Banks Are Leaving: Make Your Venue the Local Cash Point
The short version
- Retail banking never really liked cash. In five years the banks cut a third of their branches and almost half their ATMs.
- Independent ATMs and Bank@Post have held steady or grown, and now outnumber the banks’ own cash points.
- Getting cash is harder than it was in 2022, but people still want it.
- Cash doesn’t die when the bank leaves. A local cash-in-transit service, an ATM you load yourself, or a deposit ATM with same-day settlement* keeps it moving through your business.
The banks retreated
Retail banking never really liked cash or ATMs. Now it’s pulling back. APRA’s numbers tell the story. Between June 2020 and June 2025:
bank branches. A third gone.
bank-owned ATMs. Almost half gone.
Cash didn’t
People still want cash. It’s freedom: no app, no fee on top, no record of every purchase. It’s choice. And for many it’s how they keep control of their money.
But it’s getting harder to find. About 75% of people say getting cash out is convenient, down since 2022. For deposits it’s about 65%. When the bank on the main street shuts, the need doesn’t go away. It moves to whoever has the cash.
Independents stepped in
The Reserve Bank’s 2025 survey found independent ATMs and Bank@Post outlets have held steady or grown while the banks pulled back. Together they now outnumber the banks’ own cash access points.
So the nearest cash for most Australians is now an independent ATM in a pub, club, service station or shop. That can be your venue.
Keep cash moving through your business
The bank leaving doesn’t mean cash stops. There are good ways to keep it flowing, and we can set you up with any of them.
We can connect you with reliable cash-in-transit companies, often local businesses like yours, who supply your change orders and collect your surplus banking.
Fill the ATM with your own takings. Your cash goes straight back into your customers’ hands, and back across your counter.
Bank your cash on site, and we complete a same-day settlement.* No trip to a branch that isn’t there any more.
Whichever suits you, cash keeps moving through your business, and through your community.
*Conditions apply.
Why it’s good for your bottom line
They come to you. When you’re the place with cash, people come in for it. While they’re there, they buy.
The cash stays with you. Money withdrawn in your venue is ready to spend in your venue, not down the road.
Cards cost you. Cash doesn’t. Every card sale carries a fee, and since 1 October 2026 you can’t pass it on as a surcharge. More cash sales means less going out the door. Read Card surcharge ban: why cash discounts are back.
Your customers get the cash they want. You get the visit, the sale and the margin. That’s a win-win.
What an ATM on site gives you
- Cash in your customers’ hands, inside your venue, where they spend it.
- Foot traffic from people who need cash and can’t find a bank.
- 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.
- Load it yourself with your own takings, or bank your takings on site with a deposit-taking ATM and same-day settlement.* Subject to approval.
- Change orders and banking collection through a reliable local cash-in-transit company we can connect you with.
See the options to buy an ATM, or the deposit ATM for high-cash venues.
FAQ
Why are banks closing branches and ATMs?
Retail banking never really liked cash or ATMs, and as card and mobile payments grew, banks cut their networks. APRA figures show bank-owned ATMs fell by almost half between 2020 and 2025.
What is an independent ATM?
An ATM owned and run by a company other than a bank, often in a pub, club, service station or shop. The RBA says independent ATMs and Bank@Post outlets now outnumber bank cash access points.
Can my business bank its takings on site?
Yes. With a deposit-taking ATM you bank your cash on site and we complete a same-day settlement. Conditions apply and approval is needed. Call 1300 125 592 to talk it through.
Our bank branch closed. How do we get change and bank our cash?
We can connect you with reliable cash-in-transit companies, often local businesses, who supply change orders and collect your surplus banking. Or keep the cash on site: load your own ATM, or bank it through a deposit ATM.
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 · APRA ADI Points of Presence statistics, June 2025 · RBA, surcharging conclusions FAQs