LONDON, July 7 /PRNewswire/ --     A survey by Level Four Software, carried out by ICM Research,
today reveals that British holidaymakers have become cash-and-dash fans. The
ATM is the most popular form of accessing cash abroad, with 30% of British
holidaymakers relying on this service when they run out of their initial cash
supply. Budgeting is not a British strength it seems, with 69% of
holidaymakers running out of cash during their trip abroad.

Debit and credit cards come a distant second choice behind the
ATM, with only 17% preferring this method, followed by travellers' cheques
(12%) and bureau de changes (8%). Despite the growth of online and mobile
banking, the ATM remains the consumers' preferred choice and provides a
crucial lifeline for topping up funds outside of the UK.

Younger holidaymakers are leading the trend, with 39% of 18 to
24-year olds preferring the ATM, while older generations are less attracted
by the service. Just 23% of the over 65s and 28% of those aged 55 to 64 put
the ATM top of their agenda when it comes to accessing cash abroad.

The survey also reveals that, despite the credit crunch,
getting the most value for money is not the top priority among British
holidaymakers. Ease of access is the most influential factor, overshadowing
foreign exchange rates and risk of fraud, with 39% of holidaymakers citing
convenience as the main reason for their decision about where to access cash.
This is particularly the case with those preferring the ATM, with the
majority (58%) saying that their choice was down to convenience of location.

However, foreign exchange rates may be a major obstacle to
holidaymakers using the ATM. The majority of those favouring travellers'
cheques (28%) and bureau de changes (55%) do so to get the best rates, as
opposed to just 14% of ATM users. With a third of ATM advocates not aware of
the bank's rates and fees, it seems banks have some way to go to meet the
expectations of all their customers.

Ian Kerr, CEO at Level Four Software, said: "The survey
clearly shows that the ATM remains the customers' single biggest touch-point
with their banks whilst abroad. While older generations continue to use
travellers' cheques and bureau de changes, the emphasis on the ATM among
younger holidaymakers highlights its growing importance as attitudes towards
accessing cash abroad shift. As a result, banks must continue to invest in
services and innovate at the ATM, including in crucial areas such as
displaying rates and charges transparently. This applies not just in the UK
but across their international networks of operators in order to meet
customers' growing demands."

Notes to editor:

- The research of 2015 consumers across the UK was undertaken
      by ICM Research



About Level Four Software

Level Four's integrated BRIDGE suite of open ATM software products has
been developed to address the needs of ATM deployers seeking to maximise
their investment in the ATM channel. BRIDGE is targeted at banks and ATM
deployers who are running, or are seeking to run, a modern ATM network based
on the industry-wide CEN/XFS open standard. As a true holistic offering,
BRIDGE recognises the needs of ATM deployers in the areas of installation,
testing and monitoring as well as run-time ATM software.

Since 1995, Level Four has built an impressive global customer base of
banks and payments processors including, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB,
National Bank of Dubai, Rabobank, VocaLink and Standard Bank of South Africa.
Headquartered in Dunfermline, Level Four also has offices in Dubai and
Charlotte, NC.

For more information, please visit: http://www.levelfour.com

Contacts
    Nicola Truman / Alexia Ward
    Hotwire
    +44(0)20-7608-2500
    levelfour@hotwirepr.com