It will soon be possible to withdraw money more easily from merchants

It may be a paradox, but it's also a reality. While ATMs are becoming scarce in France, French people's access to cash remains at a good level, according to the Banque de France.

According to the latest figures for 2024, France has 46,249 ATMs and the decline has accelerated with a decrease of 2% compared to 2021.

By the end of 2025, there will still be around 7,000 points of contact (which may have one or more ATMs), compared to around 15,000 ATMs currently in service for these four networks.

Despite this, the Banque de France noted that the coverage of the territory remains unchanged: "more than 99% of the metropolitan population, aged 15 and over" had an ATM within a 15-minute drive.

This stabilization is due in particular to the development of "private" collection points, particularly in shops, which represent more than a third of the total and grew by 3.2% in 2021.

What is a private collection point?

This system is the result of the establishment of cash distribution points in shops . According to the Banque de France, the metropolitan area had 26,956 private access points at the end of 2022, an increase of 3.9%.

Transactions can only be made during the retailer's opening hours, not 24 hours a day like a traditional ATM. However, they are only accessible to customers of the network to which they belong.

This concerns, for example, BNP Paribas Nickel points, Crédit Agricole relays, Crédit Mutuel relays and the various contact points of La Banque Postale.

So, if your merchant is at Crédit Agricole, you will only be able to withdraw money from their store if you are also a customer of this bank.

An expansion in 2026

But this system is set to evolve, as reported by Le Parisien on Monday, June 9. The Banque de France and the GIE Cartes Bancaires are considering expanding the customer base of its cash withdrawal points.

The idea is to "allow access, on a voluntary basis, to private distribution points. And furthermore, to no longer limit them to customers of the merchant's bank but to gradually open them to all CB card holders, regardless of the customer's bank at the merchant, " explains Loÿs Moulin, Projects and Marketing Director of the GIE Carte Bancaire.

Also, in 2026, La Banque Postale and Crédit Agricole will open their private access points to customers of other banks. This measure will "enhance access to cash in rural areas."

With 27,418 locations at the end of 2023, private access points (distributors installed at retailers and not in bank branches) are up 1.7% over the year, according to government figures from July 2024.