South Africa’s First National Bank has long had an intriguing service that lets you take money out of a cash machine without a plastic card. The trouble is that it’s not exactly the easiest process, requiring one time passwords and SMS in a way that’s far from immediately obvious. Members of the htxt.africa team have tried it when they’ve forgotten their wallet, and invariably end up going inside a branch for help.

From this morning, however, the process should be a lot easier. The bank has just updated its smartphone app so that you can authorise a cardless cash withdrawal in a few intuitive taps.

To date, FNB’s cardless cash withdrawals have shifted over R2 billion through the functionality – and more than 1.2 million active smartphones have the FNB Banking App installed.

“Enhancement of the FNB Banking App has always been driven by innovative banking solutions and customer demand. Our latest results show a 67% increase in App transaction volumes. This comes as a result of increased usage across the spectrum of App features as well as more customers that are migrating to the App for their digital banking needs,” said Giuseppe Virgillito, Head of Banking App at FNB Digital Banking, in a media statement.

Virgillito added that the bank’s mobile app has gone through a number of changes, added more features as the versions progresses – including today’s announcement of cardless cash withdrawal at ATMs.

“Irrespective of the reason for not having a card with you, your mobile devices are unlikely to be more than an arm’s length away. Cardless and cashless features on digital channels ensure simplified banking and 24/7 access to accounts, no matter what the circumstances,” concludes Virgillito.

Is this the start of the cardless future? It certainly looks convenient for if you forget your plastic at home.