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TG-Gold-Super-Markt.de, a German asset-management company, is selling one-, five- and 10-gram pieces of gold using what it calls ATMs to pique consumers' interest in buying larger amounts of the precious metal sold through the firm's Web site, Thomas Geissler, the company's CEO, tells CardLine Global sister publication ATM&Debit News. TG-Gold-Super-Markt first tested the gold sales through gift packs on 19 May at the Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof, Germany's busiest train station based on passenger traffic. The machines resemble kiosks, but Geissler calls the machines "Gold-To-Go ATMs," and the machines charge 31 euros (US$45) for a gram of gold. The charge represents a 20% discount compared with the price of gold sold elsewhere in Germany, Geissler claims, declining to provide prices for larger gold amounts. "A small piece of gold as a souvenir … will definitely [be] a better hit than a bunch of flowers," he says. "We intend to accustom ordinary people to the idea of a strategic investment in a physical asset such as gold. For an investment, … we recommend [consumers] buy a 250-gram piece of gold." TG-Gold-Super-Markt has scheduled a second test on 16 June at the Frankfurt am Main Airport, Germany's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic. "Frankfurt is Germany's financial capital and a down-to-earth place with high public frequency," says Geissler, explaining why the company thus far has concentrated its efforts in Frankfurt. TG-Gold-Super-Markt prefers railway stations and airports because of the heavy foot traffic and security. However, future Gold-To-Go ATM deployments may occur in banks, jewelry stores, hotels and shopping malls, Geissler says. The company will limit deployments for the time to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "We are planning to deploy 500 gold-dispensing ATMs in the three countries," Geissler says. "If we achieve the product acceptance we aim at, we will deploy Gold-To-Go ATMs all over the world." The machines also are connected to a local security company. Geissler would not name the manufacturer of the machines. "We intend to let the best company make the ATMs," Geissler said. "Offers are welcome." ATM&Debit News, though, was unable to confirm whether the machines are ATMs that dispense cash.
