Link (British interbank network)

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Link, stylised LINK, is the United Kingdom’s main interbank ATM network. It allows people to withdraw cash from ATMs that aren’t operated by their own bank. It is a not-for-profit organisation regulated by the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator.

Operating area and members
Link operates in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It has 32 member organisations, including major banks like Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest, building societies such as Nationwide and the Coventry Building Society, the Post Office, and independent ATM operators.

What it does
The Link network connects around 48,000 cash machines. In 2023, about 38,500 of these were free to use, with roughly 11,000 charging for withdrawals. Each week, about £1.6 billion is withdrawn through Link ATMs. The average withdrawal is about £82, and the average UK adult withdraws around £1,500.

How it operates
The network’s infrastructure is run by Vocalink, a company formed in 2007 from the merger of Link Interchange Network Limited and Voca Limited. The cash machine scheme itself is run by its member banks and operators. The CEO is John Howells and the Chair is Sir Mark Boleat.

Financial inclusion and access to cash
Link runs a financial inclusion programme to protect cash access in remote and deprived areas. It subsidises the provision of free-to-use ATMs with an interchange premium of up to £2.75, funding about £1.5 million each month. This initiative has helped more than 3,400 priority areas gain new free-to-use ATMs.

Community initiatives and closures
In October 2019, Link began a scheme allowing anyone to request a new free-to-use ATM in their community, and by 2023 more than 160 locations benefited. In 2021, after an industry-wide agreement, communities facing the closure of core cash services (like a bank branch or ATM) receive an independent assessment by Link to determine whether a new solution is needed. If required, Link commissions services to meet a community’s cash needs. Banking hubs are delivered by Cash Access UK Ltd.

Website
www.link.co.uk