Overview

• Customers of the Cash Group—Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Hypovereinsbank and Postbank—will lose the ability to withdraw up to €1,000 without purchase at about 1,300 Shell stations starting June 30.
• Germany has seen ATMs fall from 59,000 in 2018 to 51,000 in 2023 while bank branches have dropped from 53,000 in 2002 to 21,000 in 2023.
• Postbank plans to shut around 230 of its 550 branches by the end of 2026 and Deutsche Bank will close a significant number of outlets and cut about 2,000 jobs this year.
• Banks are introducing digital alternatives such as mobile withdrawal codes but these tools risk excluding customers who lack smartphones or digital skills.
• Lawmakers are moving to require businesses to accept both cash and digital payments to ensure continued access to cash transactions.