Why does an ATM sometimes dispense five €20 notes instead of two €50 notes when withdrawing €100? Usually this is not an error or a sign of a lack of money in the account: the ATM generates the amount from those denominations that are available in its internal cassettes at the moment.
Why does the ATM choose the denomination itself?
Most modern ATMs work not with one common stack of banknotes, but with several separate cassettes. Each cassette usually contains a certain denomination.
For example, within a specific ATM there may be:
- €20 notes;
- €50 notes;
- sometimes €10 notes;
- Some ATMs have other denominations.
When requesting an amount, the system automatically calculates which combination of banknotes to issue to the client.
That is, if you requested €100different options are possible:
- 2 × €50;
- 5 × €20;
- 1 × €50 + 2 × €20 + 1 × €10;
- another available combination if the ATM supports the corresponding denominations.
For the client, the result is the same: he receives the requested amount.
Why doesn’t the ATM give out €50, although it usually does?
The simplest reason is that there are few €50 notes left in the corresponding cassette or they have run out.
The ATM can continue to operate normally if there is enough cash in other cassettes.
For example, previously, when withdrawing €200, the machine would issue four €50 notes. Later, the €50 cassette was empty and the same ATM began dispensing ten €20 notes.
This does not necessarily mean that ATM itself “ends”. Only one denomination ran out.
Important: Having money in an ATM and having a specific denomination are not the same thing. There may still be a significant amount of cash left in the ATM, but, for example, there will no longer be €50 notes.
Why the system can save certain bills
The ATM does not necessarily use the largest possible banknotes for every transaction.
Its software can take into account:
- the remainder of each cassette;
- available denominations;
- the amount requested;
- technical limitations of a specific model;
- bank settings;
- the need to maintain the ability to issue different amounts to subsequent clients.
For example, if there are few €50 notes left, the system may use €20 notes more often to avoid running out of the large note cassette too quickly.
Not all ATMs have the same denominations
The composition of the cassettes varies not only between banks, but also between ATMs of the same bank.
It depends on:
- installation locations;
- volume of transactions;
- ATM models;
- collection schedule;
- usual withdrawal amounts at a specific location.
For example, an ATM in a tourist area, at a large shopping center and in a small bank branch may be configured differently.
The National Bank of Greece (NBG), for example, explicitly states for some of its ATMs that the issuance is in multiples of €20 and/or €50. This clearly shows that the available combination depends on the specific ATM and the denominations loaded into it.
Why is it sometimes impossible to withdraw, for example, €30?
The reason is the same.
If an ATM only has €20 and €50 notes, it will physically not be able to generate €30.
If there is a cassette with €10 in it, such an operation theoretically becomes possible.
That is why, when entering an arbitrary amount, ATM can:
- accept the request;
- refuse;
- offer the closest acceptable amount.
Why is the result different at different ATMs of the same bank?
Because cash is loaded into each machine separately.
At this moment, one ATM may have full cassettes of €20 and €50, while another may be almost out of €50.
Even two neighboring ATMs of the same bank can issue the same amount in different banknotes.
What happens inside an ATM
After confirming the transaction, the ATM receives permission to dispense funds and transmits the command to the cash dispensing mechanism.
Then the system:
- checks available cassettes;
- calculates the combination of banknotes;
- selects the required number of banknotes;
- monitors their passage using sensors;
- transfers the formed packet to the delivery window.
If a note is stuck on another note, does not pass correctly, or the system detects an abnormality, it may be sent to the internal reject compartment and the ATM will attempt to generate the amount again.
Can an ATM dispense the wrong amount?
Technically, a failure is possible, but this is a completely different situation.
If the ATM issued five €20 notes instead of two €50 notes when asking for €100, there is no error – the amount matches the request.
The problem occurs if:
- you asked for €100 and received €80;
- the ATM debited money but did not dispense anything;
- some bills remained in the device;
- another obvious glitch occurred.
In this case, you need to immediately save the transaction data:
- date;
- time;
- ATM location;
- amount;
- check, if issued;
- mobile bank notification.
After this, you should contact the bank that issued the card, and, if necessary, also the ATM operator.
Is it possible to choose banknotes yourself?
Sometimes yes, but it depends on the specific ATM.
Some modern ATMs allow the customer to choose denominations or offer several dispensing options.
Others independently determine the combination and show the user only the total amount.
Therefore, the absence of the “give out €50” button does not mean the device is malfunctioning.
Why is it beneficial for banks to use multiple denominations?
If an ATM only handled one note, its dispensing capabilities would be severely limited.
Multiple cassettes allow:
- serve more amount options;
- use cash reserves more rationally;
- work longer between collections;
- do not stop ATM if only one denomination runs out.
Therefore, the situation when the machine gave out €50 in the morning, and only €20 in the evening, is quite normal.
Could it be the twenties that end?
Certainly.
Then the opposite situation is possible: the ATM starts dispensing more than €50 or stops offering some amounts altogether.
For example, if there are only €50 banknotes, it will be able to issue:
- €50;
- €100;
- €150;
- €200;
but will not be able to generate €20, €40, €60 or €80.
Simple principle: the ATM does not dispense the bills that the client expects to see, but the combination that its system can form from the available cassettes.
Bottom line
If instead of two €50 notes the ATM dispenses five €20 notes, there is nothing to worry about. He simply chose another available banknote combination.
The reason is most often the current balance of cash in individual cassettes, a set of loaded denominations, or the algorithm of the ATM itself.
As long as the total amount matches the request, the operation is completed correctly.
But if the amount actually issued is less than the amount debited from the account, this is a reason to immediately record the transaction and contact the bank.
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