NCR is to bring bitcoin payments to the high street by integrating support for the crypto-currency via its Silver iPOD point-of-sale device for small business owners.

Bitcoin support, which will be integrated with NCR Silver by the end of 2014, will be free to merchants. Merchants must first register with a bitcoin processor in order to activate the currency as a payment option. Consumers pay using a mobile bitcoin wallet app available in the Apple App Store or Google Play pages.



Reggie Kimble, NCR small business director of business development, says one of the biggest reasons why bitcoin integration was added was to offer merchants more flexibility.



“Gone are the days when cash and cards were the only payment options available to customers shopping at small businesses,” Kimble says. “Offering bitcoin as a payment alternative allows small businesses the flexibility they need to better serve their growing number of customers who prefer digital payment solutions.”



In recent months, NCR Silver has launched in-store PayPal payments and mobile pay ahead capability.



Separately, the vendor says it has also completed the software development and certification requirements to activate ATM transactions on its video teller machines. NCR worked with First Data Corporation to certify ATM transaction functionality on the Interactive Teller units at North Shore Bank, which serves eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.



Since introducing the technology in early 2013, NCR has sold the technology to 150 financial institutions around the world.



To date, Interactive Teller units were set to video teller-only mode, as NCR and financial institutions worked with payment networks such as First Data to certify dual ATM and video teller transactions. NCR says it is nearing certification with other providers to offer the same dual functionality.



North Shore Bank began offering video teller service earlier this year. The bank is making remote tellers available on the device seven days a week, for a total of 70 hours.



Susan Doyle, the bank’s senior vice president of retail banking, comments: “With the activation of ATM transactions, we’re able to maximise the value of our investment by keeping the ATM on even when our tellers are not available."