Branch banking

Cardtronics, a Houston-based ATM, has completed its acquisition of Welch ATM, a Peoria, Ill.-based provider of retail ATM services.

Qiwi, a payment services company based in Moscow, has added self-serve kiosks in JSC Tander convenience stores across Russia.

Western Union has added self-serve money transfer kiosks in Walgreens stores across the country.

FITCHBURG, Mass. — Workers' CU here is giving more than $2.5 million back to its members for the second consecutive year.

Nearly two decades ago, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's smart card program became a key means to eliminate the inefficiencies of cash use among military personnel. The payments industry has evolved substantially in that time, requiring the military smart card program to keep pace.

LANSING, Mich. — Lake Trust Credit Union is set to relocate its headquarters to Brighton, Mich., about 45 miles to the east, but it's the CU's planned new corporate facilities that some observers say could have lasting implications on how other credit unions design their management offices.

WICHITA, Kan. — At Meritrust CU here, the two branches overseen by Sara Carver are something of a study in contrasts.

CLAMONT, Del. — Transforming one location of Eagle One FCU here has transformed branch traffic as well.

DirectCash Payments has agreed to acquire Exeatm's ATM business in Australia for about $15.7 million.

MoneyGram has acquired the assets of Nexxo Financial, a money transfer and prepaid technology provider in Burlingame, Calif.

Global Cash Access Holdings Inc., a provider of cash solutions to the casino industry, agreed to acquire Multimedia Games Holding Co. for $1.2 billion in cash, gaining a creator of electronic-gaming units to American Indian casinos and lotteries.

Imagine arriving at an international airport and one of the first greetings you get is from your bank, welcoming you to the new country and saying where to find free ATMs.

CPI Card Group, a provider of EMV payment services, has agreed to acquire EFT Source, a provider of personalized ATM products.

Payment Alliance International reached an agreement with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union to apply its brand to 109 automated teller machines located in Rite Aid pharmacies throughout Los Angeles.

Lamassu Bitcoin Ventures is sending its Bitcoin ATMs to areas that may not be completely welcoming to digital currency, with its newest machine touching down today in the West Village of New York City, the birthplace of the "BitLicense" regulatory concept.

Diebold, best known as an ATM manufacturer, is rebranding itself to banks to stay relevant in a digital age.

Diebold is unveiling an anti-skimming card reader designed to prevent criminals from stealing card data from unsuspecting automated teller machine users.

Cardtronics Inc. is set to buy Welch ATM for $160 million, expanding the ATM provider with an additional 26,000 kiosks.

The ATM maker and bank technology provider Diebold has named Sal Mahbouba as vice president of global services.

In the banking world, branches came first and ATMs came later to streamline the experience. But in the Bitcoin world, ATMs came first with limited features, and the ATM makers are working hard to add the sort of services that one might find in a mainstream bank branch.