Nadia Calviño, the vice president for economic affairs, and the leaders of the three banking associations—AEB, CECA, and UNACC—are scheduled to meet at noon this Friday to formalize the industry’s negotiated plan. The goal is to bring cash access to neglected municipalities across vacated Spain. The document obtained by EL PERIÓDICO from Prensa Ibérica sets out the commitment to uphold responsibilities and make a concerted effort to maintain access points in towns where cashiers are scarce. The initial plan envisions a six‑month deployment window, which can be extended by another six months under specific conditions. The plan aims to lay out a practical timetable for restoring cash access in these areas.
The core idea is to offer a new roadmap for financial inclusion and to clearly reveal the effects of the measures. Despite the timing, those involved intend to proceed with the commitments. In municipalities that currently have only one access point for cash, the plan requires two essential actions. First, advance notice to customers for at least four months, except in cases where an impossibility arises, which would allow for a minimum of two months. Second, a shift in service delivery by one of the entities listed in the roadmap so that customers can keep accessing cash.
White-label ATMs
As the agreement progresses, the organizations have pledged support within six months through offices, tellers, mobile branches, or financial agents for 243 municipalities that are rural and home to more than 500 residents (roughly 0.45% of the population, about 211,000 people). The plan allows for participation via tenders or equivalent administrative actions by the relevant public administrations, with an emphasis on required public‑private cooperation where appropriate. A physical space that meets security standards and connections to essential technological infrastructures such as internet access will be provided.
If a municipality remains without coverage after this period, the sector will jointly establish a generic ATM operated by a dedicated operator. This machine will perform basic banking functions and enable cash withdrawals for its entire term, with an additional six months allowed if needed. Within three months after installation and commissioning, educational measures will be offered to customers to facilitate use.
Villages and monitoring
Across 2,987 municipalities with populations under 500 (approximately 0.99% of the Spanish population, about 446,000 people), the industry has committed to guaranteeing access to cash by means of the options described above. Rural postal workers or alternate solutions such as cash‑in‑store and cash‑in‑store withdrawal programs are included. For this latest modality, several projects are being aligned with the agreement reached with the postal service, and seven organizations have already joined prior to the summer.
Employers will appoint independent experts to monitor the plan, adjust measures as needed, and identify better alternatives. An annual survey will be published, and quarterly updates will follow. In three years, the commitments will be reviewed to validate how the affected communities adapt to the changes in banking access, the availability of financial services, and any shifts in customer preferences between cash and digital channels.