Customers at La Caixa, Spain’s largest savings bank, are being urged to spurn the queues for automatic teller machines. Instead, as suggested by a campaign being launched today, they should call up a virtual cash machine from the comfort of their 3G telephones. With a few taps on the keyboard, they will have access to most conventional ATM functions, with the obvious exception of cash withdrawal.

La Caixa, Spain’s largest savings bank, hopes this technology will win new customers in an increasingly competitive fight with other banks.