Procedure for testing banknote handling machine types

Classification

Purpose

On 16 September 2010 the Governing Council of the European Central Bank adopted Decision ECB/2010/14 on the authenticity and fitness checking and recirculation of euro banknotes, which became applicable on 1 January 2011. According to Decision ECB/2010/14, euro banknotes may only be recirculated if they have been checked for authenticity and fitness. Euro banknotes recirculated via customer-operated machines or cash dispensers must be checked for authenticity and fitness by a type of banknote handling machine that has been successfully tested by a national central bank (NCB) of the Eurosystem.

Classification of machines

The banknote handling machines that are to be tested can be classified as:

1. customer-operated machines, including:

• cash-in machines (CIMs) – i.e. machines which accept euro banknotes and check their authenticity, but do not dispense euro banknotes to customers;
• cash recycling machines (CRMs) – i.e. machines which accept euro banknotes and check their authenticity and fitness, and dispense euro banknotes deposited by other customers in previous transactions;
• combined cash-in machines (CCMs) – i.e. machines which accept euro banknotes and check their authenticity, and dispense euro banknotes loaded separately, but do not recirculate euro banknotes deposited by other customers in previous transactions;
• cash-out machines (COMs) – i.e. other machines which check the authenticity and fitness of euro banknotes before dispensing them to customers;

2. staff-operated machines, including:

• banknote processing machines (BPMs) – i.e. machines which check the authenticity and fitness of euro banknotes;
• banknote authentication machines (BAMs) – i.e. machines which check only the authenticity of euro banknotes;
• teller assistant recycling machines (TARMs) – i.e. machines operated by cash handlers which store euro banknotes, allow cash handlers to credit or debit customers’ accounts, and check the authenticity and fitness of euro banknotes;
• teller assistant machines (TAMs) – i.e. machines operated by cash handlers which store euro banknotes, allow cash handlers to credit or debit customers’ accounts, and check the authenticity of euro banknotes.

To be eligible for testing, a banknote handling machine must allow the processing of batches of euro banknotes, as well as the classification and handling of euro banknotes in accordance with Annexes IIa and IIb to Decision ECB/2010/14, without the intervention of the machine operator.

Not covered here: authentication devices

The following banknote handling equipment is not covered by this test procedure:

1. banknote authentication devices which process single banknotes or batches of banknotes and, without the intervention of the user, classify banknotes as genuine or suspect, but do not automatically physically separate the suspect banknotes from the genuine ones (see list of tested banknote authentication devices)
2. banknote authentication devices that require the user to decide whether a banknote is genuine or not (i.e. verification aids).

Apply to have your machine tested

Manufacturers should contact an NCB to apply for (re)testing¹  see the NCB contact list

¹ If a type of banknote handling machine is removed from the ECB’s website because a manufacturer refuses to conduct an annual test, cash handlers using that type of machine may contact an NCB bilaterally to ask it to conduct a test.

Test procedure

Introduction

The Eurosystem has established common test procedures for types of banknote handling machine. These tests check the ability of a type of banknote handling machine to authenticate genuine euro banknotes, to separate genuine euro banknotes from counterfeits (the “counterfeit detection test”) and, if applicable, to sort euro banknotes according to their fitness for circulation (the “fitness detection test”). In addition, for customer-operated machines, the proper functioning of the tracing system is verified (the “tracing system test”).

The tests are conducted using collections of genuine and counterfeit euro banknotes as set out below. As new counterfeits exhibiting properties differing from those of the banknotes used in the test may emerge at any time, it should be stressed that the test results published on this website merely reflect the relevant banknote handling machine’s capacity to detect the counterfeits contained in the test deck used for testing on the day of the tests.

Consequently, the Eurosystem urges manufacturers to follow developments in the field of counterfeiting and regularly update their machines where necessary to help ensure that newly occurring counterfeits can also be reliably detected. In addition to the initial tests checking the capacity of types of banknote handling machine to classify and handle euro banknotes as laid down in Decision ECB/2010/14 (i.e. verification tests), the common test procedures provide for regular annual testing of the various types of banknote handling machine, as well as additional ad hoc retesting upon invitation. Moreover, under the common test procedures, any update of a type of banknote handling machine which has an impact on its core functionalities necessitates its retesting. All tests follow the same procedures and are carried out together with the machine’s manufacturers. Only types of banknote handling machine that have passed a test are listed on this page.

For each banknote handling machine tested, one or more additional machine(s) of the same type may also be listed. Although these have not been tested by a Eurosystem NCB, they are listed on this page on the basis of a written guarantee provided by their manufacturer indicating that they have the same hardware and software, and thus the same core functionalities, as defined in Decision ECB/2010/14, as the tested banknote handling machine. Such additional machines are listed together with the tested banknote handling machine.

Pre-test

Before a test is carried out, a pre-test is conducted using genuine and fit euro banknotes in order to check the general functioning of the banknote handling machine and its reliable authentication and sorting of genuine euro banknotes. The euro banknotes are fed into the machine, using all feeding orientations and denominations that, according to the manufacturer, the machine is able to support. The test is passed if at least 90% of the euro banknotes tested are sorted as genuine and fit. In addition, for customer-operated machines, a maximum of 1% of these euro banknotes may be sorted as suspected counterfeit euro banknotes. Passing the pre-test is a prerequisite for further testing.

Counterfeit detection test

The counterfeit detection test is conducted using a standardised test deck, which is composed of representative counterfeit banknotes found in circulation and artificially created documents that have been manufactured by the Eurosystem to imitate certain properties of euro banknotes.

Additionally, individual NCBs may use representative national counterfeits to reflect the very latest counterfeit situation. The common test procedure and the regular updating of the test deck ensure that the use of recently discovered local counterfeits does not lead to the existence of different national test standards.

Sample counterfeits are tested for all denominations and feeding orientations supported by the machine. Staff-operated machines pass the test if none of the counterfeits or additional documents specified by the Eurosystem are classified in categories B1 or B2 in Annex IIb to Decision ECB/2010/14. Customer-operated machines with customer tracing pass the test if none of the counterfeits or additional documents specified by the Eurosystem are classified as genuine euro banknotes and at least 90% of the counterfeits¹ and some additional documents specified by the Eurosystem are classified in categories 2 or 3 in Table 1 of Annex IIa to Decision ECB/2010/14. Other customer-operated machines pass the test if none of the counterfeits or additional documents specified by the Eurosystem are classified in categories B1 or B2 in Table 2 of Annex IIa to Decision ECB/2010/14. The Eurosystem updates the test deck every two months or so to ensure that tests are carried out using counterfeits recently found in circulation.

Fitness detection test

The fitness detection test is conducted using a set of genuine euro banknotes with artificially created defects similar to those caused by daily use. Those euro banknotes are fed into the banknote handling machine in all feeding orientations supported by it. The test is passed if 5% or less of those unfit euro banknotes are classified in category 4a in Table 1 of Annex IIa to Decision ECB/2010/14, category B1 in Table 2 of Annex IIa to the Decision, or category B1 in Annex IIb to the Decision.

Tracing system test

The tracing system test, which is conducted only for customer-operated machines, is passed if the banknote handling machine stores data on the account holder for all euro banknotes classified in categories 2 and 3 in Table 1 of Annex IIa to Decision ECB/2010/14 and reliably links all of these euro banknotes with the data on the relevant account holder.

Publication of test results

Only those machines that have passed a test at an NCB are included in the list of successfully tested machines.

¹ Artificially created documents are not taken into account for the calculation of the retention rate.