Post Office’s Longest Ever Deal With Banks Commences, Pledging Access to Cash on UK High Streets Until 2030

WHY THIS MATTERS: This landmark, long-term commitment by 30 major financial institutions establishes the UK Post Office as the definitive last-mile service for physical currency, a structural bulwark against the nation’s rapid shift toward digital payments and the accelerating pattern of high street branch closures. The extension is far more than a simple service contract; it is a critical, formalized defense of financial inclusion for millions of individuals and small businesses who remain reliant on cash, particularly in rural or low-income communities. By confirming this access until 2030, the agreement underpins market stability and provides certainty for those facing the greatest impact from the widening digital divide. It forces a key industry realization: for the UK economy to thrive inclusively, the infrastructure for a hybrid financial ecosystem—one that seamlessly supports both digital and physical transactions—must be secured for the long haul.

Post Office’s longest ever agreement with banks is now live, ensuring cash remains accessible, via post offices, in local communities until December 2030. 

The new five-year agreement with 30 UK bank brands and building societies underpins access to cash for millions of individuals and small businesses at Post Office branches.  

The deal extension confirms how the UK is far from becoming a cashless society, with December data highlighting that Post Office handled over 163 million cash transactions in 2025, with over 14.5 million transactions made in December 2025 alone. 

Post Office remains committed to providing free access to cash for millions of people every day, with the Banking Framework 4 deal ensuring that customers can withdraw and deposit cash, make balance enquiries and deposit cheques face-to-face with their local postmaster.  

Last year Post Office experienced record-breaking months for cash transactions in its branches, with July seeing the highest volume of cash transactions at Post Office branches on record, highlighting why cash remains essential on high streets.  

Latest Post Office data shows the total volume of cash transactions increased by 8% last month, compared to the previous December. Further data reveals over 4% more transactions were handled by Post Office branches in 2025, compared to 2024.  

Ben Hunter Woollard, Head of Banking at Post Office, said, “Post offices provide one stop shops for many essential services with millions of people and local businesses relying on cash every day. We are delighted to rollout the longest ever agreement with 30 banks and building societies to provide cash banking services across all branches until 2030. 

“The UK is far from becoming a cashless society. Post Office remains committed to supporting people and businesses to access the cash they need to help them, and local high streets thrive.” 

Use Post Office Brand Finder to locate your nearest branch: https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder  

FF NEWS TAKE: This deal is unequivocally a needle-mover, stabilizing the social and financial fabric of the UK for the next half-decade. It removes the immediate existential threat to access to cash and cements the Post Office’s quasi-regulatory role as the universal banking counter. However, the conversation now pivots from access to sustainability. We must watch closely how this model evolves over the next 12-18 months. Specifically, we anticipate increased scrutiny on the long-term, underlying costs of this provision for the participating banks and whether the Post Office will leverage its unique transaction data to begin integrating this physical network with future-forward services like digital identity verification.