ATM-as-a-service applications to its installed customer base across banks and retailers. The new company plans to leverage new ATM transaction types, including digital-currency solutions, to drive growth, and will continue shifting to a recurring-revenue model in an effort to drive stable cash flow and capital returns to shareholders.