Cash utilization in the US is growing: Why FIs must act now

Cash utilization in the US is strong and continues to grow. Budgeting trends, digital payment outages, and rising demand for small-business deposits have pushed consumers back to the ATM/ITM. At a time when many financial institutions are being asked to invest heavily in their own ATM/ITM service offerings, it's easy to see that these investments are more than justified, as the channel is not only strategic but also an absolute necessity. 

Why is cash utilization in the US driving a Resurgence? Three forces are at work.

Budgeting Behavior. Cash stuffing, the envelope budgeting method, is surging in popularity, boosted by social media trends and renewed interest in back-to-basics financial strategies. Cash has a tangible way that tap-to-pay transactions lack, and that distinction matters when people are actively trying to control spending. 



Technology Distrust. Outages at major financial institutions have reminded customers that cash does not go offline when a server does. More than 90% of US consumers use cash as either a means of payment or a store of value. Confidence in digital-only transactions has quietly eroded for a meaningful share of the population. 



Small Business Deposit Demand. Retailers offering cash discounts, night market vendors, and local businesses that run on cash all need a reliable deposit option outside branch hours. Branch consolidation has pushed that demand directly to the ATM/ITM. Financial institutions have seen increased demand for cash deposits at ATM/ITMs, making it the fastest-growing ATM transaction type. Industry research shows a significant increase in cash entering branches from small and medium-sized businesses, and 75% of those businesses are willing to deposit funds via self-service devices.

Cash Recycling will Reduce your Cash Handling Costs and Improve your Client/Member Experience.

ATMs/ITMs that support cash recycling now account for 59% of global ATM/ITM shipments, up from 55% the year before. The number of recycling ATMs installed worldwide is projected to rise nearly 20% over the next five years, reaching more than 1.2 million by 2029. North America is the second-largest growth region, with over 60,000 new recycling ATM/ITMs forecast for deployment, driven by the need to reduce operational costs while improving service delivery.

Adding recycling capability reduces CIT visit frequency, freeing staff hours for relationship-building and cross-selling, while customers gain immediate deposit credit and 24/7 access.

The Vendor Landscape has Gotten Complicated.

As cash demand rises, the ATM/ITM industry is in the middle of major consolidation. Brink's is acquiring NCR Atleos in a $6.6 billion deal, combining NCR Atleos' ATMs with Brink's cash management and route-based infrastructure. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.

When large vendors restructure at that scale, financial institutions feel the impact: slower response times, subcontracted technicians, and hardware upgrade timelines driven by corporate strategy, rather than operational need. If your service relationship has felt less reliable, you are not imagining it. This is the season to evaluate partners and equipment that assist with your institution's goals.

How Partnering with NuSource Improves Your Business, Reliability Built on Trust.

NuSource is a technology solutions integrator with over 25 years of experience serving all types of financial institutions. Every technician is in-house and OEM-trained. No subcontractors. No third-party handoffs, just pure accountability. We understand the technology at the software level, which means faster diagnosis and first-visit resolution. As a Hyosung Diamond Club Award winner and the largest ITM deployer in the US, we bring proven hardware and the service depth to match.

Cash Resurgence is Happening; Act now to maximize your momentum.

Choose Stability. Choose World-class Service. Choose NuSource.

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Technology Driven Efficiency & Service — NuSource  

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