The report, by UK payments association APACS shows that there are now 58,286 cash machines in the UK, and British people made 2.7 billion cash machine transactions in 2005, emptying cash machines at an average rate of GBP5,455 per second.
The report also shows that British people are well aware of which cash machines charge a fee for withdrawing cash, and which ones they can use for free. Over 95% of transactions occur at the free cash machines provided by banks and building societies.
Access to cash machines in the UK has mushroomed over the past six years. And whilst bank and building society machines have contributed to this massive growth – and have continued to grow – the key driver has been the entrance of independent, typically non-banking providers who now supply over 25,000 of the UK’s 58,000 cash machines in places we have never seen them before, said Sandra Quinn, APACS spokesperson.
