The number of ATMs has fallen sharply in the past year. Compared to 2020 there are almost 900 fewer, a decrease of more than 15 percent. Nevertheless, almost all residents of the Netherlands can still withdraw money within a radius of five kilometers, according to De Nederlandse Bank and Geldmaat. “That is still true, despite this decline.”
At the end of 2020 there were still 5795 vending machines, at the end of last year that number had fallen to 4916, reports NOS† The decline in the number of ATMs has been going on for a long time: this has almost halved since 2014, according to figures from De Nederlandse Bank (DNB).
Bank branches
This decrease is mainly due to the migration of ATMs in banks to Geldmaat, the new machines with the yellow logo. It started two and a half years ago. ,, Then we looked: how many vending machines are there now and where are they needed? Where can they stay, where should they be moved?” says a spokesman for Geldmaat. ATMs that are located in bank branches will therefore also be removed. “There are often several vending machines in there, and one comes back for it.”
In addition, it is sometimes still a matter of looking for a suitable location for Geldmaat, according to the spokesperson. “Sometimes facades are not suitable, or the location is not accessible for a transport vehicle, for example.”
Opening hours also played a role in the considerations. Vending machines that were used less than five times a night in the time before corona were able to close. Some of the vending machines have been placed with partners, such as Albert Heijn and Primera. “We did that because there are still people who need a little help with withdrawing money.”
A little more ATMs next year
The number of vending machines will increase slightly in the coming year, Geldmaat expects. “There are a little more than a hundred more to come.”
In the meantime, both DNB and Geldmaat want to ensure that ATMs remain accessible to most Dutch people. “It turns out that a large number of people are dependent on cash payments. There must therefore be a minimum level of cash supply,” says a spokesperson for DNB.
Since last autumn, DNB has therefore been in talks with banks ‘to conclude a new covenant to guarantee accessibility for cash payments over the next five years’, he explains. Geldmaat is also involved in these consultations. The agreement is expected to be in place in the spring of this year.
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