Most users who have a bank account usually go to the ATM rarely compared to their use of Home Banking: seven times a month, almost nothing compared to about eighty (times) that enter the web , according to data provided by Red Link.ATMs concentrate 27% of transactions, being below the movements made in mobile applications (30%) and even further from those made via Home Banking (43%).Despite the growth of fintech –especially, of virtual wallets (which are already used by six out of 10 Argentines) -, the "cash" still has a great mobilizing effect.However, the country is very low in the ranking that compares the number of ATMs per 100,000 adults, according to the World Bank:- Canada: 220 (world champion)- United States: 170- Uruguay: 120- Peru: 115- Brazil 105- Argentina: 60In total, there are just over 17,000 ATMs in the country that are divided between the two main networks:- Link: 9,800- Banelco: 7,400For industry experts, it would take at least 50,000 more equipment. In this context, the Central Bank opened the game to be installed in different types of shops, which led to the arrival of companies - national and international - eager to participate in a business that has ample potential to grow.These companies offer - either with their own network or "uploading" to the network of Link or Banelco - the option that the owners of the premises "deposit the cash from their boxes to save the transport of flows and, in addition, see an increase in the influx of public.To incentivize the facilities, these companies that started operations in the country propose a battery of benefits so that the merchants can take the highest possible revenue to the terminals. And they give the option to two business models:1- The owner of the premises rents the space to these networks for a fixed monthly amount2.- The merchant buys the ATM (US $ 8,000) and receives a commission for each user transaction (including salary and ANSES accounts)A new national playerAfter 16 months of hard work, the company Hasar announced the launch of its network. It is a company with a large presence in the retail market: it provides cash line equipment and fiscal printers to major supermarkets, including self-service ones."When the issue of out-of-pocket ATMs arose, we tried to contact Octagon (the network) by all means to be their executing hand, but it happens that their equipment is imported from China," Ignacio Viar, Operations Manager (COO), tells iProUP of Hasar.Given the impossibility of Octagon, the company decided to create Red Hasar, which already has its first terminals operational. "We project the installation of at least 250 teams for the next twelve months," Viar reveals.According to the roadmap of the project, third-party hardware and adapted generic software will be used in the first stage, to which the operability and security requirements of the Central Bank and the connection to the Link network were added. But the plan establishes the construction of own equipment in the short term.They also hope to expand the functionalities of the machines, which for now are the basic ones: extract cash, check balances and make transfers. "As soon as the installed base increases, we will be adding operations such as paying taxes, charging the SUBE and receiving deposits," says Viar.In another order, it reveals to iProUP that the firm is in talks with several fintechs to use their terminals in order to offer products and services.Its roadmap is not reduced to the financial ecosystem. "We are negotiating with a ticket sales company for our ATMs to print the tickets," says the executive, who says that this system can be implemented by any company that must issue tickets, including transportation companies.In addition to the shops, Red Hasar aims to put their machines in other locations: "We have in a folder from retail firms to parking lots. There are several prospects of companies that have large numbers of employees and want to provide this service, since there are no banks nearby ", exemplified.They also just closed with a building complex, in which the administration "will handle the cash flow" directly from a terminal.The list of companies followsThe other company that has already put fifth in depth is Link, under the Cajeros Express brand: it has already signed 332 equipment in kiosks, service stations and a wide spectrum of premises. Expect to close the year with no less than 500 agreements."The investment in the purchase of an ATM plus the initial installation is around US $ 7,500. It is recovered in six months, considering the savings in the transportation of flows and the commission income of the operations," Jorge Larravide explains to iProUP , Link commercial manager.And he adds: "The merchant places all the collection in the terminal. The money is automatically credited to your bank account, based on the extractions made by customers."The firm already has an agreement with service stations, ex-bank collection companies, supermarkets and wholesalers, kiosks that open 24 hours, chains of household appliances and extra-urban collection networks, among others.For its part, Valeria Melchior, Head of Banking Digital Solutions of Prima Medios de Pago, a company that owns the Banelco brand, tells iProUP that "the service could be available in the short term."As Octagon, the network of Oddyssey Group, a firm created in the USA. by Argentine Sebastian Ponceliz, he will disembark in the country and install some 1,800 ATMs during the first year of its operation."Although the opening of the acquisition had to begin formally on December 1, that whole process was long and far from automatic. That was running the start date," says Begoña Pérez de Solay, general manager for the iProUP. Octagon Argentina.The delay was due to Visa processing these transactions locally through Prisma and only this year brought its VisaNet platform to the country. On the other hand, with Mastercard the firm is already operational.The company has the licenses to acquire the networks belonging to both brands of credit cards, so it "asks" for information from these companies instead of connecting to the Link and Banelco networks."The transaction is processed by Visa or Mastercard, passing through the clearing house, the presenting bank (Interfinanzas) receives on behalf of Octagon the funds and liquidates those who charged the ATMs," explains the executive to iProUP.Its objective will be to become a platform that will go beyond the terminal: its final idea is that of a "marketplace" of third-party services. "We will begin with cash withdrawals and transfers, so that a banked person can send money to an unbanked or vice versa, or between two unbanked people," says Pérez de Solay.The MoneyFi wallet will allow you to enter an individual's ID and document number to generate a withdrawal order. Thus, you can pass a token (a kind of key) to get money from an Octagon network cashier or save it in your virtual wallet and withdraw it little by little.The company's master plan is to invite fintech to make the Octagon network a window of its products. "We have negotiated with a large number of companies. Loan settlement and payment of services will be shortly and what comes next is the granting of credits," he says."We are also very advanced in prepaid cards, with a printer integrated in the cashiers so that the users of the wallets can take the silver or a plastic", assures the country manager of Octagon.Bitcoin and something elseThe company has an agreement with the Chinese manufacturers Puloon and with GRG. The latter is the world's leading producer and offers high-performance terminals, such as fingerprint reader, touch screen, barcode reader and QR for payment of services, etc.This alliance will allow you to bring a model with a recycler module, which recognizes the bills and even saves its serial number, so that "the employees of the shops can enter the money and the terminal performs all the treasury management," says Pérez de SolayThe firm has agreements with virtual exchange houses for the sale of Bitcoin and other digital currencies through ATMs. And it even prepares its own currency - which will also be called MoneyFi - to provide low-cost international transfers.But there is another player, Athena Bitcoin, who is also interested in the ticket business. The company, which has already installed 12 digital currency terminals in Capital and Conurbano and will close the year with another five inside, will allow cash withdrawals."We are about to start the internal tests so that users can also take out pesos with their debit card," he says exclusively to iProUP Matías Goldenhorn, director for Latin America of the company.Thus, they will add this business to the growing volume of operations with Bitcoin, "with movements similar to those of the US", with a steady rise "month after month, but with an additional 20% jump from the stocks."Now, what is the interest of so many companies to bet on cash in times of digital money? Is there a place for so many players? Apparently, yes."In Argentina, there is a very important need. It is usual that bank tellers do not have d