For years, Australians have been told the same story: cash is on the way out. But the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest data tells a very different story — and frankly, it’s one worth paying attention to.
According to the RBA’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey, cash use hasn’t just stabilised — it’s ticked up. Around 15% of payments are now made in cash (up from 13% in 2022), with about half of Australians still using it every week.
Even more telling: one-third of Australians say they’d face hardship if cash disappeared.
That’s not a dying system. That’s a system people still rely on.
This Is Exactly What We’ve Been Saying
If you’ve been following FreedomFFS, none of this is surprising. We’ve consistently pushed back on the “cashless inevitability” narrative — not because we’re anti-tech, but because choice matters.
When banks move cashless, clients push back — not for technical reasons, but on principle. When governments propose regulating cash, it’s framed as protecting inclusion — because cash still underpins access and fairness. And when systems come under pressure globally, history shows one thing clearly: people revert to cash when trust drops.
So no — this isn’t a random blip. It’s behaviour.
Why Cash Is Holding On (And Why That Matters)
The RBA itself highlights why cash isn’t going anywhere:
- It’s a fallback when digital systems fail
- It supports financial inclusion
- It provides privacy and control
- It becomes more important during uncertain economic periods
In other words, cash isn’t just a payment method — it’s infrastructure. And right now, Australians are quietly voting with their wallets.
Our Take: This Is a Win
Let’s call it what it is. This shift — however small — is a signal. A signal that:
- People still want options
- People still value control over their money
- And people aren’t blindly accepting a fully digital system
We’ve said it before: “use it or lose it.” What the RBA data shows is that Australians are, in fact, using it.
What Happens Next?
Here’s where it gets interesting. At the same time cash use is stabilising:
- ATMs and bank branches are declining
- Policy discussions around mandating cash acceptance are heating up
- And the push toward digital systems continues
So we’re heading into a tension point. Demand for cash is holding — but access to cash is under pressure. That gap matters.
The bottom Line? Cash isn’t making a dramatic comeback. But it’s not disappearing either. It’s proving something more important. Australians still want financial freedom, not just convenience. And from our perspective? That’s a win.
Like to keep winning? Join Cash Out Day on Tues 28 April. We’ll See you there!