The Banco de Portugal’s 2022 data indicates that 1,276 parishes, or 41%, lack any physical cash access points.
“The reduction in cash access points is creating genuine cash deserts nationwide, severely impacting the most isolated and vulnerable groups,” stated Mário Frota, the national representative of the Denária, in a press release commemorating 40 years of Multibanco.
The association emphasizes the need to enhance network coverage to ensure all Portuguese citizens retain their right to use cash, the most commonly used payment method in Portugal.
Denária Portugal is a nonprofit organization advocating for cash as a standard payment method.
The Multibanco ATM network was launched on September 2, 1985, initially offering nine machines in Lisbon and Porto.
According to SIBS, the manager of Multibanco, approximately 13,000 ATMs now operate in Portugal, offering over 90 different operations.
Last year, the Multibanco network registered 693 million transactions.
