Purpose: The automated teller machine (ATM) has become an integral part of our society. However, using the ATM can often be a frustrating experience as people frequently reinsert cards to conduct multiple transactions. This has led to the research question of whether ATM menus are designed in an optimal manner. This paper aims to address the issues. Design/methodology/approach: This research set out to investigate a number of high-street bank ATM menus. The design of each banks menu system was recreated in a laboratory environment and user evaluation observations were made. The findings were then used to create a "best-of-breed" ATM and this was evaluated with respect to usability against the current breed of ATM menu. Findings: An optimal ATM navigation menu was designed, which ultimately reduces transaction times. The user is always prompted after a transaction asking the question "Would you like another transaction?" This is also the case when withdrawing cash, eliminating the problem of having to reinsert their card for another transaction. Originality/value: The main objective was to design a "best-of-breed" ATM menu system. This was achieved in the form of the OptiATM. The OptiATM menu design, outperformed the navigation systems on the existing bank menus and was found to be a more usable and efficient system than existing ATMs. The new system was designed to resolve the problem of users having to reinsert their ATM cards to carry out another transaction and to speed-up transaction times.