Link cash machines to start charging for transactions?

seems like boring non-news but it seems like another step on the road to a cashless society where every transaction can be traced and it will be yet another change that is more painfully felt in less well off areas.

This seems like a bit of a sad, backwards step. I’m sure Citizens Advice did some work on this when I was there, relating to the prevalence of fee-charging ATMs in areas of high deprivation.

Why is this bad for less well off people? If you have a card to get money our of a cashpoint then you can use it for buying stuff too… can’t you? Unless people have cash machine cards only.

people do have cash machine cards only

also lots of socio-reasons that mean the less well off use cash more often

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^this, plus a higher proportion of businesses in less well off areas are cash only or have a higher minimum spend on card

what is a link cash machine though

Pretty much every cash machine

One between two houses

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It means it’s part of the agreement between different banks not to charge fees when withdrawing money.

^this, plus benefits are now paid into accounts rather than in cash, so claimants HAVE to use a machine to access money.

Also the general move to a cashless society hurts people on lower incomes more (service based industries esp.)

Or go into banks like everyone did 40 years ago. I’m not saying this is good but we are heading to a cashless society and ain’t nothing changing that.

seen the sign everywhere obvs, just no idea what it actually meant. so if i’m a HSBC customer it’ll be free to use an RBS machine because it’s a link machine?

are certain banks members of the link agreement or does it vary for individual machines?

easier to budget if you only pay in cash

My mum will still only use Natwest cash machines ‘in case she gets charged’.

This is a ball ache, though. There are still loads of instances where you need to have cash.

The Link agreement was originally negotiated by the Co-op (I think), and includes just about every bank now.

You’re probably too young to remember, but about twenty years ago you used to have to go to a cash machine in your specific bank if you wanted to withdraw money without paying a fee.

That’s Mr Brightside to you!

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But that means they won’t be affected by link machines charging.

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it’ll certainly help when homeless people ask you for £50 to retrace your steps