Written by the myFloridaATM.com install team — Winter Park-based, ATM-only techs with 10 years and 75+ installs across Central Florida. Last updated October 5, 2026.
What is an ATM glossary?
Short answer: This ATM glossary defines the terms Florida business owners hear when buying, placing or running an ATM — from surcharge and interchange to ISO, EMV and vault fill. Each definition is written in plain English by an ATM-only installer serving Central Florida.
Why We Wrote This
We hear the same questions every week from store owners in Orlando, Kissimmee and Daytona: “What’s an ISO?”, “Who gets the interchange?”, “Is my old machine EMV?” Contracts and sales reps throw these words around — this page is the plain-English version.
- Bookmark it before you sign any placement or processing agreement.
- If a provider can’t explain one of these terms clearly, that’s a red flag.
What’s the difference between a surcharge and interchange?
The surcharge is the fee your customer sees on screen. Interchange is paid between banks behind the scenes. Your contract decides who keeps each one.
ATM surcharge
The fee an ATM owner charges a cardholder for each withdrawal, disclosed on screen before the transaction is completed.
Interchange
A fee paid by the cardholder’s bank to the ATM owner or processor for each transaction, separate from the surcharge.
ISO (Independent Sales Organization)
A company that, together with a sponsor bank, connects ATMs to the card networks and settles funds to the ATM owner.
ATM processor
The service that routes each ATM transaction to the cardholder’s bank for approval and deposits the dispensed cash and surcharge into the owner’s account.
Sponsor bank
The bank that sponsors an ISO’s access to card networks such as Visa, Mastercard and regional EFT networks.
Settlement
The deposit of dispensed cash and surcharge income back into the ATM owner’s bank account, usually within one to two business days.
EMV
The chip-card standard. EMV-capable ATMs read chip cards and help shift counterfeit-fraud liability away from the owner.
Liability shift
Card-network rules that make the party with the less secure technology (for example, a non-EMV ATM) responsible for certain counterfeit-card fraud losses.
EPP (Encrypting PIN Pad)
A keypad that encrypts the cardholder’s PIN the moment it is entered.
Skimmer
An illegal device attached to an ATM to steal card data; often paired with a hidden camera or keypad overlay to capture PINs.
Cassette
The removable container inside an ATM that holds cash, usually $20 bills in retail machines.
Dispenser
The mechanism that counts and pays out bills from the cassette.
Vault
The locked compartment that protects the cassette and dispenser.
Vault fill / cash load
Loading cash into the ATM. Done by the owner, the provider or an armored car service.
Merchant-owned ATM
An ATM purchased by the business, which loads cash and keeps 100% of the surcharge less processing.
Free / full-service placement
A program where the provider owns, loads and maintains the ATM and pays the business a commission on every transaction.
Merchant-loaded partnership
A program where the provider supplies the ATM and the business loads cash, typically earning a higher commission.
Through-the-wall (TTW) ATM
An ATM installed through an exterior wall so customers use it from outside while it is serviced from inside.
Freestanding / retail ATM
A floor-standing indoor ATM such as the Genmega G2500 or Hyosung Halo II, the most common type in stores.
Wireless (cellular) modem
A device that connects an ATM to its processor over a cellular network instead of a phone line or store internet.
Regulation E
The federal rule that, among other things, requires ATM fees to be disclosed so customers can cancel before being charged.
ADA compliance
Accessibility requirements for ATMs under the 2010 ADA Standards: reach ranges, tactile keypads and audio guidance.
Dynamic currency conversion
A feature on some ATMs that lets international cardholders see the withdrawal in their home currency.
Bolt-down / anchoring
Securing an ATM to the floor with anchor bolts to prevent theft.
See also: ATM cost in Florida · ATM installation · free ATM placement.
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