Cash Talks is a series of webinars debating critical trends and issues in the cash space. The third Cash Talk will focus on CashTech, the encounter between cash and technology, and discuss whether and how it can play a larger role in the future cash cycle.

CashTech is, to coin a phrase, the confluence of cash and technology. CashTech gathers companies which adopt software and communications technology to provide improved cash services – including access to cash and acceptance of cash payments – as well as to enhance the efficiency of the cash cycle.

Some start-ups, scale-ups and innovators are focused specifically at making it easier to pay and get paid in cash. Some are facilitating access to cash. Others are focusing on improving acceptance of cash payments, including for online and mobile channels. All are offering technology-based innovative solutions to make cash more efficient.

Whilst some CashTech companies are gaining traction and constitute undeniable success stories, the core question is whether they can offer a viable alternative to the traditional cash distribution channels and offset the diminishing network of cash access points, particularly bank branches and ATMs. The recent Euro Retail Payments Board Report on Access and Acceptance of Cash concludes that these ‘cash supply alternatives’ only form a fraction of the cash supply, and that cashback and cash-in-shop as alternative ways of accessing cash are scaling up very slowly, with limited data and a lack of incentives.

The panelists will discuss how new players can impact the cash cycle. Will they challenge traditional players, or will they partner with them to improve the cash distribution network? Will they compete with existing branches and ATMs or will they offer an alternative channel? Can they disrupt the trend towards increasing use of digital payments? Or can they turn cash into a digital payment? Can Cashtech play a more prominent role in the future cash cycle? How can their business model be more attractive for retailers and other stakeholders? Should central banks and retailers encourage their expansion?