Hardly a month goes by without there being a story in the news about cash machines. One of the funniest was the one about a German man who was worried about identity fraud - so worried in fact that he wouldn't use an ATM. However the day he decided to use one he got arrested - on suspicion of identity fraud. It seems he spent so long looking for hidden cameras and other evidence that the machine had been tampered with that his behaviour prompted other would-be users to call the police. That, of course, is an amusing tale but all too often the stories are not funny at all as they catalogue ram raids and other attempts to steal cash.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the ATM. The first cash machine was unveiled on June 27, 1967 by actor Reg Varney, of On The Buses fame, at a branch of Barclays in Enfield, Middlesex. By last year, according to the payments association, APACS, there were 60,468 ATMs sited across the UK and the total value of withdrawals from those machines was £180bn - an average of £5,702 per second. At present these ATMs provide us with 65% of the cash we need, however APACS expects that figure to rise to 81% by 2016.

Cash machine users in forecourts spend more money per visit than the average forecourt shopper, and they visit the forecourt store more frequently. These findings come from the Convenience Tracking Programme 2006, which found that forecourt shoppers who used an ATM on site spent £5.40 per trip versus the forecourt average of £4.22, plus they visited the store 2.6 times a week against the forecourt average of 2.1 times a week.

Plastic may be convenient but sometimes only cash will do. So if your site has an ATM you can bet that many consumers will choose it – to fill up their cars and their wallets at the same time. There are around 55,000 ATMs in the UK. Most are linked to banks and building societies but there are a growing number of options available for forecourt operators willing to invest in their own machine.

ATMs are popping up everywhere these days – the local c-store, the off-licence and even the post office. And it’s no wonder – the closure of many high-street banks and their hole-in-the-wall facilities has prompted a huge demand for local cash dispensers, while innovation of the types of machines available means there’s now a model to suit almost every type of convenience outlet. Even recent warnings about ATM security seem to just drive customers to use machines in locations perceived as more ‘secure’ than those on the high street.

While a cash machine is fast becoming an expected facility on the forecourt, many motorists remain oblivious to the availability of the service at petrol stations.