Abstract: An automated banking system is responsive to data on a customer's card and customer responses to messages which the system displays. The system includes a central processor which is interconnected with at least one local processor via a communication network. Each locl processor is interconnected via another communication network or a data link with a plurality of customer stations which timeshare the local processor. The central processor preferably determines the mode of operation of each local processor, and each local processor is operable in either an off-line mode or an on-line mode.Each local processor in the off-line mode does not communicate with the central processor. The local processor determines which transactions customers may perform and processes customer-selected transactions by means of data on customers' cards and customers' responses that are sent to the local processor by customer stations which timeshare the local processor.