Bristol’s best (and worst) cashpoints

Taking cash out is a depressing chore. There’s the despair of an absence of tenners or fivers, the dreaded “Cash and Balance” dilemma and the strange anger at a machine which asks if you want “financial advice”.

But very occasionally there’s also the euphoric sensation of leaving with cash in your pocket, like a Russian mafia-boss or Grime artist with “a lot of dollar”.

However, where is the place to do the deed? Which cashpoints will leave you feeling let down and unsatisfied? Which will leave you feeling like you want to go back and take out more cash because the experience was so good? Wonder no longer: here’s the definitive ranking of Bristol’s cashpoints.

Barclays 3/10

The complacency of Barclays is staggering. Admittedly they boast the best location but this doesn’t mean there service isn’t shockingly poor. Half of the time one of the two cashpoints is broken while queues inevitably go around the block in peak times. If that wasn’t bad enough, £20 notes seem to be their only currency

Natwest, Clifton Down 8/10

Beats Barclays by a country mile, hands down, everyday of the week – use any cliché you like. This cashpoint does the simple things really well. Two cashpoints, check. Excellent mix of tenners and fivers, check. Ideal location, check. What more could you ask for?

RBS 9/10

If you’re a stingy bastard this cashpoint is the place for you. It may be subtly tucked away behind the Cowshed and less well-known than some of the big boys of the cashpoint world but this place has got something others don’t. It deals in fivers. Ideal for paying a friend back or grabbing a kebab across the road, this is a safe haven for anyone who can’t face looking at their bank balance after a wild one on the Triangle.

Co-op Stoke Bishop 4/10

When you live in Stoke Bishop you often feel like you’re on a desert island. However, if you do venture out of your room on another hungover Saturday you can find a cash point down at the local Co-operative (thank me now freshers). It does the job but is probably not worth the walk which nicely sums up Stoke Bishop in general.

Lloyds, Queens Road 5/10

Another cashpoint which offers a wholly forgettable experience. Situated on one of the busiest streets in Bristol and surrounded by chaotic food shoppers and people persuading you to get your eyes tested or give them money, getting cash out here is a particularly stressful process. By day you’re paranoid someone’s looking at your pin, by night it’s hoards of Lizard Lounge-goers who are about to waste their money on VKs and Apple Sourz.