Cash Use Is Rising Again in Australia: Why Your Venue Needs Cash
The short version
- Cash is growing again: about 15% of payments in 2025, up from 13% in 2022.
- About half of Australians use cash in a typical week.
- Every card sale costs you a fee, and since 1 October 2026 you can’t pass it on.
- An ATM on site puts cash in your customers’ hands, and that cash gets spent with you.
Cash never left
For years we were told cash was dying. It wasn’t. The Reserve Bank asks thousands of Australians to log every payment they make for a week, every three years. The 2025 results, published in April 2026, show cash use has stopped falling and ticked back up.
of all payments made in cash in 2025, up from 13% in 2022
payments under $10 made in cash
of Australians use cash in a typical week
Your customers want it
Cash is freedom. No app, no signal, no surprise fee, no record of every coffee. Customers choose it because they’re in control of what they spend.
For some it’s not a choice at all. About 1.5 million adults rely on cash for their everyday spending. One in three people would face hardship or major inconvenience if they couldn’t withdraw cash. For people who pay cash for most things, that’s more than seven in ten.
And they’re still getting it out. Australians withdrew $9.4 billion from ATMs in August 2026 alone, up 2.7% on a year earlier.
Cards cost you. Cash doesn’t.
Every tap, every swipe, every card sale comes with a fee. Since 1 October 2026 you can’t add a surcharge to card payments, so that cost comes straight out of your margin. Read more in Card surcharge ban: why cash discounts are back.
A cash sale carries no card fee and no chargeback, and the money is in your till straight away.
Put the cash where they spend it
If a customer has to leave to find cash, they might not come back. An ATM on site keeps them in the room, and the cash they take out is ready to spend with you, not down the road.
It’s a win for both sides. Your customer gets their cash, their way. You get the sale, without the card fee.
What an ATM on site gives you
- Cash in your customers’ hands, inside your venue, where they spend it.
- Fewer card fees, because more of your sales are paid in cash.
- Contactless and tap-ready. Customers tap a card or phone, then enter their PIN, on a large touchscreen.
- Your brand on the screen, with on-screen advertising for your own promotions.
- Managed for you: installation, cash logistics, fault alerts, reconciliation and national field service, all visible in the Dash web portal.
- Bank your takings on site with a deposit-taking ATM for qualifying businesses. Subject to approval.
See the options to buy an ATM, or the deposit ATM for high-cash venues.
FAQ
Is cash use really going up in Australia?
Yes. The RBA’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey found cash made up about 15% of payments, up from 13% in 2022, after a long decline.
How many Australians rely on cash?
The RBA estimates about 1.5 million adults rely on cash for everyday payments, and one in three people would face hardship or major inconvenience without cash withdrawals.
Why does an ATM help my business?
It keeps customers who need cash inside your venue, and the cash they withdraw is ready to spend with you. Cash sales also carry no card fees.
How do I get an ATM for my venue?
You can buy or lease an ATM, take a managed partnership, or set up a community ATM. Call 1300 125 592 or use the Get started form.
Dash ATM has built and managed ATM networks across Australia since 2012, led by founder Paul Wrigley, in the ATM industry since 2002. Keep cash local.
Sources: RBA Bulletin, April 2026: Cash Use in Australia · RBA Retail Payments, August 2026 · RBA, surcharging conclusions FAQs