How do Canadians perceive access to cash?

This paper presents a subjective measure of cash availability in Canada that complements existing distance-based measures developed by Chen, O’Habib, and Xiao (2023). Analyzing data from the 2023 Payment Methods Survey, this study examines how Canadians perceive ease of access to cash through automated teller machines (ABMs) and financial institution branches. The results show a clear correspondence between subjective perceptions and distance-based measures, with the majority of Canadians reporting easy access to sources of funds. Those who reported lower perceived cash availability had to travel long distances and tended to be young, college-educated, low-income, unemployed, or cash-strapped.