New software lets people withdraw money from cash machines using their smartphones rather than their cards has been launched.
Customers who use the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) or NatWest mobile banking app can now request up to £100 cash via their smartphone.
They are given a six digit code to enter into an ATM to release the cash.
The services are the latest developments in a long predicted move towards the smartphone becoming a digital wallet.
RBS said that its new system would help customers who had forgotten their bank cards, or who wished to send cash to family members in a hurry.
It would also allow the people to leave their wallets at home in favour of taking a mobile phone.
The service is available to customers who have downloaded the bank’s free app and use the 8,000 RBS, NatWest or Tesco branded ATMs in the UK.
Some 2.6 million people have installed it on their smartphones so far, the bank said.
At present, customers using a card can withdraw up to £300 from their home in the wall machines. Initially the limit on the cardless withdrawal will be £100.
Access to the app requires a password, and the withdrawal code will be hidden until the user taps the screen. This is aimed at preventing thieves from looking over the user’s shoulder to steal the code.
The system is an extension of a RBS service that allowed people whose card had been stolen to access emergency cash from an ATM.