The installation of ATMs in Belgium is being constrained by technical and safety requirements, limiting their availability in certain neighborhoods, according to a report by Belang van Limburg and VRT.
Batopin, a network of cash machines established by Belgium’s major banks—KBC, ING, BNP Paribas Fortis, and Belfius—has encountered significant challenges in expanding the number of cash points across the country.
Batopin, which launched in 2020, is tasked with providing a national network of ATMs that are not tied to any specific bank, meaning that anyone can use them to withdraw money regardless of which bank they are affiliated with.
However, finding suitable locations for these machines has proven to be more complex than initially anticipated. According to a spokesperson for Batopin, Julie Kerremans, technical and safety requirements are limiting the number of potential sites.
“There are currently 500 active cash points in Belgium,” Kerremans said, adding that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find properties that meet the stringent criteria for ATM placement.
Many locations fail to meet the necessary safety and technical conditions required for secure machine operation. This problem is particularly pronounced in some parts of the country, especially in smaller municipalities.
Batopin has conducted an extensive search for potential sites, assessing over 11,000 properties in recent years, but many of these were not deemed suitable for ATM installation.
Areas such as Boom, Grimbergen, Kampenhout, Londerzeel, Ronse, Waasmunster, and Zedelgem have been particularly hard-hit by the shortage of cash points.
The growing difficulty in accessing ATMs has prompted concerns, particularly in Wallonia, where coverage is most sparse.
In some municipalities, there are noticeable “black spots” in ATM coverage. The limited availability of cash points has led to calls for greater transparency in how ATMs are distributed across the country.
Batopin’s target is to have 970 ATMs installed nationwide by the end of 2025, but meeting this goal will require overcoming these technical challenges. Public figures, such as Marino Keulen, mayor of Lanaken, have suggested potential solutions.
Keulen, whose town has struggled with ATM accessibility, has proposed placing cash machines in public squares rather than inside private buildings.
He argues that public squares offer easy parking and benefit from increased social control from nearby residents, which could enhance security and reduce the risk of ATM bombings. This, he believes, would create safer environments for withdrawing money.
Keulen’s suggestion underscores the growing tension between the demand for greater ATM access and the stringent safety requirements that limit installation.
While Batopin remains committed to expanding its network, the challenge remains in finding locations that meet both the technical and security criteria necessary for ATM placement.
As the debate continues, it is clear that Belgium’s evolving payment landscape will require innovative solutions to balance accessibility with safety.
With the ongoing push for more cash points across the country, local governments and businesses may need to collaborate more closely to ensure that no community is left without easy access to banking services.
