The Central Bank has issued directives and recommendations to commercial banks, payment system operators, and payment organizations to improve the operational quality of ATMs, the regulator said in a statement.

The Central Bank emphasized that such issues must not be dismissed as "minor technical glitches." Instead, they must be treated as critical matters that directly impact the financial and property interests of consumers.

"It creates an unfair experience for cardholders when clients are not kept informed about the status of their inquiries regarding trapped cards, or when banks, payment organizations, and other stakeholders shift responsibility onto one another," the statement reads.

The Central Bank has advised financial institutions and payment organizations to publish clear, user-friendly instructions detailing what steps clients should take during an ATM malfunction. Additionally, banks must disclose all transaction fees upfront and actively educate users on safe ATM practices.

ncidents involving failed cash dispensations or swallowed cards must be treated as high-priority complaints that directly affect the customer's financial interests. Upon receiving a complaint, banks must immediately provide the client with a confirmation receipt containing a tracking ID and an expected resolution timeframe.

If an issue can be verified through internal data—such as logs, video footage, cash reconciliation reports, or other sources—the customer should not be forced to return to a bank branch or be bounced around between different departments and organizations.

The Central Bank also urged financial institutions to guarantee a consistent quality of information across all support channels, whether a customer reaches out via the call center, mobile app, website, or physical branch.

Furthermore, the regulator recommended shifting from a passive "complaint review" model to a "guaranteed result" approach, where the key metric of success is the turnaround time for restoring the customer's access to their funds. For errors officially confirmed by payment networks, banks are encouraged to refund money proactively—without requiring the client to file a formal request.

Banks are also advised to automatically reimburse any transaction fees withheld for incomplete or faulty transactions, processing them simultaneously with the main refund amount.

Additionally, the Central Bank called for the implementation of advanced technological solutions to process failed transactions swiftly and minimize human error. Financial institutions must routinely analyze the root causes of technical failures, ensure the continuous operation of ATMs—including reliable connectivity, stable power supplies, and uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems—replace obsolete hardware, and pay special attention to outdoor machines or those generating high volumes of complaints.