Download the full paper to understand how payment methods are evolving across Latin America and what these changes mean for the efficiency and capabilities of ATM networks.
Enter your information to access the full PDF.
The decline in cash usage is often interpreted as a sign that ATMs will become increasingly less relevant within the financial ecosystem. The data, however, points to a more complex reality. While instant transfers, cards, and digital channels continue to gain share, ATM networks remain part of the infrastructure that supports banking operations across Latin America.
The challenge, therefore, is not simply to determine how much cash is still being used, but to understand how an ATM network should evolve as customer needs and the mix of payment methods continue to change.
In ATM Network Efficiency: The Challenge of a Market with Fewer Cash Transactions, CLAI PAYMENTS® Technologies examines the evolution of the main payment methods across several Latin American markets and how these shifts relate to ATM infrastructure. The analysis draws on 2025 data from central banks and financial authorities to identify key trends and differences across the region.
The findings show that Latin America is not moving toward a single payments model. In some countries, digital transactions already account for the largest share of activity. In others, cards remain a major component of the payments landscape, while cash continues to hold significant relevance. This diversity means infrastructure decisions cannot be based on a single regional formula.
ATM networks also show different patterns across markets. Some countries are increasing the number of ATMs, while others are seeing declines. But network size is only one part of the discussion. As the way people use financial services changes, so do expectations around what an ATM should be able to deliver. Beyond cash withdrawals, ATMs can increasingly support deposits, payments, transfers, card management, and other transactions.
This creates an opportunity for financial institutions: to improve the efficiency of existing infrastructure and expand its capabilities without assuming that modernization must require full replacement.
The paper explores precisely this relationship between the evolution of payment methods and transactional infrastructure. Based on the data analyzed, it raises several relevant questions for financial institutions: how should an ATM network be managed as cash-related transactions decline? What additional roles can these channels assume to preserve their value? And what technology capabilities are required to manage an increasingly diverse network?
The answer does not lie solely in increasing or reducing the number of ATMs. Efficiency also depends on the ability to manage different transaction types, integrate new services, maintain network availability, and access the information required to make better operational decisions.
In this context, ATM modernization can be understood as an evolution of capabilities. The same infrastructure can support new functions, connect with other channels, and respond to needs that extend beyond cash withdrawals.
This allows existing investments to continue generating value while the payments ecosystem introduces new instruments and new ways for customers to interact with financial services.
ATM Network Efficiency: The Challenge of a Market with Fewer Cash Transactions presents the key data and findings from this analysis, together with a perspective on the role ATM networks can continue to play within an increasingly diverse financial ecosystem.
