July 2025

Regulating Cash Distribution in Australia: Consultation

In July 2025, the Council of Financial Regulators (CFR) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released a consultation paper: Regulating Cash Distribution in Australia.

There have been significant changes in the Australian payments system as more payments are being made electronically rather than in cash. But cash continues to have an important role in society. Many Australians rely on cash to participate in the economy, including more vulnerable members of the community. Cash also enhances the resilience of the payments system, serving as a fallback during natural disasters and outages; and it is an important store of value, including in times of uncertainty.

The evolving payments landscape has put pressure on the cash distribution system and the economics of providing cash services across Australia. The Government has committed to maintaining adequate access to cash for as long as Australians wish to use it. The challenge of promoting an inclusive and accessible payments system is of particular importance for consumers and businesses in rural and regional Australia, where cash distribution services are most expensive. The CFR and ACCC are exploring regulatory arrangements for the cash distribution system that could support these objectives and are seeking feedback from stakeholders.

Written submissions closed 15 August 2025

In April 2026, the CFR published the Response on Regulating Cash Distribution in Australia: Consultation.

Submissions Received

Access to Cash

The Consultation also received around 1200 emails from individuals, in a majority of cases supporting access to cash.