The UK Government rightly made clear in May 2019 that all denomiations of cash - from 1p coins to £50 banknotes - would remain in circulation. However, for circulation of cash to work in practice, the UK public and businesses need to be able to deposit their cash at any ATM that has a deposit facility, rather that having to find a bank branch or ATM operated by the financial institution with which they have an account.

In these days when the number of bank branches is fast declining, it is unrealistic - and very inconvenient - to expect those wishing to deposit cash to search out one of their own bank's ATMs to do so.

The good news is that the UK LINK Network now has a Universal Cash Deposit transaction available to be used. All that is needed now is for all Issuers to adopt the transaction. After that, any ATM Operator can install smart machines anywhere to accept cash deposits from the customers of any Card Issuer.

However, as of September 2019, no UK card issuer has implemented this vital innovation.

Ron Delnevo wrote to Hannah Nixon, then CEO of the UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) (she left this post in April 2019) on a number of occasions, asking for an urgent update on the adoption of Universal Cash Deposit in the UK and asking what Ms Nixon was doing to facilitate adoption. Ron met with the interim CEO of the PSR in late June 2019 to once again discuss this issue - and others. At that meeting, Ron emphasised the need for implementation in 2019, before the position for cash deposits in the UK becomes impossible, especially for busy shops and restaurants.

Ron Delnevo and Debbie Smyth met again with the PSR in October 2019.

Ron also met with the UK Treasury in early September 2017 and again in January, June and November 2018 and in July 2019, at which meetings he asked the Treasury to intervene to ensure this vital transaction is implemented as soon as possible on UK ATMs.

Ron Delnevo and Debbie Smyth met again with the Treasury in October 2019, to urge action to legal protect access to cash and the acceptance of cash.

One worthwhile recommendation to come out of the UK Access to Cash Report, issued in March 2019, is that the Universal Cash Deposit transaction should be implemented by all UK Card Issuers, with LINK creating an interchange to compensate ATM operators who implement the deposit transaction.

Even the Bank of England reportedly backs this recommendation.

THE ATMIA WILL NOT REST UNTIL THIS INNOVATION IS IMPLEMENTED.

However, universal cash deposit at ATMs is only really a first step. What is truly needed is a network of Smart ATMs, strategically located around the UK and providing 99% of the services available at a staffed bank branch.

Every local community in Europe needs at least two Smart ATMs. ATMs are electro-mechanical devices which suffer faults and outages, including cash-outs. Two ATMs is therefore the minimum requirememt for any Community with no bank branch, to provide 24/7 local access to financial services.

Smart ATMs will provide many transactions and one of the most important is cash recycling. This is a progression from simply accepting cash deposits. A cash recycling ATM processes deposited notes, removing those that are damaged or dubious and makes available for withdrawal those notes that are fit for recycling to the public.

Cash recycling is convenient for ATM users and is also ultimately a cost-reduction measure. It cuts down the number of cash deliveries needed to ATMs and ensures that communities have some access to cash, even where for any reason a cash delivery fails to happen.

Any local recycling is good for the environment. Cash recycling can therefore be seen as helping the ATM Industry contribute to making our world a better place in which to live.

In some markets, deposited cash recycled within the ATMs accounts for 60% or more of the cash dispensed.

In many countries, all new ATMs which are being installed are capable of cash recycling. We urgently need to see this trend accelerate to include the UK and the whole of Europe. When will the first truly Smart ATM appear in the UK?

IT NEEDS TO BE VERY SOON - PREFERABLY IN 2019!

Further GREAT news back in August 2019 was that the Scottish Affairs Commitee of the UK Parliament came out strongly in favour of cash-deposit ATMs, asking that the UK government faciliate this innovation nationwide.

The Scottish Affairs Committee Press Report can be read using this link https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmscotaf/
1996/199602.htm