Cash cards

These are plastic cards, issued typically by banks and building societies and used for withdrawing cash from Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

Like credit cards, cash cards have a magnetic stripe on the back which contains account information. To withdraw cash, the user needs to input a personal identification number (PIN). Cash cards are often combined with debit or credit cards.

Around half of all the UK's cash machines are affiliated to the Link network. All banks and building societies are increasingly keen to replace cash cards with smart cards because these offer the opportunity to enhance card security and cut down on fraud.

See also: Financial Services