How to reduce cash-in-transit costs

Cash-in-transit is one of the most underestimated cost items for anyone taking cash at self-service machines. Here are the concrete levers to reduce it without giving up security.

Why cash-in-transit costs more than it looks

The cost of a cash-in-transit service is not just the pickup invoice. At least three items weigh in: the fee per pickup (often a flat amount, regardless of how much is collected), the subscription and insurance, and above all the immobilised liquidity — the cash you have already taken in that sits idle in the machines until it is deposited at the bank.

The practical consequence: frequent pickups of small amounts are the least efficient, because the fixed cost weighs far more in percentage terms. Cutting the bill therefore means working on two fronts: how often you collect, and how long the cash stays parked.

The levers to lower the bill

• Space out pickups: schedule collections based on how full the safe actually is, not on a fixed calendar.
• Optimise routes and collection points: consolidating machines served on the same run reduces trips.
• Secure the cash on site with safes fitted with an acceptor (smart safes): less exposed cash means fewer emergency pickups.
• Digitise reconciliation: tracking every deposit removes counting errors and admin time.

Pre-crediting: separating the pickup from the liquidity

The biggest hidden cost is idle cash. Until the money is deposited it is not available in your account: it slows down supplier payments, restocking and investment. This is where real-time cash pre-crediting comes in: the bank credits the amount the moment the machine accepts the banknotes, before the physical pickup.

The effect on cash-in-transit cost is dramatic: you can space out pickups — fewer trips, fewer fees — without hurting cash flow, because the liquidity is already there. Collection becomes a scheduled logistics task, not an urgency driven by the need for cash.

A retrofit approach, replacing nothing

You don't need to rebuild your equipment. Solutions like Optacash slot onto the acceptors and safes you already have, adding real-time pre-crediting with no new hardware and a quick installation. For cash-in-transit companies it is also a chance to offer a value-added service to their customers.