Cash Out Day 2026: Pro-Cash Advocates Plan ATM Withdrawal Blitz
Pro-cash advocates are gearing up for a major demonstration on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, with plans to have ATMs running hot and spitting out note after note as part of an ongoing fight to keep physical currency alive. The event, known as Cash Out Day, aims to send a clear message that not everyone is happy to shift to digital or tap-and-go payment methods.
Campaigners Rally Against Cashless Society
Jason Bryce, a campaigner for the Cash Welcome initiative, highlighted recent setbacks for cash users. "Cash users have had plenty of bad news recently, like the world's weakest cash mandate passing the senate and the announcement of an end to card surcharging, which will raise prices for everyone," Bryce told 7NEWS.com.au. He believes Australians need to show the Prime Minister and banks that cash remains a reliable, private, and surcharge-free payment option.
Campaigners have used Cash Out Day to vote "no" to a cashless society, fearing Australia is headed in that direction due to ongoing bank and ATM closures. In 2024, the pro-cash community claimed more than $500,000 was withdrawn as part of their protest, although the Australian Banking Association (ABA) disputed it had any material impact.
Challenges and Declining Cash Usage
Bryce conceded that the 2025 event did not live up to expectations, partly due to media attention diverted by the death of Pope Francis. He also noted that the government's cash mandate for fuel and groceries may have reduced urgency for the cause. Despite this, Bryce hopes as many as two million Australians will head to ATMs on April 28 to fill their wallets with cash.
Data from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) shows a significant decline in cash usage over the years. Australians made more than 25.5 million cash withdrawals from ATMs in February, down from 26.1 million in February 2025 and 53.7 million a decade ago. In 2007, cash was used for 70% of payments, but this dropped to just 13% in 2022. The shift away from cash accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ABA has forecast that consumer payments using physical currency could drop to just 4% by 2030.
Support for Cash Sustainability
The RBA's Payment System Board has backed calls to keep cash in circulation while acknowledging distribution challenges, such as transportation costs. "Access to cash remains vital for many Australians, particularly in regional and remote communities," the board stated in an update from its March meeting. It expressed support for a regulatory framework to ensure the long-term sustainability of cash distribution services, including crisis powers for the public sector.
National Seniors Australia ran the Keep Cash campaign in March, highlighting the impact of bank closures and ATM removals. Chief executive Chris Grice welcomed the RBA's acknowledgment of cash's importance. Meanwhile, ABA chief executive Simon Birmingham emphasized that while digital payments are the first choice for most Australians, banks will continue to support cash users. "People are free to do as they please with their money, but cash isn't going anywhere," Birmingham said, adding that cash remains accessible daily and unnecessary withdrawals are not needed.
