Link reveals habits in cash withdrawals

Link, the operator of the UK’s cash machine network, has published research on the habits of customers in the UK as they withdraw money, dividing them into two groups of ‘feasters’ and ‘nibblers’.

The survey of 2,300 people showed that some people tend to withdraw £100 or more once or more a week – feasters – while others take out £20 to £30, two or three times per week – nibblers.

Some 20 per cent of men are feasters according to the study, compared to ten per cent of women, and are also more likely to carry a lot of cash around with them. Around 52 per cent of men carry more than £20 in cash with them compared to 37 per cent of women.

Of the women who carry between £50 and £100 with them, five per cent said that it was to avoid making trips to the cash machine, while 72 per cent of the men who carry this amount with them said it was to pay for their wife or girlfriend.

Edwin Latter, spokesperson for Link, said: “As operators of the UK’s cash machine network, we are very interested in understanding people’s attitudes to cash and what factors determine their use of cash machines.

“The statistics show some very distinct withdrawal patterns between genders.”

One thing which appeared consistent between men and women was running out of cash, with 20 per cent of both sexes saying they had visited a cash machine more than three times in one evening and 33 per cent saying they have resorted to borrowing money from friends.