Erste & Steiermarkische Bank d.d. has teamed up with MasterCard and ATM processors Printec Croatia and Asseco SEE to offer contactles cash withdrawal service at Erste banka ATMs.

Erste banka is the first in Croatia and among a few in Europe to offer the service. Non-Erste banka customers who have contactless payment cards can also use Ersta banka ATMs to benefit from this service, according to a press release on the bank's website.

Erste banka has 132 contactless ATMs and plans to have 310 active by the end of the year.

A contactless ATM works by a user placing the payment card against the ATM's special card reader, without the need to put the card into the ATM. Users must still input a PIN to complete a transaction.

"Previously clients would have to spend 25-30 seconds at the ATM to make a cash withdrawal," Igor Strejcek, head of the Este bank's direct channels division," said in the release. "Now, with the introduction of this service, this time has been cut to around just 15 seconds. Our task is to make financial services simpler, more accessible and faster to use for our clients, but never at the expense of security. We adhered to that principle when developing this service, and will continue to adhere to it."