Banks that offer contactless ATM access in the UK

Use your phone to withdraw money from cash machines when you don't have your debit card.

Some of the top banks have found a way to make accessing your cash even easier. With secure apps installed on your mobile phone, you can access your digital wallet to withdraw the money from an ATM. At the moment only a handful of banks in the UK offer this option, including Barclays, NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland. We have a separate guide on withdrawing cash if you have forgotten your debit card.

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Name Product Ratings Account fees Funding requirement Interest (AER) Arranged overdraft Incentive Representative example Link
OFFER
Premier Select
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
Arranged overdraft available. Subject to eligibility.
tag iconSwitch your current account to NatWest and you could earn £200 within 7 days of meeting eligibility criteria. T&Cs Apply.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
Premier Eligibility: 18+, UK resident and meet one of the following criteria £100k income p.a., £100k saved or invested or £500k mortgage borrowings.
£200 switching offer: Switch your current account held elsewhere to us using the Current Account Switch Service to get our £200 offer. £200 could be paid within 7 days of meeting eligibility criteria. Offer terms, conditions and restrictions apply, Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time. No monthly account fees. Other fees may apply.
Representative Example: Assumed arranged overdraft of £1,200. Effective annual interest rate 0% on arranged overdrafts up to £500, 19.49% EAR (variable) above £500. Representative 11.4% APR (variable). How does our overdraft compare? Representative APRs help you compare the cost of different credit products.
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OFFER
Select Account
Finder score
★★★★★
★★★★★
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable (subject to status)
tag iconSwitch your current account to Royal Bank of Scotland and you could earn £200 within 7 days of meeting eligibility criteria. T&Cs apply.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
Switch your current account held elsewhere to Royal Bank using the Current Account Switch Service to get the £200 offer. You must be 18+ and a UK Resident. Pay in £1250 & log in to the app within 60 days of switching. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time. Offer T&Cs and restrictions apply.
Representative Example: Effective Annual Rate: 39.49% EAR (variable). Representative APR: 39.49% APR (variable). Assumed credit limit: £1,200 Subject to status. How does this overdraft compare? Representative APRs help you compare the cost of different credit products.
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Barclays Bank Account
Finder score
★★★★★
★★★★★
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
35.0% EAR (Variable)
tag iconGet more from your everyday banking with Barclays Blue Rewards, with member deals and savings rates. (Eligibility, conditions and a £5 monthly fee apply).
Current account switch service guarantee badge

Available to UK residents 18 or over. Manage your money with the Barclays app, Online Banking and more. You must be 18 or over to access this product in the app. T&Cs apply.

Representative Example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you will be charged 35.0% EAR (variable).

Representative APR: 35.0% (variable). Subject to application, financial circumstance and borrowing history.

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Premier Current Account
Not yet rated
£0
Eligibility criteria applies. See below.
0% AER

Current account switch service guarantee badge
To be eligible for Premier Banking you’ll need to have either (1) an annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a Barclays current account or (2) a minimum of £100,000 saved or invested with Barclays.
Representative example: 0% interest (variable) payable on arranged overdrafts up to £500. If you use an arranged overdraft above this amount the annual rate of interest is 35.0% (variable). 19.5% APR Representative (variable), based on £1,200 overdraft balance. Overdrafts, including free amounts, are subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history.
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OFFER
Reward
Not yet rated
£2 per month
Min. £1250 Per Month
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable (subject to status)
tag icon£200 offer when you switch + earn up to £5/month back in Rewards. £2/month fee, T&Cs apply.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
Switch your current account held elsewhere to NatWest using the Current Account Switch Service to get the £200 offer. You must be 18+ and a UK Resident. Pay in £1250 & log in to the app within 60 days of switching. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time. Offer T&Cs and restrictions apply.
Earn up to £5/month back: £4 for +2 Direct Debits (each must be +£2) and £1 for each mobile app log in.
Representative Example: Effective Annual Rate: 39.49% EAR (variable). Representative APR: 39.49% APR (variable). Assumed credit limit: £1,200 Subject to status. How does this overdraft compare? Representative APRs help you compare the cost of different credit products.
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OFFER
Select Account
Finder score
★★★★★
★★★★★
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable (subject to status)
tag iconSwitch your current account to NatWest and you could earn £200 within 7 days of meeting eligibility criteria. T&Cs apply.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
Switch your current account held elsewhere to NatWest using the Current Account Switch Service to get the £200 offer. You must be 18+ and a UK Resident. Pay in £1250 & log in to the app within 60 days of switching. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time. Offer T&Cs and restrictions apply.
Representative Example: Effective Annual Rate: 39.49% EAR (variable). Representative APR: 39.49% APR (variable). Assumed credit limit: £1,200 Subject to status. How does this overdraft compare? Representative APRs help you compare the cost of different credit products.
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Student Additions
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
N/A
Current account switch service guarantee badge
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OFFER
Reward
Not yet rated
£2 per month
Min. £1250 Per Month
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable (subject to status)
tag icon£200 offer when you switch + earn up to £5/month back in Rewards. £2/month fee, T&Cs apply.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
Switch your current account held elsewhere to Royal Bank using the Current Account Switch Service to get the £200 offer. You must be 18+ and a UK Resident. Pay in £1250 & log in to the app within 60 days of switching. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time. Offer T&Cs and restrictions apply.
Earn up to £5/month back: £4 for +2 Direct Debits (each must be +£2) and £1 for each mobile app log in.
Representative Example: Effective Annual Rate: 39.49% EAR (variable). Representative APR: 39.49% APR (variable). Assumed credit limit: £1,200 Subject to status. How does this overdraft compare? Representative APRs help you compare the cost of different credit products.
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Adapt Current Account
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
2.7% AER

tag iconFree 24/7 Emergency Cash Service to withdraw up to £300 for online and telephone banking customers or £60 if not.
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Foundation
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER

tag icon£200 for accounts switched using the Current Account Switch Service.
Current account switch service guarantee badge
View details
Student Account
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
N/A
Current account switch service guarantee badge
View details
Graduate
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable
tag iconFree 24/7 Emergency Cash Service to withdraw up to £300 for online and telephone banking customers or £60 if not.
Current account switch service guarantee badgeRepresentative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable.
View details
Bank Account - with Travel Plus Pack
Not yet rated
£22.50 per month
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
N/A
tag iconFree airport lounge access via barclays.dragonpasstraveller.com.
Current account switch service guarantee badge Account fee of £22.50 per month.
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Premier Reward Black
Not yet rated
£31 per month
Min. £1250 Per Month
0% AER
N/A
tag icon£200 for accounts switched using the Current Account Switch Service.
Current account switch service guarantee badge Account fee of £31 per month.
View details
Graduate
Not yet rated
£0
No minimum funding requirement
0% AER
39.49% EAR variable
tag iconFree 24/7 Emergency Cash Service to withdraw up to £300 for online and telephone banking customers or £60 if not.
Current account switch service guarantee badgeRepresentative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable.
View details
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Which banks offer contactless cash machines?

If you have a Barclays account and the Barclays app, you can use it to take out cash when you don’t have your card but need money. Note that only Android users can take advantage of this feature at the moment.

You can take out up to £300 a day from an ATM, or up to £800 a day if you’re a Premier customer. Barclays has 1,200 ATMs across the UK that enable cardless cash withdrawals. Customers can also use the cardless withdrawal service in-branch at 500 UK locations.

NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers with an app can use the Get Cash function to withdraw up to £130 every 24 hours. This feature works at both banks’ ATMs as well as those operated by Tesco. Royal Bank of Scotland customers in Scotland can do the same.

What are contactless ATMs and how do they work?

Cardless cash usually works by providing you with a unique code that you enter into an ATM to withdraw money when you don’t have your card.

This is beneficial if you don’t want to carry a card when you’re out, for instance if you’re on a run or at the beach – or if you’ve forgotten to take your card out with you. You can even share your code with friends or family members so they can withdraw money when you’re not there.

Can you catch COVID-19 from handling cash?

There’s no evidence suggesting you can catch COVID-19 from handling cash, though of course it’s a good idea to wash your hands after you’ve dealt with money to keep up hygiene that can slow the spread of this disease. If you’re concerned about withdrawing cash from an ATM, consider a cardless ATM to minimise contact with the machine.

Contactless app-generated codes vs NFC

There are two ways your phone may connect with a cardless ATM through app-generated codes or near-field communication (NFC).

App-generated codes are typically QR codes, although they can be a series of numbers. If your ATM uses this type of technology, you request a withdrawal in your mobile app and then scan or enter the code once you get to the ATM. Then, the ATM verifies your identity and authenticates your transaction.

Some ATMs use NFC to conduct cardless transactions. With this type of cardless ATM, you tap your phone against the machine’s contactless symbol and your phone’s digital wallet pulls up. From there, you select which card you want to use from your wallet and enter your PIN. Then, the ATM authenticates your transaction.

What are the benefits of using cardless cash?

  • The convenience of travelling light. With cardless cash, you can travel light when the occasion calls for it.
  • In cases of emergencies. You can continue to access your cash even if you’ve left your wallet at home.
  • You can share it with your trusted family and friends. This makes it easier to give family members limited access to the account when they need it. Rather than paying for extra debit cards or worrying about how much they withdraw, you can control their spending by using the app.
  • No additional costs for using it. The app works the same as a debit card when withdrawing money. As long as you’re using ATMs in your bank’s network, you shouldn’t be charged any additional fees.
  • Increased security. In some ways, the app provides more security as the code is for one use only, rather than a debit card which prompts you for the same code each time you use it.

What are the drawbacks of using cardless cash?

  • Only at select banks. Right now, only select banks in the UK offer this feature with their accounts, limiting your choices when making comparisons, but others will probably follow soon.
  • Relies on ATM’s network. If the ATM network is down, you won’t be able to use the code to withdraw money until it’s up and running again.
  • Cardless ATM fraud. If someone gets hold of your bank’s login details and PIN, they can connect your account to their phone and withdraw money without needing your physical debit card.

Security tips when using contactless cash

With any product or device that provides access to your money, either on or offline, you need to be careful about its security. To best protect your money when using cardless cash, avoid the following:

  • Protect your online banking details

Never share the password to your online bank account. With the password, people could gain access to your cardless cash details and make withdrawals without your consent.

  • Monitor suspicious transactions on your account

Although banks take precautions to protect your information, there is always the possibility of a hack. If you notice unauthorised withdrawals from your account using cardless cash, notify the bank immediately.

Bottom line

If you’re a customer with one of the handful of banks that offer the option to withdraw cash from ATMs without a credit or debit card, it can be a nifty way to get your hands on cash quickly in emergencies.

Right now only Barclays, NatWest and RBS customers are able to use this feature, so if you don’t bank with any of these three providers, then you won’t be able to take advantage.

As long as nobody else can get hold of your bank’s login details and PIN, cardless ATM withdrawal can be a very convenient way to get hold of money in emergencies.

Common questions about contactless ATMs

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