Cash Dispenser User Interface

If your bank anounces it will improve it's internal banking software, is it wrong to expect some kind of improvement? Yes it is, at least when they start to change the software of their cash dispensers.

I must admit, I always liked the user interface of my bank's cash dispensers. It was easy to use and fast, since the amount of input was minimized. Basically, retrieving some money from the machine went like this:

• Input credit card
• Enter your PIN. Since this is four digits, the application moves on after you entered the fourth digit. No confirmation needed.
• Now a menu comes up with a set of options: Several preconfigured amouts (50 Euro, 100 Euro etc.), a button "Other amount" and a button "Balance". The balance however is already displayed in the top right corner.
• If you choose "Other amount", which is what I normally do, you now can enter the amount, press "Confirm" and the money is handed to you after your card is returned to you.

Nice and sweet and up to the point.

After the update however, things are different:

• Input credit card
• Enter your PIN. After that you must confirm it using the button "Confirm" - One "click" more.
• The next menu shows three options "Balance", "Get money" and "Exit". Hell, a whole new screen!
• Choose "Get money". Now there's the already known set of preconfigured amouts and a button "Other amount". No balance is displayed on the screen.
• Again, choose "Other amount", enter the amount, and press "Confirm".
• The system asks you: "Are you sure?" and waits for your confirmation.
• After that the money is handed to you after your card is returned, and the application shows the new balance. However, it doesn't display this as fo rexample "+55 Euro" or "-55 Euro", no! It displays "55H" (this is good) or "55S" (this is: your balance is negative).

Now count the clicks, as a simple way of measuring the quality of a user interface. Let's assume I'd like to get 30 Euro.

Version 1: 4 digits PIN + "other amount" + "3" + "0" + "Confirm" = 8 clicks on 3 screens.
Version 2: 4 digits PIN + "confirm" + "get money" + "other amount" + "3" + "0" + "Confirm" + "Confirm" = 11 clicks on 5 screens.

Not to mention version 1 also offered me more information by displaying the balance right away.

I sometimes wonder what programmers think when doing something poor like that.

Listening: Percubaba - Dehab On The Dead Town