RBA warns of surging cash costs as bank access points disappear   
A new report has laid bare the grim reality of using cash in Australia, with rising costs to access their own money hitting some groups particularly hard.


News.com.au
September 24, 2025

Australians are using less cash and getting stung for the privilege of withdrawing it, with those living regionally struggling to find anywhere to take out cash for free.   

In its latest payment system board annual report, the RBA points to a surge in costs to use cash.

The large jump in prices follows major banks across Australia closing down their ATMs or branches, limiting the access to physical money.

Australians are paying more just to use cash. 
“The decline in transactional cash usage has been associated with a significant reduction in the number of cash access points – primarily bank-owned ATMs and branches.   

As a result, independently owned ATMs, which typically charge fees, have gained a larger share of the ATM market,” the RBA report said.



Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, and Westpac have all signed a moratorium to halt regional branch closures until 2027.

Prior to this, Canstar analysis of APRA data released last year found that 230 bank branches were closed over the 2023-24 financial year, with 1,615 shutting down over five years.   

Of that 230, 52 were located in a regional area. The year before, 112 were shut.

The central bank also notes the trend in regional bank closures.


“In particular, there is an increasing number of communities without face-to-face banking services, which disproportionately affects consumers and businesses who rely on in-person support,” the RBA said.

Cash Welcome claims Australians still want access to cash.

Cash Welcome journalist and campaigner Jason Bryce said Australians want to use cash but are struggling to find access points to it.

“Demand for cash depends on our ability to access cash easily and cheaply – and that’s getting more difficult,” he said.

“The value of ATM cash withdrawals made each month in Australia has not fallen, despite a big fall in the number of fee-free (bank-owned) ATMs.”

The Cash Welcome group also says last week the total value of cash circulating in the Australian economy last week was $104.67bn, up from $100.46bn this time last year.

“There has never been more cash on issue in Australia than there is now,” he said.

“There is no evidence to suggest a decline in demand for cash since the end of Covid in Australia.”

In November 2024, the Albanese government unveiled a plan to protect cash as a payment method, calling the legal tender a “lifeline” for many across the country.   

By 2026 the government plans to legislate the use of cash as legal tender on all essential services.   

Yes the use of cash should be protected, and as they say it is legal tender.  Those that want to use it, should be able to do so.      

Carl D wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 10:20am:


Yes, and a good question too.

I know several people who have had COVID in the last month or so.

It hasn't ended at all.

However:

On 20 October 2023, the Australian Chief Medical Officer declared that COVID-19 was no longer a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS) and ended all national emergency response and coordination, shifting COVID-19 management to a more general infectious disease framework.

greggerypeccary wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 10:25am:


If anything it will be a charge against your card.

greggerypeccary wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 12:42pm:



My bank has only 1 branch/Head Office in Brisbane.

Whilst they charge no fees for using ATMs displaying Visa or Plus certain ATM operators, especially 3rd party operators certainly do.

My bank has removed certain features from their Visa cards that were previously available like Medicare refund charge backs at my local doctor - and certain supermarkets will not allow me to also withdraw cash on my Visa card when paying for groceries.

It's very inconvenient at times.

whiteknight wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 10:21am:



Meh

You can still ride a horse to the shops if you want but no one does.

Cash is going to disappear , the same way blockbuster videos, telegrams , cavalry charges and kerosene lanterns disappeared.

Stop being a luddite whitey

Bobby. wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 3:43pm:


"Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates... he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers... for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair... for he is the harbinger of death".

Sacred Scrolls, 29th Scroll, 6th Verse. Planet Of The Apes 1968.

And, yes - cash still needs to be retained and protected as a means of payment. Thank you.

greggerypeccary wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 12:42pm:


You're obviously not with the Com bank

I didn't realise the fee's and shortly after taking over my business, was doing two deposits into my Com bank account a day using the post office. The local com bank shut at 1pm every day and i had to deposit at the end of the day so the PO is my only option.... at the end of that month i got charged over $280 in fees. I opened accounts with my local credit union the next day and have been transaction free since.

Back then (2  yrs ago) the fee's were $2.50 per transaction. Since then they've put them up to $5 per transaction. They're just greedy.