In Poland, despite the lack of any official recommendations, ATMs are under siege, writes Salon24. This comes in the wake of the Dutch Central Bank and Swedish supervisory institutions telling citizens that cash may be essential in the event of an emergency.
The recommendations are specific: Have enough money at home to survive without access to your account for at least a week.
Governments are citing growing fears of payment system failures, which may be the result of cyberattacks or geopolitical tensions, as the reason for their warnings. Now, more and more Europeans are heading to the ATM for cash. Although this is being seen the most in large cities, age is not a factor, with both the elderly and the younger generations resorting to cash.
The National Bank of Poland has not yet issued any official recommendations, but it says the number of cash withdrawals in Poland has increased by 35 percent in recent months, and in the largest agglomerations by as much as 40 percent. ATMs in some districts of Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw are replenished even several times a day.
Some banks are deciding to increase daily ATM withdrawal limits and may even extend branch hours to meet new customer demand.
At the beginning of 2024, as much as 95.3 percent of card transactions in Poland were cashless payments. Today, however, this trend is starting to reverse. Financial experts say having a few days’ supply — in cash and preferably in different currencies — is sensible.
It is also advisable to avoid complete dependence on digital infrastructure.
