Why Businesses Need an ATM in 2026
BFC Enterprises • December 16, 2025
With so many different ways to pay today, it’s easy to assume cash is fading fast. The reality? Cash is very much alive and remains a critical part of consumer payment behavior, and businesses that ignore it risk higher costs, lost sales, and reduce customer access.
The future of payments isn’t cashless – it’s hybrid. Businesses that support both digital payments and cash access are better positioned for profitability, resilience, and customer satisfaction. And one of the simplest ways to achieve that balance is with an on-site ATM.
Cash Remains Widely Used
Despite the growth of mobile wallets and contactless payments, cash continues to play a major role in everyday transactions. According to the latest
Federal Reserve Diary of Payment Choice:
- Nearly 80% of Americans carry cash.
- 83% of adults use cash at least once a month.
- Over 90% intend to continue using cash.
Cash usage is especially important for lower-income, unbanked or underbanked, and older Americans. Households earning under $25,000 use cash for roughly 24% of their payments, and older Americans rely on cash more frequently than younger generations.
Recognizing the importance of payment choice, states including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island now
require businesses to accept cash. These laws reinforce cash’s relevance and protect access for consumers who depend on it.
The bottom line: even as digital payments grow, cash continues to deliver real value, particularly where speed, accessibility, and customer flow matter.
How Businesses Benefit from Having an ATM
ATMs Reduce Payment Processing Costs
Taking credit and debit cards is expensive and rising credit and debit card processing fees can eat into merchant margins. As a result, many businesses are adopting cash discounting or dual pricing programs, offering lower prices for cash while incorporating processing costs into card transactions.
An on-site ATM makes these merchant services programs more effective by giving customers immediate access to cash – reducing card volume, eliminating chargebacks, and often drives instant in-store spending, without adding operational complexity.
ATMs Increase Sales & Improve Margins
On-site ATMs don’t just provide convenience – they actively drive spending. When customers have cash in hand, they are more likely to make impulse purchases, tip more generously, and complete transactions without hesitation, especially for in-person, small-ticket transactions.
Research from Javelin Strategy & Research shows that about 40% of customers who use an in-store ATM spend at least half of that withdrawal on site, directly increasing sales. This “withdraw-and-spend” behavior turns ATM access into a revenue accelerator, not just a service feature.
ATMs Drive Foot Traffic and Customer Loyalty
ATMs aren’t just convenience features – they remain reliable profit centers that help businesses attract repeat customers.
Industry analysis
shows that consumers are creatures of habit, frequently returning to the same, familiar ATMs for withdrawals. This habitual usage creates a steady stream of surcharge revenue with minimal effort, while positioning the host business as a trusted, go-to cash destination.
Convenience also plays a critical role in driving foot traffic. Whether customers need cash quickly, experience an “emergency cash” moment, or simply prefer familiar locations, an on-site ATM draws people in – and keeps them coming back, building customer loyalty.
ATMs Create Passive, Low-Effort Revenue
An on-site ATM also provides businesses with a simple way to earn recurring, passive income without requiring additional staff, inventory, or sales effort – making having an ATM on-site is one of the lowest-maintenance profit centers available to brick-and-mortar businesses.
The Role of ATMs in a Hybrid Payments Future
Consumers use a mix of cash, cards, and digital wallets. This coexistence makes
payment choice essential for businesses. ATMs support this ecosystem by ensuring cash remains readily available alongside cards and mobile wallets, allowing merchants to serve the broadest possible customer base without forcing a single payment method.
Payment choice also play a critical role in business resilience. Disruptions – whether caused by network outages, system failures, or natural disasters – can quickly halt card and digital transactions. The
Federal Reserve and
industry analyses
consistently highlight cash’s role as a backup payment method during disruptions, reinforcing why ATMs remain an important part of continuity planning.
In a hybrid payments future, ATMs are not legacy infrastructure – they are a strategic asset that helps businesses stay flexible, inclusive, and operational under any conditions.
ATMs: A Smart Business Investment in 2026
The question for businesses isn’t whether digital payments matter – they do. The smarter question is whether your business is equipped to serve all customers, control costs, and stay resilient in a complex payments environment. As consumer behavior, legislation, and economics make clear, cash remains a vital part of the payment mix, and businesses that provide convenient access to it are better positioned to compete.
An on-site ATM delivers measurable value:
lower processing costs,
increased sales,
higher foot traffic,
improved customer loyalty, and a
reliable stream of passive income
– all while supporting payment choice and business continuity. ATMs are strategic assets that help businesses stay profitable, inclusive, and operational no matter how or when customers choose to pay.
Contact us today to find out if your business qualifies for a FREE ATM.
See how strategic amusement game placement delivers real, measurable results—boosting customer engagement, dwell time, and passive revenue for businesses of all sizes.
Discover how one Illinois bowling alley owner boosted revenue and customer time-on-site with hassle-free amusement game solutions from BFC Enterprises.