ATM surcharges at banks continue to rise

ATM surcharges at banks continue to rise
Tags: Bank / Credit Union, Other, Transaction Processing, Trends / Statistics
April 24, 2006

Digital Transactions: More banks now levy surcharges on ATM transactions performed by non-customers, and the fee is higher than ever, according to Bankrate.com, a service of Bankrate Inc. The average ATM surcharge is $1.60, up from $1.54 in fall 2005. And the average is up 20 percent from just two years ago, when the surcharge was $1.32. Some 98 percent of banks owning ATMs now levy a fee, up from 91 percent a year ago and 89 percent two years ago. The firm says Washington Mutual's decision last fall to reinstate surcharges prompted many banks to follow suit. (Read, Washington Mutual charges non-account users at ATMs.)