More consumers are becoming “savvy” about withdrawing cash in ways that avoid incurring extra charges, a spokesperson for UK payments agency Apacs has said.

As debit cards celebrate their 20th anniversary since Barclays introduced the first, “customers do understand that taking cash from cash machines with their credit cards will generally cost them more,” Mark Bowerman, Apacs’ PR manager, argued.

Between 2005 and 2006, the amount of cash withdrawn from ATMs using a debit card rose by around ten per cent, from £141.8 billion to £156.2 billion, he said.

Over the same period, the sums withdrawn using a credit card fell from £9.17 billion to £8.22 billion.

Nevertheless, costs on an individual card, be it a credit or debit card, will vary, Mr Bowerman emphasised.

“You need to shop around and work out what the best deal is for you,” he advised.

Nevertheless, he was optimistic that the increased provision of independent financial information and advice for consumers online and elsewhere was helping them make better-informed choices.

“Everybody’s becoming more savvy with what they need to do to make a better choice about the products that they’re using, and the ways that they use them,” Mr Bowerman concluded.

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