Don’t miss another episode of Truth In Data! Click on the red bell in the lower-left corner of your screen to receive notifications as soon as the episode publishes.
Data for today’s episode is provided by Mercator Advisory Group’s report – 2019 ATM Benchmark Market Report.
Cash use has not changed in the U.S.
- Over the past 12 months, 70% of consumers rate their use of cash as ‘stayed the same’
- Over the past 12 months, 15% of consumers claim to use more cash & 15% of consumers claim to use less
- Cash is used for 49% of payments under $10
- Cash is used for 35% of transactions conducted in person
- The IMF reports that US cash use is average compared to other large developed economies
- The U.S. has seen a slow decline in total cash transactions over the last two years, but not dramatic
- The resilience of cash is notable given the recent rise in alternatives
About this report
Despite continued pressure from digital payment products, particularly person-to-person (P2P) applications like Zelle and Venmo that are used to pay back other individuals or to send a gift electronically, ATMs remain a fixture in the banking market. On the horizon is the growing threat of contactless cards, predicted to grow rapidly in the next two years, replacing small dollar purchases at the point-of-sale. A new research report from Mercator Advisory Group titled 2019 ATM Benchmark Market Report explores consumers’ trends in ATM use and other market developments.
“It may surprise some readers how strong the use of ATMs for cash withdrawals and other transactions activities continues to be in the face of digital payments. Consumer data supports the finding that individuals who have adopted newer payment technologies still rely on cash and ATMs for their day-to-day transactions. Despite the importance of ATMs, many financial institutions are handing over the operation of their ATM fleets to third parties to achieve reduced and more predictable maintenance expenses. As management and sometimes ownership of ATMs changes hands, the independent operators will be setting the tone and industry direction for ATMs,” comments Sarah Grotta, Director, Debit and Alternative Products Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group and author of the report.
This research report has 16 pages and 8 exhibits.
Companies mentioned in this report include: Avidia Bank, Bank of America, BMO Harris Bank, Cardtronics, Chase Bank, Fifth Third Bank, GasBuddy, McDonald’s, Payment Alliance International, PNC Bank, Salem Five Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank.