Access to cash

"Are banks still ‘where the money is’? Globally, legislation increasingly recognises the right to access to cash and the obligation to accept it—but fails to guarantee the infrastructure. Without binding obligations, cash risks disappearing by default, not by choice. Time to rethink financial inclusion, economic resilience and territorial equity?

The Netherlands are taking bold steps to future-proof cash: stricter access laws, frozen fees, and even mandatory acceptance. The new cash resilience plan—includes a war room for crises and a public campaign urging citizens to keep cash for emergencies. This is a blueprint for the future viability of cash.

Nearly 1 in 4 women in France experience economic violence from their partners, often as an initial form of abuse. 28% of women in a relationship lack a personal bank account. 72% of women suffering economic violence also endure verbal or physical abuse, illustrating the interconnected nature of these violences. Cash remains a critical resource enabling women to escape abusive relationships when digital finances are controlled or monitored. Cash accessibility must be preserved to ensure immediate autonomy.

120 ATMs are being installed in a joint initiative by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) and the Austrian Association of Municipalities, aimed at closing gaps in the nationwide cash supply chain in rural areas. The first device was inaugurated on 1 July.

The Riksbank supports the proposal for an obligation to accept cash in the sale of essential goods, and to strengthen the banks' responsibility for cash handling. Cash is essential for economic and social inclusion, and for the resilience of the payment system.

In a recent speech, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock highlighted the significant shift in consumer payment preferences, emphasizing the challenges to the cash infrastructure. The RBA is committed to ensure cash remains a viable means of payment for as long as Australians want or need to use cash.

Post-pandemic, UK cash withdrawals have stabilized, but Nationwide Building Society saw a 10% increase in ATM usage in 2024. This rise is due to bank branch closures and the cost of living crisis, pushing more people to budget with cash. Nationwide's extensive branch network supports this trend. The British Retail Consortium reports a two-year increase in cash transactions, highlighting cash's importance in budgeting despite the prevalence of card payments.

2024 marked a pivotal chapter in the evolving narrative of cash. From New Zealand’s innovative community cash trials to Germany’s National Cash Forum, efforts were made to enhance access and acceptance of cash. Research delved into its psychological and societal importance, while the Paris Olympics exposed the challenges of cashless society. This retrospective captures key moments that shaped the discourse on relevance of cash, reflecting its enduring role in fostering financial inclusion, economic stability, privacy and consumer choice.

CashEssentials was honored to hold a seminar on the Future of Cash at the High-Security Printing Conference in Bangkok last week. We asked participants how they imagine the future of cash.

Two policy shifts - mandated cash acceptance and regional bank branch levies - if adopted, could steer the cash ecosystem towards more sustainability.

The LINK scheme processes an average of 4 million cash withdrawals and balance enquiries every day and ATMs account for around 90% of cash acquisition in the UK. Here’s five things you ought to know about LINK from their just published annual report.

As the number of ATMs has significantly decreased in recent years, SIX and Diebold Nixdorf are entering into a cooperation to secure the long-term cash supply through ATM pooling. However, the Swiss Post also aims to be the sole ATM operator.