Merchtem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Residents in Merchtem face ongoing issues at Batopin ATMs on Kattestraat. Alderman David De Valck reports delays and stolencards. Batopin’s Marie Janart confirms technical problems are being resolved.
As VRT News reported, residents of Merchtem, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, are facing ongoing problems at the Batopin cash point on Kattestraat. The ATMs have been malfunctioning for some time.
“Well, my card was stolen,”
says a woman at the Wednesday market after trying to withdraw money.
“What should I do now? This can’t be right?”
Customers reported machines failing to give cash and sometimes accepting several cards at once. One resident, Sonia, said her card was stolen by a machine a few weeks ago, and she had to wait 14 days for a replacement. Another woman said it took her a week to receive a new card after a similar problem.
What is causing Merchtem Batopin ATMs to malfunction and delay cash?
The municipality of Merchtem confirmed it has received dozens of complaints about the ATMs. Officials are in contact with the bank to fix the problems. Residents are advised to report any malfunctions immediately to avoid further inconvenience.
“For quite some time now, cards have been swallowed here for no reason,”
says Alderman for Finance David De Valck (LvB).
“Especially during this holiday season, when you need cash, this is incredibly annoying. People then complain to the municipality, even though the municipal government has absolutely no responsibility in this matter. These cash points are a decision by four major banks, which certainly saves them money, but for the average customer, this isn’t good service.
Alderman De Valck tested the Batopin ATM at Kattestraat in Merchtem to see the problems for himself. He tried to withdraw €50 but found the process very slow.
“It took over seven minutes,”
he said.
“Not because of anything I did, but because the machine’s software, for some unknown reason, takes a very long time to change screens.”
Batopin has confirmed that a solution is being implemented. Marie Janart, the bank’s Commercial Director, said the technical problems at the Merchtem ATM are being resolved. The bank is working to fix the software issues and restore normal service.
“There was a software update ten days ago. There’s indeed a problem with one of the devices. We will also investigate the ships’ complaints about long processing times. The technical problems should be resolved as soon as possible.”
Marie Janart said.
The ATM network in Merchtem is part of a new shared ATM network (Belgium), known as Batopin. The company was founded in 2020 by the 4 largest banks in Belgium (Belfius, BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, and KBC) to maintain access to cash as traditional bank ATMs were closed due to COVID-19.
In 2021, Batopin began opening bank-neutral “CASH” locations to provide cash to users, and they have continued to expand their ATM network since then. Currently, there are approximately 700 fitted “CASH” machines as of August 2025, and they plan to expand the network to include more than 1,000 ‘CASH’ machines by the end of 2026.
Batopin has received criticism from the Belgian Competition Authority regarding the planned rollout of its services and the quality of service provided, and in March 2025, the Authority accepted commitments from Batopin to further develop its ATM network and provide higher levels of service.
