Cardless cash: How to use cardless cash and which banks offer it

What is cardless cash?

Cardless cash allows you to withdraw money from an ATM without using your debit card. Instead, you can opt to receive a unique code from your bank to your phone (either by text message or within your mobile banking app) that you can then use at an eligible ATM to verify your cash withdrawal. If your bank offers cardless cash, you can access the feature within your mobile banking app. You need to select how much cash you'd like to withdraw within the app, and you can only use an ATM that supports the cardless cash feature.

Cardless cash allows you to still withdraw cash if you forgot your wallet or if you're out with just your phone on you. You can also use it to help family members access money if they're ever in need. All you have to do is provide them with the unique code so they can withdraw the money from a nearby eligible ATM.

Westpac and its subsidaries (St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne) used to offer cardless cash, but withdrew the feature in October 2024, saying. CommBank still offers it, but intends to replace it with its QR cardless feature in early 2025.

Our expert says

"I don't use a cash a lot, but cardless cash has saved me on many occasions when I didn't have my wallet. It's a really simple process through the CBA app: in the first instance, you just need to enter the code and your PIN in the right order."

Taylor Blackburn

Money expert

How to use cardless cash

If your bank account offers the cardless cash feature, here's how to use it.

1. Select cardless cash in your mobile banking app. Select the cardless cash option within your mobile banking app, and enter the amount of cash you'd like to withdraw. There are daily withdrawal limits, as noted in the table above.

3. Receive your unique code. After confirming your cardless cash request you'll be sent a unique code as a text message or on the screen in your mobile banking app (or both). For security, this code will expire after a short amount of time.

4. Locate a cardless cash ATM. Navigate to the closest ATM within your bank's network that's compatible with cardless cash. You may be able to locate your closest ATM using your mobile banking app. When you get there, select the cardless cash option on the ATM and enter your unique code when prompted to receive your cash.

Which banks offer cardless cash?

Only CBA now offers cardless cash in Australia. It's available on the Smart Access account, with withdrawals limited to $500 each day. Codes expire 30 minutes after issue.

ANZ's cardless cash feature

ANZ doesn't offer the same cardless cash feature as CommBank, but it does offer a version of this feature. ANZ customers can link their ANZ debit card to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay and withdraw cash at any ANZ ATM using their digital wallet instead of their debit card.

Does NAB offer cardless cash?

No, NAB doesn't yet offer the cardless cash feature. You still need to use your NAB debit card to withdraw cash from a NAB ATM, although you can tap your card instead of inserting it at some smart ATMs. NAB also doesn't yet offer the ability to withdraw cash using Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Pros and cons of cardless cash

Pros

• The convenience. With cardless cash, you have the ability to travel light when you need to.
• In emergencies. You can continue to access your cash in an emergency even if you've left your wallet at home.
• You can help family and friends. You can share the code with a trusted family member when they're out an need cash, for example your child.
• No additional costs The app works the same as a debit card when withdrawing money. So long as you are using ATMs in your bank’s network, you should not 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.

Cons

• Limited bank accounts. Right now, there is only one bank in Australia that offers this feature.
• Limited ATMs. Not all ATMs offer this feature. Plus, if the ATM network is down, you will not be able to use the code to withdraw money until it is up and running again.

Frequently asked questions

• Does ING offer cardless cash?

  No, ING does not offer the cardless cash feature in Australia.

• Does Bankwest offer cardless cash?

  No, Bankwest doesn't offer cardless cash in Australia. However its parent bank, CommBank, does.

• Is cardless cash safe?

  Your code to withdraw the cash is unique each time you use it, plus it expires after a set period of time. There are also limits to how much you can withdraw at one time. You should only share the code with trusted friends and family in need of cash.

• Is cardless cash the same as Apple Pay and Google Pay?

  Digital wallet solutions like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay also allow you to make purchases using your phone without your wallet. However, these services are for tap and go EFTPOS transactions only, and don't enable you to withdraw cash. Cardless cash is helpful if you need to make a cash payment, for example at a store that only accepts cash.

Written by

Alison Banney

Editor

Alison Banney is the money editorial manager at Finder. She covers all areas of personal finance, and her areas of expertise are superannuation, banking and saving. She has written about finance for 10 years, having previously worked at Westpac and written for several other major banks and super funds. See full bio

Alison's expertise

Alison has written 626 Finder guides across topics including:

• Superannuation
• Savings accounts, bank accounts and term deposits
• Budgeting and money-saving hacks
• Managing the cost of living