Mass termination of ATMs before vacation 2025. Where else will you pay the money?

dailyblitz.de 4 hours ago

Hundreds of ATMs across Poland vanish at an express rate, and this trend accelerates just before the vacation period 2025. The banks explain the decision to "digital transformation" and decline in request for cash, but the effects of these measures may be severe – especially for older people, agrarian residents and tourists.

Banks cut costs. ATMs halt ‘paying’

In the last Over 2,000 ATMs were removed 12 months agoand according to manufacture forecasts By the end of 2025, another 3,000 could disappear.. The largest reductions concern commercial banks, specified as PKO BP, Santander, ING and Pekao SAwhich jointly control over 60% of the ATM market in Poland.

Reasons? Banks shall indicate:

increasing infrastructure maintenance costs,
decrease in cash payments to non-cash payments,
digitising banking services and popularising mobile applications.

– Keeping an ATM in a location with a tiny traffic is simply a cost of respective 1000 PLN per period – explains 1 of the operating directors in a large bank. – With expanding costs of safety and service, many of them cease to be profitable.

Who loses the most? Provincial residents and elderly

While the banks explain the decisions with technological progress, in practice, the most affected are older people, residents of smaller towns and customers not utilizing online banking.

According to the data of the Union of Polish Banks:

over 4.5 million Poles do not usage mobile bank applications,
nearly 30% of seniors proceed to pay their pension in an ATM or branch,
In agrarian areas, ATM access frequently means 10-15 km of access today.

In any municipalities There's only 1 ATM left., frequently connected to an independent operator network, with advanced commissions for payment.

Holiday 2025: tourist destinations without cash

The liquidation of ATMs besides affects popular tourist destinations. By the sea and in the mountains ATMs in hotel centers disappear, and tourists increasingly gotta pay in the markets or usage cashback erstwhile shopping.

– In Ustroń in May 2024 there were 3 ATMs, present there was 1 and frequently no 1 – the owner of the guesthouse alarms. – Guests come to pay in cash and then run around buying to pay out the money.

According to the study of the Polish Without Cash Foundation, in 31% of popular tourist destinations The number of ATMs decreased by more than half a year.

Cash inactive needed, despite digitalisation

Despite the increase in non-cash payments, cash inactive plays an crucial function in the economy. According to NBP data:

still around 42% of retail transactions in Poland take place in cash,
cash dominates transactions in bazaars, services and older people,
in case of failure of payment systems, only cash gives full independence.

Experts inform that drastically reducing access to cash undermines citizens' financial security, especially in the context of cyber threats or infrastructure failures.

Did the banks leave plan B?

Some banks announce expansion of the alleged cashback network – i.e. the anticipation of cash withdrawal at the counter in the store. Others redirect clients to Shared ATMs (Planet Cash, Euronet).

But this does not compensate for the scale of liquidation. Moreover, any of these solutions are paid or available only to selected banks.

Experts: Regulatory intervention needed

– We request a clear state strategy on access to cash," says Dr. Michał Andrzejewski, financial marketplace expert. – deficiency of regulation can make Poland a country where cash will cease to be practically available, even though it is formally legal tender.

The UK, France or Germany have already adopted solutions guaranteeing minimum access to cash at municipal and territory level. There are inactive no specified regulations in Poland.