Protecting your access to cash

We know many people and businesses rely on cash to get things done. And the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has now introduced rules to help protect your access to it.

Concerned about access to cash in your area?

We work with LINK to make sure access to cash is good enough wherever we have customers. LINK sets clear rules about which places need to have better access to cash, and reviews all proposals to close bank branches.

Cash services which could be introduced to fill gaps include a new free cash machine or a banking hub (where you can do your banking with different banks all in one place).

How to check access to cash in your area

You can use LINK’s cash locator tool to check for places to withdraw and deposit cash. You can use filters to show which accept coins and which accept notes, and which are free to use.

LINK's cash locator

Co-operative Bank customers have the option to deposit or withdraw cash in any of our 50 branches or in any of roughly 11,500 Post Office branches (daily cash limits apply), and may also be able to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Co-operative Bank branch finder

Post Office branch finder

Personal banking at a Post Office

Business banking at a Post Office

How to request a review of cash services in your area

1. First, you can check whether LINK has already looked at your area and made a recommendation to make things better.
2. Then, you can go to LINK’s website to submit a cash access request. You can do this yourself, as part of a community group or via a representative group. There are options to complete a form online, or to post a request to LINK.

What happens after you request a review of cash services?

LINK will run a cash access assessment to check whether access is sufficient. If they decide it’s not, they’ll make recommendations on what needs to happen next to make things better.

How to find cash access assessment outcomes

You can check LINK’s list of outcomes. You can filter by local area, country or bank.

LINK’s assessment outcomes

What cash access assessments tell you

The assessments list the existing cash access services, including the address and distance of:

• The nearest bank branch which serves personal and business customers
• The three nearest banks (including those which only serve personal customers)
• The three nearest free to use ATMs and Post Offices.

They also explain what facilities LINK recommends.

Recent assessment recommendations

Assessments have recommended the need for the following services.

1. Cash deposits and withdrawals for personal and/or business customers, with support from a trained individual when needed

The recommendations include a range of new cash access facilities including new Post Office counter services, enhancements to existing Post Office branches, and new and replacement ATMs. Once open, these provide the option for personal and/or business customers to make cash deposits and withdrawals, with assistance from trained colleagues.

There are a number of areas where deficiencies in cash access have been identified for personal and/or business customers in relation to the distance to/travel options to existing facilities, and/or capacity, privacy and accessibility of the facilities.

In these scenarios, we may be able to offer help to access cash if you’re a customer with us.

Please contact us so we can discuss the options available to you if you’re a personal customer who lives, or a business customer that’s based within the following distances, or have a permanent or temporary disability and require additional support to deposit or withdraw cash:

• within 1 mile of an urban location in the list of locations
• within 3 miles of a rural location in the list of locations.

Locations where cash deposit and withdrawal support is available (PDF) - last updated 9 June 2025

How to contact us to discuss your options

Call us on 0345 600 0529 and request 'Access to Cash support'. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm (call charges).

2. Automated cash deposit services for business customers

The recommended service is an automated cash deposit service (to accept notes and coin, or notes only).

This service will not be available for our customers so if your business is affected in an area listed in the locations where automated cash deposit service is recommended (PDF) - last updated 9 June 2025, please contact us. We can discuss other options, such as us collecting cash from your business premises.

How to contact us to discuss your options

Call us on 03457 213 213. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm and Saturday, 9am to 12pm (call charges).

Assessment recommendation details

You can read a summary of all the assessment recommendations so far by checking LINK's assessment outcomes page. This includes the locations and which new services are recommended.