Bank of America’s new envelope-less ATMs have actually been around for awhile now (probably over two years), but they weren’t widely available in my area until a couple of months ago.

Although I’ve always tried to keep my banking online (because heading into the sunlight burns my dungeon dwelling skin) — I occasionally still get a few pesky checks in the mail.  As I was depositing some checks into the ATM a few days ago, I decided to snap a few picture for those of you that have yet to encountered these new ATMs:

   

   

Here are some pros and cons that I’ve observed from using these new ATMs:

Pros:

  • Instant scan and image of checks printed on receipt.
  • Not having to lick those envelopes anymore.
  • Fast for single check deposits into single account.
  • Cash deposits gets credited immediately.

Cons:

  • If you have to deposit multiple checks into multiple accounts (businesses), prepare to enjoy the machine’s company as the machine takes only one check at a time (disregard picture above as that was just an example).
  • If the machine eats your check without spitting it back out properly, you’ll be dealing with a lot of hassles trying to resolve the issue.
  • If the machine takes your cash but didn’t credit the amount properly, you’ll be in for a world of headache.

Despite their myriad of fees and often shoddy services (or lack thereof), I’ve kept a Bank of America checking account open for years mainly because of the massive amount of locations Bank of America has — after all it’s pretty darn convenient to be thousands of miles away from home but still have access to fee-free ATMs.

These new ATMs can certainly be convenient, but I dread the day when I have to deposit more than 5 checks at the machine or have the machine gulp down the cash deposits but improperly crediting them.

If you’re a fellow Bank of America slave customer and have something to say about the “new” ATMs, feel free to chime in.