Here at Prineta we get asked this question quite a lot, so we figured it was about time we did a post about it. We are an ATM company offering nationwide ATM services such as ATM placement, ATM sales, ATM cash loading and more, so we have seen the highs and lows of ATM surcharge ranges across the country. There are a lot of different figures being thrown around, and people often find it confusing understanding ATM surcharge fees.
When you use an ATM at a gas station or hotel, for example, you should understand that these ATMs are usually owned by independent ATM operators such as Prineta. The ATM operator will charge a certain surcharge fee for this service. The national average for the ATM owner’s surcharge is $2.88, all of this money goes to the business operations of the independent ATM operator. When you use an independently-owned ATM, your bank will typically charge you an “out of network ATM fee” since you’re not using an ATM in your financial institution’s network. The average out-of-network fee from the bank is now $1.64.
Currently, as of October 2015, the national average ATM surcharge fee, including both the ATM owner’s fee and the bank’s out-of-network fee is $4.52.