According to data from the Bank of Portugal (2022), 1,276 parishes (41%) have no access points to physical cash.
"The reduction in cash access points is creating veritable cash deserts throughout the country, particularly affecting the most isolated and vulnerable groups," Denária's national representative, Mário Frota, stated in a statement, marking the 40th anniversary of the Multibanco.
For the association, it is imperative to strengthen network coverage and ensure that all Portuguese citizens maintain their right to use cash, the most widely used payment method in Portugal.
Denária Portugal is a non-profit association that advocates for the use of cash as a common means of payment.
The Multibanco ATM network was launched on September 2, 1985. At the time, nine ATMs were available in Lisbon and Porto.
Data from SIBS, the Multibanco operator, reveals that there are currently approximately 13,000 ATMs in Portugal, allowing for more than 90 different transactions.
Last year, 693 million transactions were carried out on the ATM network, it says.
Read more here...
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My parents need to drive 40 km to pay their bills and withdraw money from an ATM. Their very rural parish is among that statistic. The Post actively "loose" the bills but never fail to deliver online shopping packages. Those responsible don't give a damn about these people living in remote places, they only remember these places when wildfires destroy the villages, specially during ellection years. The ellected meant to represent their constituents even dare to steal the lands of illiterate elders or heirs to small plots of dirt in these places to get subsidies' money from the EU. Must be nice to not live in the westernmost Eastern European country.
By nunof from Lisbon on 04 Sep 2025, 13:06
The Bank of Portugal is stating that there are 1,276 parishes without any bank situated within it, whose structure will definitely have a multibanco in it? I find this statistic very hard to believe.
By Paul from Lisbon on 04 Sep 2025, 19:41