ACCC proposes to permit continued collaboration to help Australians’ entry to money

The ACCC has issued a draft dedication proposing to authorise the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and different business members to develop methods to make sure the continued distribution of money throughout Australia.

The ACCC additionally proposes to permit the events to take sure steps to make sure cash-in-transit providers would proceed if Armaguard’s providers have been suspended or disrupted. Armaguard is the principle nationwide distributor of money in Australia. The implementation of some other measures can be topic to a separate utility for authorisation, if required.

Cash-in-transit providers type the premise of the money distribution system, the place bodily forex is transported, processed and saved throughout the nation. Cash-in-transit firms service the cash-related wants of banks, giant retailers and hospitality venues, and likewise supply money administration providers equivalent to banknote refilling for ATMs.

“We are proposing to grant this authorisation to allow the ABA and other relevant parties to discuss and develop responses to ensure consumers and businesses can continue to access cash,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh stated.

“Public access to physical currency is incredibly important, especially for consumers who are reliant on cash payments including those in regional and remote areas.”

The ACCC has included three situations in its proposed authorisation, one among which requires the ABA to develop initiatives to guard entry to money in distant areas, the place there are sometimes fewer choices for accessing money providers.

Interim authorisation for this conduct has been in place with situations since October 2024. The conduct has additionally been topic to earlier ACCC authorisations, together with an interim authorisation first granted in December 2023.

The ACCC is now searching for submissions on its draft dedication.

This draft dedication doesn’t relate to the event or implementation of any pricing mechanisms between Armaguard and its main clients. The ACCC’s web site will probably be up to date with info regarding these points when an utility for authorisation is acquired from the events.

Further details about the ABA’s utility and how you can make a submission by 14 November 2025 is on the market on the ACCC’s web site.

Note to editors

When rivals act collectively, they require some type of exemption from the ACCC to keep away from the danger of breaching competitors legal guidelines.

ACCC authorisation gives statutory safety from court docket motion for conduct that may in any other case elevate considerations beneath the competitors provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

Broadly, part 91 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) permits the ACCC to grant an authorisation when it’s happy that the general public profit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.

Background

The ACCC has granted 4 authorisations regarding cash-in-transit providers since 2023:

• On 13 June 2023, the ACCC granted merger authorisation to Armaguard and Prosegur Australia to mix their money distribution, administration and different companies in Australia, and accepted a court-enforceable enterprise, which is a situation of the merger authorisation. Following this merger, Armaguard grew to become the foremost provider of cash-in-transit providers in Australia.
• On 27 May 2024, the ACCC granted authorisation with situations to the ABA, the Customer Owned Banking Association, banks, retailers and different business members to permit them to develop responses to help the distribution of money throughout Australia.
• On 12 September 2024, the ACCC granted authorisation with situations to permit the ABA, its member banks, Australia Post, retailers, supermarkets and different business members to collaborate to allow them to guarantee there’s continuity of cash-in-transit providers. The ACCC’s authorisation permits the events to collaborate and put together for any suspension or disruption of cash-in-transit providers.
• On 25 June 2025, the ACCC granted authorisation with situations for the ABA, and the foremost banks and retailers (‘the Funding Parties’) to offer monetary contributions to Armaguard and talk about and implement operational sustainability and effectivity measures. The ACCC additionally authorised the events to debate and attain settlement on (however not implement) improvement of an unbiased pricing mechanism in respect of every (future) money providers settlement with every of the Funding Parties. Authorisation was granted with situations till 30 June 2026 however doesn’t prolong to the implementation of any pricing proposal – the ACCC expects an additional utility for authorisation of implementation of the pricing proposal in the end.