IDBI Bank ATMs to offer movie tickets too

Tired of standing in that serpentine queue to book a movie ticket? Just drop in at the nearest IDBI Bank automatic teller machine (ATM), swipe your card and choose the movie and theatre you want to visit.

The ATM will do the rest. This is how the ATMs would look like in the near future. Much more than a cash dispenser, ATM will tell you your horoscope, update you with the latest news and cricket scores, pay your income-tax, deposit your children's school fees and even refill your mobile cards.

IDBI Bank has tied up with Big Tree, a software company providing ticketing services (back-end solutions) to major multiplexes in Mumbai, to provide this facility to the bank's clients, said Shameek Bhargava, head alternative channels & card products, IDBI.

At present, the bank is conducting a pilot project among its employees. Once it gets the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clearance, IDBI will launch the project for the bank's clients.

This is how it operates. Once a customer swipe his/her IDBI Bank ATM card and select the movie, theater and timing of the show, the cost of the ticket will be deducted from the customer's account and a receipt will be issued. The customer can collect the movie ticket in exchange of the ATM receipt at the theatre.

IDBI Bank is not alone in this ATM game. State Bank of India (SBI) allows its customers book suburban railway tickets and season passes, through its ATM located at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in Mumbai.

Other private sector banks such as ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and UTI Bank provide mobile card top-ups, donations to secular religious organisation, renewal of internet card account, utility bill payments, etc. throughout their ATMs.

UTI Bank has received a licence from RBI to introduce booking of seasonal tickets and passes. It is now awaiting clearances from the Railways, said Aspy Engineer, vice-president of UTI Bank. SBI has the largest number of ATMs in the country "" over 2,000.

ICICI Bank has over 1,500 ATMs, while UTI Bank has around 1,350 ATMs. HDFC Bank has set up around 1,000 ATMs. Banks have been entering into bilateral and multilateral arrangements with their competitors to offer more options to their customers.