Chequing Account ATM Fees

If you withdraw cash from ATMs frequently every month and find yourself going over your monthly limit, you may want to consider a chequing account with a slightly higher fee that covers more monthly transactions. It might seem counterintuitive to pay a higher fee up front every month, but you’ll save money in the long run by not racking up fees on additional charges.

ATM transaction fees

While most ATM transactions are covered under your monthly fee, others will cost extra regardless. You will almost always be charged a fee for things like credit card cash advances, printing a statement or accessing bill payment history.

Using another provider’s ATM

Using an ATM attached to another provider (not your own) will cost you. First, your own provider will charge you a network access fee for withdrawing money from an ATM belonging to another financial institution. This fee is typically $1.50-$2.50 per transaction. Second, the ATM provider will charge non-customers a convenience fee, typically $1-$4, for letting you access their machine. Before going through with the transaction, you’ll be advised of the convenience fee and be required to accept it before continuing with the transaction. It’s important to know that when using another provider’s ATM, you will only be advised of the convenience fee, not your own bank’s network access fee—that will be added on top of the convenience fee.

White label ATMs

In many cases, ATMs are branded by the banks and credit unions that own them. But since 1997, privately owned white label ATMs have been sprouting up across Canada in high-traffic areas where traditional branded ATMs aren’t, such as bars and restaurants, casinos, malls and hotels. As with using another financial institution’s ATM, white label ATMs charge a convenience fee, which you’ll be advised of and required to accept before continuing your transaction.

White label ATMs have the highest convenience fees out there—according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, they can range between $1.50-$5 per transaction. This is on top of the $1.50-$2.50 network access fee and any applicable regular account fees your home financial institution will charge you. For example, if you withdraw $20 from a white label ATM and are charged a $2 network access fee from your own bank and a $3 convenience fee by the private operator, you’ll end up paying $5 or 25% of your overall withdrawal in fees. As such, it’s not advisable to use private ATMs to take out small sums of cash.

White label fees are the highest because private operators aren’t beholden to a minimum or maximum limit, meaning they can charge as much as they want. Because of this, consumer advocates are highly critical of white label ATMs, with some groups even encouraging boycotts. Only use a white label ATM if you’re in a dire cash emergency—it’s really going to cost you.

Foreign ATM fees

Foreign ATM fees are perplexing: they’re difficult to understand, yet easy to rack up if you’re on a long trip, a frequent traveler, or if you’re just uniformed. Using an ATM to withdraw local currency generally provides the best exchange rates, but your bank could tack on a $1 to $5 foreign ATM access charge. It will also charge a percentage of the transaction amount in foreign exchange fees. For example, Canada’s Big Five banks each charge a standard 2.5% fee. On top of all that, the ATM’s owner may charge you a few dollars (or euros, pesos, or yen…) the same way other banks and white label ATMs charge you a convenience fee at home.

Let’s take a look at an example of the fees you might be charged for withdrawing cash from your Canadian chequing account at an ATM in the United States:

As you can see in the example above, the fees paid to your home bank and the foreign bank for accessing the ATM, plus the currency conversion fees add up to $11.37. In total, you’ll spend $151.37 Canadian dollars to withdraw $100 US.

Charges vary widely based on financial institution and what type of chequing account you have, but it is possible to avoid foreign ATM fees. Many banks belong to networks that allow customers to access other member financial institutions’ ATMs without charge. If your debit card is linked to a network such as Interac, PLUS, Maestro, Interlink or Cirrus, you’re free to use another financial institution’s ATM as long as they also belong to that network. Take a look at the back of your debit card—it should display the logos of the networks your card is linked to.

You should also check if your bank has international partners allow access to their ATMs. For example, Scotiabank waives its $5 foreign ATM fee if you use a machine with a bank that is part of the Global ATM Alliance, which has member banks in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. TD Canada Trust customers can use TD Bank machines in east-coast U.S. states, from Maine to Florida, without charge. Before leaving home, make sure your network is readily available where you’re going.

How to save on ATM fees

There may be an almost overwhelming number of ATM fees, but there are also several ways to avoid needless charges:

• Use your home bank’s ATM: It sounds like a no-brainer, but at some point, nearly everyone is guilty of forking out fees for using another provider’s out of convenience. Map out ATM locations around your home, work, or areas you frequently visit so that you’re never caught off guard. If you’re somewhere unfamiliar and use a mobile banking app, use the ATM/branch locating feature to find the nearest machine.
• Withdraw more cash less often: The less often you withdraw money from the ATM, the less you’ll pay in fees. If you’re a responsible spender, take out a whack of cash, budget how much you’ll spend each week, and only carry around the amount you need.
• Use credit cards for daily transactions: Using your credit card instead means your transaction won’t count against your chequing account’s monthly limit, but remember to pay off the balance in full before the end of each month.
• Combine cash and purchases as one transaction: If you need cash but aren’t close to an ATM owned by your bank, you can ask for cash back when you make a purchase at most grocery or liquor stores.
• Choose the right account: Make sure your chequing account’s monthly plan includes enough transactions to cover your needs. If you find that you’re always going over your monthly limit, consider switching to a different account that offers more transactions per month.

Also read: Chequing Account Fees