Barclays launches new cash withdrawal service at 1,000s of shops, pubs and cafes – and anyone can use it
Thousands more local businesses across the UK will now let shoppers withdraw from 1p to £100 in cash for free – without them having to buy anything – as part of a new initiative by high street bank Barclays. And you DON'T need to bank with Barclays to benefit.
The new scheme comes amid concerns over the decline of free-to-use ATMs and bank branch closures, which may leave the vulnerable without access to cash.
Barclays said it's able to offer the service as it provides the card payment terminals for the businesses taking part – and will pay them for each transaction.
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How the new Barclays service works
Here's what you need to know:
It's free to use. You won't be charged any fees.
You'll need to use your physical debit card and enter your PIN. This means you won't be able use credit cards or mobile debit card payments (such as Apple Pay or Google Pay).
You DON'T have to be a Barclays customer. You can use your Visa or Mastercard from any bank.
You can withdraw from 1p to £100 a day. Unlike ATMs, you're also able to receive coins, with no lower limit and non-rounded amounts, such as £8.64, allowed.
The service is available through thousands of small businesses. This includes pubs, cafes and small independent shops. Unfortunately, there's currently no easy way to find your nearest participating location. Look out for a sticker in the window advertising the service (as shown above), or ask inside. Barclays told us it's working with merchants to promote the service in areas where it's most needed.
A separate 'cashback without purchase' scheme is already in place at 1,000+ local stores
Last year, a similar scheme was rolled out by cash machine network Link and card payment processor PayPoint to over 1,000 stores, which lets you withdraw up to £50 in cash without having to buy anything.
You can use the Link Cash Locator tool to find your nearest shop offering cashback without purchase – just enter your postcode and look for an orange 'CT' (cash at the till) symbol.
You can also withdraw cash at the Post Office
Customers of some of the UK's largest banks and building societies are already able to deposit and withdraw cash from the Post Office's 11,500 counters nationwide – you can check if your bank offers this on the Post Office website.
The Post Office also allows customers to check their balance and pay in cheques. Use the Post Office branch finder tool to locate your nearest.
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1 October 2024
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