Closures and conversions
Branches announced as closing stay open online; branches converted to self-service keep lobby hours that no longer exist. Closure dates have to reach every platform and the branch finder at once — see network changes.
Location Operations
Banking
Location operations for bank branch and ATM networks
Bank networks change constantly: branches close or convert to self-service, ATMs are added and removed, advisory centres open, institutions merge and rebrand. Each change has to reach Google, Apple Maps, Bing, TomTom and the bank’s own branch finder consistently — and Google applies specific rules to banks, from lobby hours and separate ATM profiles to naming and local phone numbers. MapsExperts runs that layer for banks from a single source of truth, with a record of every change.
Google’s rules for banks
What Google’s guidelines say about branches and ATMs
Google’s guidelines for Business Profiles contain rules that apply directly to bank networks. Getting them wrong costs visibility — and a badly named profile can be suspended.
| Topic | What the guidelines say | What it means for a bank network |
|---|---|---|
| Branch hours | Banks should use lobby hours if possible, otherwise drive-through hours. | Advisory appointments and self-service access do not replace lobby hours in the main hours; times for specific services can go into Google’s “More hours”. |
| ATMs at branches | An ATM attached to a bank can use its own Business Profile, with its own, different hours. | 24/7 self-service can be shown accurately without distorting branch hours — but every ATM profile has to be maintained and closed when the machine is removed. |
| ATM names | Names must not contain location or containment details: “U.S. Bank ATM”, not “U.S. Bank ATM – 7th & Pike – Car park lobby near lift”; “Chase ATM”, not “Chase ATM (in Duane Reade)”. | One naming pattern for the whole ATM estate; location details belong in the address, not in the name. |
| ATMs inside other businesses | A business that contains an ATM it does not own and operate should not add the ATM category; the ATM carries it on its own profile. | ATMs in supermarkets or petrol stations are represented by the operator’s ATM profiles, not as a category on the host business. |
| Advisory centres | Public-facing departments that operate as distinct entities can have their own profiles, with a different name and category — Google’s example is “Barclays” (Bank) and “Barclays Advisors” (Financial Consultant). | Advisory, private banking or business-client centres may qualify for their own profiles; internal teams that customers cannot visit separately generally should not have one. |
| Names and taglines | No marketing taglines or store codes in names: “TD Bank”, not “TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank”. Unnecessary information in a name could result in suspension. | Campaign slogans and branch numbers stay out of profile names across the network. |
| Phone numbers | Use a local phone number instead of a central call-centre number whenever possible; the number must be under the business’s direct control. | Decide per branch whether a direct line exists. Where calls are routed centrally by design, keep the number consistent everywhere. |
| Regulated content | Google does not allow financial services in Business Profile product listings, and prohibits content that contains personal financial information. | Products and posts are planned with compliance; review replies never confirm a customer relationship or discuss account details. |
Where bank networks break
Six situations that need a process, not a fix
Branch networks rarely fail on a single profile. They fail during change, across entities that share an address, and in the gaps between systems.
The ATM estate
ATMs are added, moved and removed more often than branches. Without a store code per ATM tied to the bank’s ATM register, removed machines stay on the map and new ones never appear.
Mergers and rebrands
When banks merge, Google’s rebranding criteria decide whether branch profiles survive: a minor name change can stay on the existing profile, while a new brand can mean closing profiles and creating new ones, location by location.
Several entities at one address
Branch, advisory centre, ATM lobby and partner offices at one address need clear rules on which gets a profile, with which name and category — otherwise they compete with each other.
Hours that mean different things
Lobby hours, advisory by appointment, self-service access and holiday schedules each belong in a specific place: regular hours, More hours, special hours or a separate ATM profile.
Reviews under confidentiality
Replies have to help without confirming that the reviewer is a customer or touching account details. A reply policy agreed with compliance turns that into a routine instead of a risk.
How we work with banks
From branch register to verified profiles
The bank’s internal register stays the source of truth. MapsExperts connects it to the platforms and keeps both aligned.
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Inventory
Every branch, ATM, advisory centre and partner office mapped to its profiles and listings — including duplicates and profiles outside the bank’s account.
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Model
Which entities get profiles, with which names, categories and hours — documented as rules the whole network follows.
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Connect and release
Branch and ATM data connected from the bank’s systems; changes released in approved batches, with compliance sign-off where required.
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Monitor and evidence
Live data compared with the register; Google updates and suggested edits reviewed; every change recorded with its date and approver — see monitoring.
Experience
Banking work already in operation
Internal team, MapsExperts support
The client’s internal team operates the MapsExperts Platform day to day. MapsExperts supports migrations, audits, data cleanup and large network-wide changes when specialist or additional execution capacity is needed.
Delivery models13,400+ locations supported
Across MapsExperts’ current client base — through the Managed Service, hybrid operating models and direct Platform use by internal teams.
Boundaries
What stays with the bank and with Google
Clear boundaries keep a regulated network’s location work auditable.
- Regulatory decisions — closure notices, customer communication, advertising rules — stay with the bank. We implement the approved policy; we do not give legal advice.
- Google decides whether ATM and department profiles are eligible, how names are reviewed and whether a suspended profile is reinstated.
- Connections to core banking, branch register or ATM management systems are scoped per project; feasibility is confirmed before anything is committed.
Related
Location operations for bank networks
The operational topics behind a bank’s branch and ATM data.
Questions
Bank branch and ATM FAQ
Should every ATM have its own Business Profile?
Google allows ATMs to have Business Profiles, provided they show contact information customers can use to get help, and an ATM attached to a branch can have its own profile with its own hours. Whether every ATM should have one is an operational decision: each profile has to be maintained, monitored and closed when the machine is removed.
Which opening hours should a branch show on Google?
Google asks banks to use lobby hours if possible, otherwise drive-through hours. Times for specific services, such as advisory appointments, can be added as More hours; holidays and temporary changes belong in special hours.
What happens to branch profiles after a bank merger?
It depends on the new name. Google allows a minor name change on existing profiles, and name changes across multiple locations may also qualify; otherwise the change counts as a new business, and profiles are closed and recreated. We assess this per location before the merger date, so the decision is deliberate.
Can our branches use the central service number?
Google asks for a local number instead of a central call-centre number whenever possible, and the number must be under the bank’s direct control. Where calls are routed centrally by design, the number should at least be consistent on every platform.
Can you work with our existing branch master data?
Yes. The bank’s register stays the source of truth. How it connects — a system interface or a maintained export — is scoped at the start of the project.
Branch network review
Start with what your branches and ATMs show today.
Tell us how many branches and ATMs you operate, where the data lives and which changes are planned. We will show you where the live data and Google’s rules diverge from your register.