Cash withdrawals continues to fall as the Government's access to cash legislation comes into effect 

Number of contactless payments saw an increase last year of 6.8% to 1.6bn, compared to 2024, with a total combined value of €30bn — an increase of 12.6%

The Government’s access to cash legislation, initially brought forward in early 2024, went into full effect in November of last year.

The number of cash withdrawals from ATMs and cashback in shops declined by more than 7% during 2025, as the Government's access to cash legislation comes into effect, new data shows.

However, the number of contactless payments saw an increase during the year of 6.8% to 1.6bn, compared to 2024, with a total combined value of €30bn — an increase of 12.6%.