Based on surveys conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB), cash is the most frequently used means of payment for day-to-day transactions at the point of sale or for person to person payments, despite its gradual decline. The same surveys show that most people in the euro area consider it important to have the option to pay in cash. Cash is also used as a store of value, especially in times of crisis or uncertainty, and is essential for the financial inclusion of all citizens.
In September 2020, the ECB Governing Council approved the Cash 2030 Strategy, which set the basis for a series of measures to be adopted by the ECB and the national central banks (NCBs) of the Eurosystem, aiming to safeguard the role of cash and ensure that it remains widely available and accepted as both a means of payment and a store of value. In this regard, the Eurosystem, together with the banking sector, has a fundamental responsibility to ensure the smooth supply of cash and to facilitate its use in payments by people and businesses.
A recent proposal for a Regulation of the European Commission on the legal tender of euro banknotes and coins, currently under discussion, focuses on the need to guarantee adequate access to cash, also by monitoring and assessing the levels of acceptance of payments in cash and of access to it.
As part of the implementation of the objectives of the Eurosystem's Cash 2030 Strategy, the Bank of Italy introduced statistical reporting obligations requiring operators supplying cash to individuals via automated teller machines (ATMs), customer-operated machines, cash-in-shop or cashback services to report information about the location of their points of access to cash.
All the necessary information for operators obliged to fill in and submit reports on points of access to cash to the Bank of Italy can be found in this section.
Any questions can be addressed to the Currency Circulation Management Directorate at PAC.Segnalazioni@bancaditalia.it.
