Bank Of America To Close Some Drive-Up Tellers

By Kathy Lohr

Published August 22, 2013 at 4:00 AM EDT

Bank of America won't say exactly how many drive-through lanes are closing. A spokeswoman did say the decision is not a cost-cutting move but a response to the way people are banking. At branches where drive-through lanes are closing, the bank says ATMs will be available.

Some Bank of America branches with drive-through tellers from Georgia to Texas have already closed the lanes, according to spokeswoman Tara Burke.

She wouldn't divulge exactly how many are closing. She did say the decision is not a cost-cutting move but a response to the way people are banking.

About 13 million customers bank by mobile phone and 29 million participate in online services. Among them is 19-year-old Brittney Sprague who says, "Not too many folks will really miss the drive-through teller because everybody uses apps. It's all about the new technology."

For example, you can take a picture of your check and deposit it through a smartphone app. Bank of America processes 160,000 checks per day this way.

But Curtis Williams says he doesn't bank by phone. "I need talk to somebody. I can't talk to the machine. It's better to interact with a real person."

But millions of customers stop at automated teller machines to do their banking.

At branches where drive-through lanes are closing, the bank says ATMs will be available.