SOON, you won't have to get out of your car to withdraw money from an automated teller machine (ATM) at an Esso petrol station.
By year-end, there will be Citibank drive-through ATMs in at least 10 Esso stations, with five more planned for 2010.
This follows a successful six-month pilot project at Esso Newton. Citibank says that its first drive-through ATM at this station along Dunearn Road has seen transaction volumes increasing steadily each month since it was launched in December 2008, along with higher average withdrawal amounts.
"Citibank is delighted to be working in partnership with ExxonMobil, a global industry leader which has the largest network of petrol stations here in Singapore," said Anil Wadhwani, Citi Singapore's head of consumer(See attached file: citi.jpg) markets.
The bank said that the next Esso station to have its ATM will be the one at Hougang Avenue 3 in six weeks' time. The remaining eight ATMs will be 'evenly distributed across the island'.
Citibank will pay for installing the ATMs on Esso forecourts.
The bank declined to say how much this is going to cost but it will be higher than for normal standalone ATMs because the drive-through versions are not housed in an existing building and have be weatherproof, among other requirements.
Citibank also has a drive-through ATM in Capital Square but this is located at its flagship branch, not a petrol kiosk.
However, the drive-through ATM in a petrol station is not a new concept - POSB was the first to dispense cash to drivers this way at an SPC station along Upper East Coast Road. The service has been available since January 2008.
Citibank said that its partnership with Esso is 'more extensive', though, and is part of its overall strategy to reach out to more Singaporeans.
"Our partnership with SMRT Corp, for instance, marked our expansion into the heartlands and the transit commuter space," said Mr Wadhwani, referring to Citibank ATMs and branches in MRT stations.
He added: "This latest tie-up with ExxonMobil will greatly increase our accessibility to all motorists, broaden the customer segments we are reaching out to, and further entrench our presence in Singapore."
ExxonMobil is Singapore's biggest oil chain here, with a network of 67 stations. It already has standalone DBS ATMs in each of its Cheers and Fairprice Express convenience stores since 2007.
A spokeswoman said that these will remain at the Esso stations with the Citibank drive-through ATMs.
