Cash remains the most widely used means of payment. Cash withdrawal services are provided through ATMs, offices of credit institutions, retail outlets, etc. in Lithuania but ATMs are the main channel of access to cash and alternative cash withdrawal methods are currently not equivalent to ATM services. In view of this, the Bank of Lithuania has launched a dialogue among financial market participants and the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June 2021 by the Bank of Lithuania, Association of Lithuanian Banks, Lithuanian branch of AS Citadele banka, Luminor Bank AS Lithuanian branch, AB SEB bankas, Swedbank, AB, AB Šiaulių bankas and the Lithuanian Central Credit Union. Under this Memorandum, the market participants undertook to expand the cash access network in the regions, improve access conditions for consumers and, among other things, improve the services provided at cash access points other than ATMs.
In 2022 access to cash was improved significantly for residents of Lithuanian regions. After financial market participants installed 100 ATMs in the country’s regions as part of the Memorandum, around 250 thousand residents in 40 municipalities across the country can now enjoy faster and more convenient access to cash.
The Bank of Lithuania constantly monitors and evaluates the situation regarding access to cash in the country and will undertake initiative to improve it, if necessary.
As part of the Eurosystem, the Bank of Lithuania participates in and implements decisions on the euro area cash policy. One of the key functions of the Eurosystem is to ensure an uninterrupted supply of cash and facilitate cash payments.
[[#ex]]
Provisions of the Memorandum on access to cash
More on the provisions of the Memorandum
- The main financial and credit institutions in the country committed to doubling the number of locations where cash can be withdrawn in 2022. Before the signing of the Memorandum, ATMs were running in 91 localities, and after the implementation of the Memorandum, access to cash withdrawal points should be ensured in at least 191 localities.
- Financial market participants have committed to ensure that at least 90% of the population of Lithuania will have a cash withdrawal point (an ATM or an equivalent point) within 10 km (distance travel*) of their declared place of residence or 99% of the population within 20 km.
- The development of cash access points is focused on localities with a population of up to 4,000. Financial institutions have committed to ensure access to cash through ATMs or alternative cash access points (e.g. point-of-sale cash withdrawal services provided by partners of banks), provided that the conditions of cash withdrawal services are equivalent to those of ATMs. If the population of the locality is more than 2,000 and there is no cash withdrawal point within 10 km (travel distance), an ATM has to be built. ATMs should be installed in at least 50 localities, while other solutions can be used in other locations.
*Distance travel is the distance that an individual would normally have to travel to reach a cash access point. For instance, if a river crossing is required, the calculation of actual travel takes into account the fact that the individual would need to travel to the nearest bridge.
Moreover, financial institutions have committed to improve the conditions of residents’ access to cash:
- To ensure a sufficient supply of cash at cash access points providing them with available banknotes of both large and small denominations (€10, €20 or €50);
- To ensure that cash access points are open for cash withdrawal for at least 12 hours a day between 6.00 a.m. and midnight or, in the case of an indoor access point, at a time when that space is open to the public.
The Memorandum was signed by the Lithuanian branch of AS Citadele banka, Luminor Bank AS Lithuanian branch, Swedbank, AB, AB SEB bankas, AB Šiaulių bankas and the Lithuanian Central Credit Union as well as the Bank of Lithuania and the Association of Lithuanian Banks. Other financial market participants providing cash-related services are also invited to join.
Accessibility map
An interactive accessibility map and a display panel have been developed to monitor the possibilities of access to cash in Lithuania.
ATMs of banks operating in Lithuania are marked in different colors, depending on the bank. Individual ATMs can be seen by zooming in. The bank and the ATM address is displayed by clicking on an ATM on the map.
Access to cash is measured as the percentage of the population that is within a certain distance (travel distance) from their declared place of residence to a cash access point. The results of access to cash indicators are shown on the right side of the map.
The areas of accessibility at different distances are shown on the map in the corresponding colours: yellow for a cash access point within 5 km, dark yellow within 10 km, grey within 15 km and dark grey within 20 km. The accessibility layer can be seen by clicking on the icon of layers in the top right corner of the map and selecting the “ATM accessibility within a certain distance” layer. The desired accessibility distance (within 5, 10, 15, 20 km) can be selected in the filter above the map (“Accessibility”).
It is also possible to see the population density on the map by clicking on the icon of layers.
The relevant locality can be found by using the search option in the top right corner of the map.
Sources:
Population: Data from the 2020 pilot census of Statistics Lithuania.
Information on declared places of residence and residential areas: Up-to-date data from the Register of Addresses and Population Register of the Centre of Registers.
Road and street network data: Centre of Registers, Lithuanian Road Administration, HNIT-BALTIC, UAB.
Population density data: Statistics Lithuania.
Territorial data of access to cash (open data)
Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs in 192 localities.
Last update: 31-12-2024
Implementation of the Memorandum
The expansion of the network of cash access points in Lithuania, implemented in 2022, has made access to cash faster and more convenient for residents of the regions. Access to cash has been improved for around 250,000 inhabitants in 40 municipalities across the country.
Upon the implementation of the Memorandum by credit institutions on 13 September 2022:
- 100 ATMs were installed in localities with less than 4,000 inhabitants and in locations which had never had an ATM;
- Twice as many localities were provided with the possibility to withdraw cash from an ATM: before the implementation of the Memorandum, ATMs were installed in 91 residential areas, and in 191 after the implementation of the Memorandum;
- The nearest ATM is within 10 km for 91% of the country’s population and within 20 km for 99% (before the Memorandum, the figures were 82% and 95% respectively).
The Bank of Lithuania monitors the fulfilment of commitments of this Memorandum, advises the parties to the agreement, publishes a map of locations of cash access points and publishes an annual review of access to cash in Lithuania.
ATMs installed implementing the Memorandum
Item No |
Locality |
Municipality |
Item No |
Locality |
Municipality |
1 |
Butrimonys |
Alytus district |
51 |
Alsėdžiai |
Plungė district |
2 |
Daugai |
52 |
Plateliai |
||
3 |
Simnas |
53 |
Balbieriškis |
Prienai district |
|
4 |
Kavarskas |
Anykščiai district |
54 |
Jieznas |
|
5 |
Svėdasai |
55 |
Stakliškės |
||
6 |
Vabalninkas |
Biržai district |
56 |
Veiveriai |
|
7 |
Leipalingis |
Druskininkai district |
57 |
Išlaužas |
|
8 |
Didžiasalis |
Ignalina district |
58 |
Pakuonis |
|
9 |
Dūkštas |
59 |
Šiaulėnai |
Radviliškis district |
|
10 |
Išorai |
Jonava district |
60 |
Girkalnis |
Raseiniai district |
11 |
Upninkai |
61 |
Nemakščiai |
||
12 |
Žeimiai |
62 |
Viduklė |
||
13 |
Skaistgirys |
Joniškis district |
63 |
Juodupė |
Rokiškis district |
14 |
Viešvilė |
Jurbarkas district |
64 |
Obeliai |
|
15 |
Smalininkai |
65 |
Pandėlys |
||
16 |
Klausučiai |
66 |
Mosėdis |
Skuodas district |
|
17 |
Rumšiškės |
Kaišiadorys district |
67 |
Ylakiai |
|
18 |
Žiežmariai |
68 |
Gelgaudiškis |
Šakiai district |
|
19 |
Ežerėlis |
Kaunas district |
69 |
Griškabūdis |
|
20 |
Kulautuva |
70 |
Kudirkos Naumiestis |
||
21 |
Piliuona |
71 |
Baltoji Vokė |
Šalčininkai district |
|
22 |
Babtai |
72 |
Jašiūnai |
||
23 |
Kačerginė |
73 |
Dieveniškės |
||
24 |
Pabaliai, Daugėliškiai village |
74 |
Gruzdžiai |
Šiauliai district |
|
25 |
Vandžiogala |
75 |
Kužiai |
||
26 |
Šėta |
Kėdainiai district |
76 |
Meškuičiai |
|
27 |
Labūnava |
77 |
Kaltinėnai |
Šilalė district |
|
28 |
Užventis |
Kelmė district |
78 |
Pajūris |
|
29 |
Kretingalė |
Klaipėda district |
79 |
Kvėdarna |
|
30 |
Dercekliai |
80 |
Laukuva |
||
31 |
Pyktiškė |
81 |
Saugos |
Šilutė district |
|
32 |
Veiviržėnai |
82 |
Švėkšna |
||
33 |
Darbėnai |
Kretinga district |
83 |
Vainutas |
|
34 |
Kartena |
84 |
Žemaičių Naumiestis |
||
35 |
Subačius |
Kupiškis district |
85 |
Adutiškis |
Švenčionys district |
36 |
Seirijai |
Lazdijai district |
86 |
Tryškiai |
Telšiai district |
37 |
Igliauka |
Marijampolė district |
87 |
Paluknys |
Trakai district |
38 |
Viekšniai |
Mažeikiai district |
88 |
Rūdiškės |
|
39 |
Alytus |
Molėtai district |
89 |
Aukštadvaris |
|
40 |
Bijutiškis |
90 |
Matuizos |
Varėna district |
|
41 |
Rukai |
Pagėgiai district |
91 |
Merkinė |
|
42 |
Linkuva |
Pakruojis district |
92 |
Pilviškiai |
Vilkaviškis district |
43 |
Rozalimas |
93 |
Maišiagala |
Vilnius district |
|
44 |
Žeimelis |
94 |
Sudervė |
||
45 |
Miežiškiai |
Panevėžys district |
95 |
Šumskas |
|
46 |
Naujamiestis |
96 |
Mickūnai |
||
47 |
Ramygala |
97 |
Mostiškės |
||
48 |
Pumpėnai |
Pasvalys district |
98 |
Paberžė |
|
49 |
Joniškėlis |
99 |
Pagiriai |
||
50 |
Saločiai |
100 |
Rukainiai |
Last update: 13-10-2023.
Overview on access to cash in Lithuania
- Overview on access to cash in Lithuania (2023) (124.5 KB download icon)
- Overview on access to cash in Lithuania (2022) (423.8 KB download icon)
- Overview on access to cash in Lithuania (October 2022) (545.3 KB download icon)
[[#ex]]