You put your card into the ATM.
You enter your PIN.
You choose the amount.
The machine makes a few sounds, but no money comes out.
Then you check your phone.
The money has already been taken from your account.
This can be frightening, especially when you needed that money immediately. But an ATM taking money from your account does not always mean the transaction has ended successfully.
There are procedures for dealing with a withdrawal where the account is debited but the ATM does not give out the cash. The Bank of Ghana has specific rules for this type of ATM problem.
The first thing is to report what happened instead of trying to solve it yourself.
Don't make another withdrawal straight away
Suppose you tried to withdraw GH¢500 and the ATM gave you nothing.
You may be tempted to try another ATM immediately.
Before doing that, check your account.
If the first GH¢500 has been deducted, making another withdrawal could leave you with two transactions to sort out instead of one.
Take a screenshot of the debit if you use mobile banking. If you received an SMS alert, keep it.
Also write down the time and location of the ATM.
You don't need to collect a lot of information. Just keep enough to explain exactly what happened.
Your own bank should be your first call
There is something many people find confusing here.
You may have used an ATM belonging to another bank.
For example, your account could be with Bank A, but you used Bank B's ATM because it was the nearest one.
If the ATM did not give you the cash, start with the bank that issued your card.
Tell them exactly what happened:
“My account was debited, but the ATM did not give me the cash.”
Give them the amount, date, approximate time and ATM location.
Your bank can then investigate the transaction through the payment system.
Bank of Ghana's electronic payment guidelines provide for the issuing bank to reconcile and refund funds arising from an ATM non-dispense error. The guideline gives a maximum of 24 hours for an on-us transaction and five working days for an off-us transaction.
So you do not necessarily need to visit the bank that owns the ATM yourself.
Take the ATM receipt if you got one
An ATM receipt can be useful, but don't worry if the machine did not print one.
The important information can also come from your bank account or transaction alert.
Bank of Ghana's ATM guidelines state that an ATM should issue a receipt when a customer requests one.
If you have the receipt, keep it.
If you don't, give the bank the transaction details you have.
What if the ATM suddenly gives you the money later?
This can happen in a slightly different way.
Perhaps you walk away thinking the transaction failed, and the ATM later releases the cash.
If that happens, check your account before spending the money.
You want to know whether the original transaction has been completed, reversed or still appears as a debit.
If you are unsure, contact your bank.
It is better to clear up the transaction than to assume everything is fine.
What if the bank says the transaction was successful?
This is where you should not simply give up.
Tell the bank that you did not receive the cash.
Give them the exact details of the withdrawal.
The bank can investigate the transaction rather than relying only on what appeared on your phone.
This is also why recording the ATM location and approximate time is useful.
You are not expected to know what happened inside the machine.
Your job is to report what you experienced.
Don't give your PIN to anyone
An ATM problem can create another problem if you are not careful.
Someone may offer to “help” you get your money back.
They could claim to work for the bank.
They might ask for your PIN, OTP, mobile banking password or other security information.
Don't give it to them.
You have already reported the transaction to your bank. There is no reason to hand your secret banking credentials to another person because of an ATM dispute.
Use your bank's official customer service channels instead.
Give the bank a chance to correct it
When you report the problem, ask for a complaint or reference number if the bank provides one.
Keep it.
If the money has not been returned within the applicable period, you can use that reference when you contact the bank again.
It also prevents you from having to explain the entire incident from the beginning every time you follow up.
Bank of Ghana's current complaint guidance says customers have the right to complain to their financial service provider and should expect a response within five working days.
That five-day response expectation is about the complaint process. It should not be confused with the specific ATM reconciliation period in the electronic payment guidelines.
What if your bank does nothing?
You don't have to keep going back and forth forever.
Bank of Ghana says a customer should first complain to the bank or financial institution involved. If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily, the customer can take the complaint to the Bank of Ghana.
The Bank currently provides complaint channels including phone, WhatsApp, email and walk-in services.
You can also find information about the Bank of Ghana's Investigation and Consumer Reporting Office, which handles complaints and grievances involving financial services.
Bank of Ghana Complaints Procedures
A small example
Let's say you have GH¢1,200 in your account.
You go to an ATM and request GH¢400.
No cash comes out.
A few seconds later, your phone shows a GH¢400 debit.
Don't assume that the GH¢400 has disappeared permanently.
Save the transaction information.
Report the failed cash withdrawal to your bank.
If the transaction is an ATM non-dispense error, the Bank of Ghana guideline provides for reconciliation and refund within the stated period: 24 hours for an on-us transaction and five working days for an off-us transaction.
If the matter is not resolved, follow up using your complaint reference and, where necessary, use the Bank of Ghana complaints process.
One thing you should not do
Don't keep making withdrawals from different ATMs because you are worried that the first transaction has failed.
First find out what happened to the original transaction.
And don't let a stranger convince you that they can “reverse” the debit for you.
Your bank is the proper place to start.
What this means for you
An ATM can have a problem even when your account shows a debit.
You are not required to understand the technical reason for the failure before reporting it.
Remember the basic facts:
No cash came out.
Your account was debited.
You have the transaction details.
That is enough to start the complaint.
Report it to your bank, keep your evidence and follow up if the money does not return.
You can also escalate an unresolved complaint to the Bank of Ghana.
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