Brits break all-time record for ATM cash withdrawals with pre-Christmas rush

By ATMmarketplace.com

Link, the U.K.'s ATM network today announced that Friday, Dec. 23 set an all-time record high for Link cash machine withdrawals, with a total of 730 million pounds ($907 million) dispensed. The average withdrawal was 87 pounds ($108), according to a press release.

This numbers represent a sizeable increase over Dec. 24, 2015, which set the previous single-day record of 634 million pounds ($787 million).

Overall, Brits withdrew more than 12 billion pounds ($14.9 billion) from Link ATMs in December 2016, a year-over-year increase of 3.5 percent, stated the release.

"With this record for ATM withdrawals, it is clear that cash plays a vital part in so many people's lives, and we fully expect it to do so for many years to come," Link CEO John Howells said in the release. "With over 70,000 cash machines in the U.K., Link is committed to making sure consumers have safe and reliable access to their cash."

There are now over 70,000 ATMs in the U.K., of which almost 54,000 are free-to-use.