If you’ve ever wandered past a bank branch, or even ducked in when it’s pouring rain, you’ve probably glanced at one of those self-service kiosks and wondered—wait, are these inside or outside? It’s a question I get all the time, now that I’ve been supplying these things for, what, 12 years? Back when I started, everyone had a really clear answer: tellers are inside the bank, so the kiosks that replaced half their tasks must be too. But lately? That line’s gotten blurry. Like, really blurry. And as someone who sells these kiosks, I’m here to break down what’s actually going on, from the quirks of our industry to the stuff we’ve learned from working with banks across North America. Bank Kiosk
First, let’s start with the basics that most folks don’t think about. When I say “bank kiosk,” I’m not talking about those little stand-up things at the mall that spit out coupons or sell phone chargers. I’m talking about the full-service ones that do real bank stuff: withdraw cash, deposit checks, update your address, pay a credit card, even open a basic savings account. The kind that replaced what tellers used to do, right? And for the longest time, 90% of these were tucked inside the bank’s lobby. Why? Let’s be real—back in the early 2010s, self-service was still a newfangled thing. Banks saw them as extra, inside-the-branch tools to cut down wait times, not a separate service. If you wanted to use a kiosk to deposit a check, you had to wait till the bank was open, same as if you were talking to a teller. Even drive-thrus were separate, but those were for after-hours drops? No, that was the ATM thing, which we’ll get to in a sec.
But then, around 2018, everything shifted. Banks started noticing a weird trend: a ton of people don’t go inside branches anymore. Like, think about it—when was the last time you walked into a bank, not just to grab a money order or a cashier’s check? A lot of folks do their banking on their phone now, right? But what about the people who can’t? Or the ones who need to deposit a big cash envelope, or withdraw a chunk of cash for a home repair, and don’t want to wait in line? Or the ones who work 9-to-5 and can only get to the bank after work, when branches are closed. That’s when the outdoor kiosk thing blew up.
Wait, but hold on—why put a kiosk outside, anyway? I’ve heard some old-timers at bank meetings grumble that outdoor kiosks are just fancy ATMs, but no, there’s a huge difference. ATMs are basic, right? You can withdraw cash, deposit a check, that’s it. Our kiosks? They can do like 30 different things. You can apply for a personal loan on one, get a new debit card right there (no waiting for it in the mail), even speak to a live teller over video if you need help with something complicated. That’s not an ATM. That’s a full-service bank branch, crammed into a little 6-foot-tall box that sits outside.
Now, the big question: where do banks actually put them, these days? I’d say it’s split pretty evenly, but it depends totally on what the bank needs. Let’s break down the use cases, because that’s where the “inside vs outside” debate gets real.
First, inside kiosks. These are still super popular, especially for banks that get a lot of foot traffic during business hours. Let’s say you’re a community bank in a small town, where everyone still comes in to cash their check every Friday. An inside kiosk works great here—you can tuck it right next to the line of tellers, so if someone has a weird question, a teller can pop over in 10 seconds. Plus, inside kiosks are cheaper to install, right? You don’t have to mess with weatherproofing, or alarm systems that are built for exterior walls, or access control that lets people get to it 24/7. Most small to mid-sized banks prefer inside kiosks for their main branches. We just did a rollout for 12 small banks in Ohio, and all of their kiosks are inside. Makes sense—their branches are busy during the day, and they don’t need after-hours service as much as a big urban bank.
But then there’s outside kiosks, and that’s where the growth’s been crazy over the last five years. Big banks, especially the ones with hundreds of branches in cities, are jumping on this. Why? Because so many of their customers don’t go inside. Like, a lot of millennials and Gen Z don’t step foot in a bank branch unless they absolutely have to. They do everything on their phone. But when they need to deposit a rent check, or withdraw cash for a weekend trip, they want to do it when it’s convenient, not when the bank’s open. So an outside kiosk—like, right next to the drive-thru, or even out front, under a little awning—works perfect. It’s accessible 24/7, weatherproof, secure, and full-service, not just a basic ATM. We just installed a bunch of these for a big national bank in Texas, and they said their after-hours transactions went up 40% in the first three months. That’s huge.
But wait, there’s a middle ground, right? I swear, I can’t tell you how many times a bank will say “we need a kiosk that’s both inside and outside.” And that’s the thing—this isn’t a black and white question anymore. Let’s take a bank that has a main branch downtown, and a few smaller satellite branches in grocery stores. Oh, right! Kiosks in grocery stores or big retail locations—those are a whole other category. Those are usually outside, but they’re in a public area that’s open when the store’s open. Like, if Kroger is open till 10, the kiosk in their parking lot is open till 10. That’s a hybrid, right? It’s not in the bank’s building, but it’s not 24/7 outside in a random alley. That’s the sweet spot for a lot of regional banks.
I get why people get confused about this, honestly. When I was a new supplier 12 years ago, every sale was inside. Now, half the time, we’re quoting for outdoor units, and the other half are for inside. And it’s not like one is better than the other—they serve totally different purposes. Let’s talk about the trade-offs, because that’s what banks actually care about, not where it’s “supposed” to go.
Inside kiosks: pros are lower cost, easier to maintain, staff can help if something breaks or the customer has a question. Cons are only accessible when the branch is open. If you work till 6, you can’t use one after that, no matter how much you need to deposit a check.
Outside kiosks: pros are 24/7 access, way more convenient for people with 9-to-5 jobs. Cons are higher upfront cost (you need weatherproofing, reinforced security, parking for maintenance trucks), and if something goes wrong at 2 a.m., it’s way harder to get a tech out there than if it’s inside a building. Also, some customers are weirded out by doing big bank transactions outside, in public. I’ve heard horror stories of someone using a kiosk to open a loan, and a random person standing next to them seeing their balance. So we build our outdoor kiosks with privacy screens for that exact reason.
Wait, let’s touch on the security thing, because that’s a big one. A lot of banks ask me, “can we put a kiosk outside and not worry about people tampering with it?” The answer is yes, but only if it’s built right. Our kiosks are rated for extreme weather—we’ve got units that go through snow in Minnesota, 100-degree heat in Arizona, rainstorms in Florida. They’ve got reinforced steel sides, alarms that go off if someone tries to pry them open, even cameras that are monitored 24/7. And for inside? We still build them with security, but it’s easier because they’re in a controlled building with staff around.
Another thing that’s changed over the years: customer expectations. Ten years ago, if a bank told you you could only bank during 9-5 on weekdays, that was fine. Now? Everyone expects to be able to do their banking at 11 p.m. on a Sunday, when they just got back from the store and need to deposit a check. That’s why outdoor kiosks are blowing up. It’s not a gimmick. It’s what customers want.
I’ve talked to so many bank managers lately who say they used to hate when customers would call at 8 p.m. asking if they could come in to deposit a check, because they’d have to stay late. Now? They just tell the customer “head to the kiosk outside the branch, it’s 24/7,” and no one has to stay late. That’s a win-win.
But here’s the thing I want everyone to get: the “inside vs outside” question isn’t actually that important, anymore. It’s not like there’s a rule, or a right answer. It’s about what works for your customers. If your customers are mostly stay-at-home parents or retirees who only come in during the day, an inside kiosk is perfect. If your customers are young professionals who work 9-to-5 and only have time after work, an outdoor kiosk is non-negotiable. If you have both? Get both. We’ve even done banks that put two kiosks in one branch: one inside for daytime use, one outside for after-hours. That’s overkill for some, but it works for their customer base.
Wait, let’s make this real, with an example. Last year, I was working with a community bank in Detroit. Their main branch is in a residential area, full of teachers and nurses who work shift work—some work 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., some 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. The bank tried an inside kiosk first, because that’s what they always did. But their nurse customers kept complaining that they never had time to use it. So they added an outdoor kiosk, right next to the drive-thru, no extra changes to their staff or building. Six months later, their total transactions were up 28%, mostly because of the outdoor unit. That’s the kind of win we see all the time now.
Another example: a big bank in Chicago, downtown, where every square foot of real estate costs a fortune. They didn’t want to build a whole new branch, but they needed more space for self-service. So they put two kiosks inside the existing lobby, and that cut teller wait times by 35% because tellers could focus on the more complicated stuff, not check deposits or address updates. That was a perfect inside fit.
So if you’re a bank manager or a small business owner trying to figure out where to put your kiosk, stop worrying about the inside vs outside debate. Start by asking: who are my customers, when do they need to bank, and what do they need to do? If the answer is “they work 9-to-5 and need access at 10 p.m.,” go outdoor. If it’s “they only come in during the day and need a quick spot to deposit a check,” go inside. If it’s both? Get both.
And for the vendors out there (that’s us, by the way), we’ve had to adapt too. Ten years ago, we only had one model, made for indoor use. Now? We have three indoor models, four outdoor models, even a smaller compact model for grocery stores and airports. We’ve got weatherproofing that can handle -20 degree Minnesota winters and 110 degree Texas summers. We’ve got privacy screens, video teller integration, even card readers that work with contactless payments. It’s not just a box anymore. It’s a bank.
I get why people bring up the inside vs outside question. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s something that’s clear. But the truth is, the line is gone. Kiosks are wherever your customers need them, and as long as they work, are secure, and make banking easier, no one cares if it’s inside or outside.
At the end of the day, that’s what this is all about: making banking less of a hassle. No waiting in line for 20 minutes, no rushing to the bank before it closes, no having to talk to a teller if you just need to deposit a check. The kiosks we build, whether they’re inside or outside, are all about that. They’re for the mom who has 10 minutes between dropping off her kid and running to work, the nurse who gets off at 11 p.m. and needs to deposit her check, the college student who needs a debit card right away when they move back to town.
If you’re a bank looking to add kiosks, or swap out old ones for full-service units that work for your customers, we’d love to talk. We can walk through your needs, show you models that fit inside, outside, anywhere, and help you figure out what makes sense for your branch. No pressure, no fancy jargon, just straight talk about what works for you and your customers.
Lobby Kiosk References:
- Federal Reserve. (2022). Trends in Banking Delivery Channels: 2010-2022.
- American Bankers Association. (2023). Self-Service Banking Kiosk Adoption and Customer Preference Study.
- Retail Banking Research. (2021). Global Kiosk Deployment Report: 2017-2021.
- Pew Research Center. (2022). Digital Banking and In-Branch Usage Among U.S. Adults.
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