BankWest partners Flight Centre for ATM expansion

BankWest and Flight Centre Ltd (FLT) today announced BankWest ATMs would be installed in more than 100 of FLT's shops across Australia over the next year.

The partnership between BankWest and Flight Centre strengthens the bank's current 359 ATM outlets in 7-Eleven stores across the Eastern seaboard and brings its total ATM fleet to more than 700, while providing FLT customers with added convenience.

BankWest Chief Executive - Retail, Ian Corfield said the partnership was another innovative strategy BankWest had adopted to increase its ATM network across Australia.

"We already have a strong network in Western Australia but we need to significantly grow our east coast network in the next three to four years alongside our retail store expansion," Mr Corfield said.

"It's a challenge securing ATM locations in a mature market so teaming up with Flight Centre is an innovative way to overcome this. It also offers BankWest representation in rural areas, South Australia and the Northern Territory where we have no branded transactional capability."

"This partnership is key to increasing our customers' transactional capabilities in Western Australia and support our existing customer base," he said.

"This partnership demonstrates both companies' commitment to innovatively meet the needs of today's busy consumer," Flight Centre Marketing General Manager Mr Colin Bowman said. "Use of the ATMs will give added convenience to Flight Centre customers and may also increase foot traffic through increased awareness of our instore campaigns."

BankWest will also be extending its existing relationship with the First Data owned, Cashcard ATM network for the supply and servicing of these devices.

Rollout will commence in quarter three, 2008 and comes off the back of BankWest's announcement of its assault on the Australian banking industry with the roll-out of more than 160 major new retail and commercial banking centres over the next three years.