If you are used to withdrawing or depositing money at a bank cash desk, check your branch before visiting. Slovak banks are massively getting rid of classic cash desks: instead of a worker with a stack of banknotes, you are increasingly met by an employee who will smile and send you to the ATM near the entrance. This quiet revolution was noticed by the portal Peniaze.sk, which collected statistics on the largest banks in the country.
Who has already removed cash desks
The difference between banks is noticeable: some have almost completely abandoned cash in branches, others stick to the traditional model.
- Slovenská sporiteľňa — 93 out of 128 branches are cashless.
- Tatra banka — there is no physical cash desk in 48 of 69 contact points.
- ČSOB — 47 out of 120 branches without a cash desk, and this number will grow.
- UniCredit Bank — 16 out of 47 contact points operate without a cash desk, about one third.
- VÚB banka — the most conservative: only 25 out of 121 branches are cashless.
Branches that have removed cash desks are turning into advisory centers. Instead of counting banknotes, employees there deal with mortgages, investments, and insurance, that is, where people still want to talk face-to-face. “Getting rid of cash creates more opportunities for meetings with clients and deep conversations about their financial health,” explains Marta Cesnaková, spokeswoman for Slovenská sporiteľňa.
Why banks are doing this
Cash is expensive for the bank. A cash desk requires special safes, banknote counters, technical inspections, enhanced security, and regular cash collections in armored vehicles. Plus additional staff and their training.
“The costs of branches that work with cash are significantly higher,” confirms Zuzana Fečová, spokeswoman for ČSOB.
Therefore, cash operations are transferred to so-called vkladomaty (deposit ATMs), ATMs that not only dispense but also accept cash deposits to accounts. They are located inside branch premises and usually operate 24/7, and the bank does not need to keep cash reserves in the safe.
Where the catch is: commissions are rising
At the same time, banks are raising fees for the cash operations that still remain. For example, Tatra banka raised the commission for cash withdrawal at the cash desk from 6 to 10 euros. The same amount now costs depositing cash into a third party’s account.
The logic is simple: if a client wants a live cashier, they should pay. Those who are ready to use an ATM and card pay less or nothing. Slovakia, by the way, is one of the European leaders in contactless payments: as of the end of 2021, there were over 5.5 million active payment cards in the country, and mobile payments via Google Pay and Apple Pay have become everyday.
Cash will not be banned — it is in the Constitution
Despite the digital trend, cash will not completely disappear from Slovakia. Since July 1, 2023, the country has had a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pay in cash. Stores are obliged to accept it.
The National Bank of Slovakia, responsible for cash circulation, writes directly in its blog: cash is not dying. It remains a reserve in case of digital system failures and is critically important for the older generation, which is not used to ATMs and values live contact with a cashier.
What to do practically
If you need to withdraw or deposit a large amount:
- Before visiting, check on the bank’s website or by phone whether your branch has a classic cash desk. It may no longer be there.
- For regular operations, use the vkladomat (deposit ATM) right in the branch: card or phone, a few minutes, no queue.
- Compare your bank’s fees. Banks increasingly charge noticeable money for cash desk operations.
The trend is clear: there will be fewer cash desks in branches, and the “human” part of the bank will focus on mortgages and consultations. So it is worth finding out now how self-service operations are arranged in your bank so that one day you do not find yourself with an envelope of money in front of a closed cash desk.
