A grassroots movement is urging Australians to put pressure on the federal government and major banks simply by withdrawing cash on Tuesday.

April 28 is national Cash Out Day, where Australians are being asked to head to their nearest ATM or bank branch and make a withdrawal.

Cash Welcome founder and financial journalist Jason Bryce said this Cash Out Day was a major opportunity to keep the cash option in Australia.

“It has had an impact, there was a very successful Cash Out Day a couple of years ago which led to the government announcing a cash mandate,” he told NewsWire.

“This is just an easy way for consumers to send a message to the banks that we have a right to access our money in our local community.”

Mr Bryce said on a normal day in Australia 900,000 to one million people make an ATM withdrawal.

The campaign hopes to double this to 1.8 million as a way of reminding banks of the need to support cash in the economy.

Mr Bryce said for anyone who wants to participate in Cash Out Day, it was as simple as removing $20 from an ATM, bank or eftpos retailer.

“The convenience of tap and go is fine, nobody is talking about taking it away from transaction options, but we need to have a choice of how we pay and everyone needs to use cash every now and then,” he said.

Surprising cash trend emerges

Despite Australians’ access to cash diminishing in recent years, the number of people using physical tender is on the rise.

About 15 per cent of transactions in 2025 were made with cash – up 2 per cent from 2023, according to an RBA study.

Although this included transactions for paying bills online, in-person transactions jumped closer to one in five transactions.

The study also found that about half of Australians use cash at least once per week, with older Aussies found to use the method of payment more than younger residents.

Households with lower incomes also used cash more than digital payments, the study found.

As cash usage increases, the RBA warned that reducing cash availability would have dire effects on one-third of Aussies.

“The results suggest that one-third of Australians would face hardship or major inconvenience if cash was difficult to access or if shops did not accept cash,” the study read.

“Many Australians still carry cash for unexpected transactions or in case electronic payments are not available.”

The study found that the Australians who depended on using cash said they would “face major difficulties if cash were to become harder to use”.

Mr Bryce said this needed to change.

“The average Australian and the average retailer is finding it much more difficult than even three years ago to use cash,” he said.

“The RBA is saying more Australians want to use cash, but the banks are making it difficult, so there’s got to be a bit of a turnaround.”

Mr Bryce said the numbers were clear: More Australians want to use cash and he hoped the banks responded by reopening branches and providing more ATM options.

National Seniors Australia chief executive Chris Grice warned that older Australians still needed access to cash.

“Not all seniors are comfortable using debit or credit cards, or banking online, because they’re not tech savvy, they’re fearful of potential scams, and cash is what they’ve always known,” he said.

He said the NSA mantra was “use it or lose it”.

“For the first time in years, Australians are using cash more often and for greater amounts,” he said.

“Cash users across the country should feel validated by the news that proves cash still has a solid place in the economy. Add to this the Cash Mandate introduced in January this year and cash is certainly making a comeback.”

Weakest cash mandate in the world

In January, the federal government mandated food and retail businesses accept cash for in-person transactions of $500 or less.

Small businesses have been exempt from the regulations.

Treasury Minister Jim Chalmers said the mandate was a “balanced, practical, and sensible step to support cash users while considering the costs and risks to businesses”.

“We’re making it mandatory for businesses to accept cash when they sell these essential items,” he explained.

“This will help ensure Australians can continue to pay with cash for essentials.”

Mr Bryce said the current cash mandate does not go far enough with Tuesday a key opportunity to remind the banks of this need.

“The government’s cash mandate, I think, was announced in response to a previous Cash Out Day, but it has turned out to be the weakest mandate in the world,” he said.

“We have to keep the pressure on. The government also recently announced an end to card surcharging, which means all those costs will be included in the goods and services, so everyone will pay.”

However, with bank closures across the country, particularly in regional areas where cash is used most, Australians have now been urged to keep cash flow steady by heading to the ATM for Cash Out Day on Tuesday April 28.

Mr Bryce said he started his Cash Welcome campaign after a local bank removed a branch and closed down four ATMs, restricting usage of cash to his local community.

“Despite the fact it was crowded, with queues out the door on pension day, they didn’t have a decline in foot traffic, they just wanted to cut costs,” he said.

“The major four banks have all signed agreements with the Reserve Bank to distribute cash in Australia, they aren’t ordinary economies, they are part of the financial fabric in the country.