A G-Cash Machine

I spotted a G-Cash Machine the other day. They call it “AGM Cash-In”. It stands for “Automated G-Cash Machine for Cash-In”. I saw it over the weekend at a G-Cash booth at the main entrance of Megamall Bldg B.

It’s around the size of a regular desktop CPU. It has a slot where paper bills are inserted, an LCD display for instructions and a numeric keypad to enter the cellphone number. The man I spoke to said it’s good only for Cash-In and not Cash-Out. I’m told the machine accepts 20, 50, 100 peso bills (unlike the bigger G-Cash ATM that only accepts P100, P500, P1000).

I wanted to try out the machine but it wasn’t functioning the time I was there. The machine’s side was open and was awaiting repair. I got a chance to see the inside. Only thing I recognized was an antenna, presumably for a GSM modem for the G-Cash transactions.

The AGM Cash-in machine a smaller version of the G-Cash ATM. The G-Cash ATM accepts both Cash-In and Cash-Out transactions (think of it as an ATM withdrawal or deposit) and has a touchscreen monitor. On the other hand, the AGM Cash-in machine is cheaper to manufacture because it doesn’t need a touchscreen monitor. It’s also smaller and easier to deploy as it will fit on a 7-11 tabletop, for example, without much real estate needed.

Upside is, as usual, an additional way to Cash-in.

But the thing is, this machine still requires maintenance. Who will collect the bills when the machine is full?

The AGM Cash-in machine is fine. It could be a solution for some companies, agencies, malls or local governments accepting G-Cash payments. But it won’t be the solution to the currently limited ways to accessing G-Cash nationwide.

But hey, the AGM Cash-in machine is good. What is needed is to find the machine’s niche, to find where it belongs, to find where the technology will make the biggest impact.

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