The UK's Link Interchange Network has signed a reciprocal agreement with the Pulse EFT Association that will enable customers of its 38 participating financial institutions to use the 250,000 Pulse cash machines in the US.
In turn, the 4200 financial institution participants in the PULSE ATM/debit network will be able to offer their cardholders access to all but a handful of the more than 58,000 cash machines operated by Link across the UK.
Pulse and Link say they are working to enable the first live transactions early in the new year.
John Hardy, chief executive, Link, says the agreement represents a further step in Link’s strategic international development plans.
"Pulse participants will be able to offer their cardholders the convenience of access to cash through virtually every cash machine across the United Kingdom," says Hardy. "This is a significant development for the international payments industry."
Pulse says this strategic extension of ATM access into a region with high US tourist and business traveller traffic will provide additional value to its participants' cardholders.
The agreement allows both Pulse and Link issuers to opt into the programme.