Walgreens to house nearly 160 Webster Bank ATMs

WATERBURY, Conn. Webster Financial Corp. announced Tuesday that nearly 160 Webster Bank ATMs would soon populate Walgreens stores in four New England states, with the large majority in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

As with similar arrangements maintaining the recent trend of branded money-access machines in retail locations—Citibank in 7-11 and Chase in Duane Reade—Webster cardholders will not be charged fees to use these ATMs. “Webster continues to find a way to provide our customers better convenience and access to our services,” stated Webster chairman and chief executive officer James Smith.

With $16.8 billion in assets, Webster provides common banking services through 179 banking offices and 339 ATMs, in addition to the Internet. The company plans to have the 158 Walgreens machines in place by the end of the first quarter of the coming year and more than 500 ATM locations by the second quarter of 2008. “This branding agreement is an excellent complement to Webster’s branch expansion program and establishes another distribution platform for our future growth in Rhode Island and the Boston market,” Smith added.

ATM and branch locations can be found by visiting www.websteronline.com.