How does cardless cash work?
You'll need your bank's app set up on your phone. When you need cash, you log into the app and ask for a cash code for the amount you want. You then enter that code at one of your bank's ATMs to take the money out.
With some banks you can also send the code to someone you trust, so they can collect the cash for you. With others, you hold your phone with its digital wallet to the ATM's contactless reader and enter your PIN instead of using a code.
When can you use it?
Any time, as long as your bank offers it and you stay within the daily limit it sets for cardless withdrawals. Limits are usually lower than for card withdrawals, so check your bank's app for yours.
Is cardless cash safe?
A cash code works only once and only for a short time, often 30 minutes, after which it's useless. You also need to be logged into your banking app to get one. Treat a code like a PIN: share it only with someone you trust, and never with someone who contacts you asking for it.
The drawbacks
- Not every bank offers it.
- You usually have to use your own bank's ATMs, or those of its partner banks, and not every one of those takes cardless withdrawals.
- Daily limits are often lower than with a card.
- You need your phone charged and your banking app working.
Which banks offer it?
Most of the big banks and several of their brands offer cardless cash in some form, through the app or a digital wallet. Features and limits change, so look in your bank's app, or search its website for "cardless cash", for how it works with your account.