Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, UK consumers visited ATMs three times a month on average. However, now ATM visits have declined to less than twice a month on average.

Link has also revealed that machine users withdraw an extra £10 during each visit, at just below £80 typically.

The total value of Link ATM withdrawals currently stands at around £1.6bn a week, compared with around £2.2bn in 2019.

Link added that throughout 2021, it has heard from over 400 communities in the UK wanting better access to cash. As a result, the network has installed over 70 ATMs across the country and a further 30 in areas identified as lacking cash access.

Nick Quin, head of financial inclusion, Link, said: “People are choosing new ways to pay for things, and Covid has turbocharged the switch to digital.

“When we conducted similar analysis this time last year, we had an incomplete picture because before the vaccine rollout people generally were staying local, working from home and many leisure locations were still temporarily closed.

“ATM use in some city centres had declined by as much as 80% overnight (in Westminster, Glasgow and Edinburgh in March 2020). Now that life is returning to normal, people are still visiting ATMs much less often and taking out more each time.

“Crucially, even though we’re withdrawing almost £100m less per day, millions still rely on cash, especially in the most deprived areas of the country. It is important we continue to protect access to cash across the country.”