In Jordan in 2019, 77 percent of refugees receiving UNHCR cash assistance completed an ATM withdrawal in under thirty minutes. Yet 7 percent in Mafraq and 5 percent in Zarqa needed an hour or more. Crowding and malfunctioning machines sent some people to multiple ATMs. Older people and those with disabilities sometimes asked younger relatives to hold their place while they sat until their turn.
Iris recognition removed cards and PINs but not the constraints of transport and machines. A focus-group participant from a remote area said missing the only bus could mean transport costing more than ten Jordanian dinars. Before the few seconds of looking into a scanner came a much longer order, sometimes maintained by a family in shifts.