The average ATM fee is a record-high $4.52
Next time you accidentally frequent a cash-only bar, you better think twice about settling for the nearest ATM. The average fee for using an out-of-network ATM is now a record-high $4.52, according to a Bankrate survey released Monday. If you live in a city like New York or Atlanta, average fees top $5, and you might wind up forking over as much as $8 in some cases.
The new average is a 21 percent spike from five years ago, The Wall Street Journal reports, chalking it up to a combination of pressure on banks to lower other fees and a sizable decrease in ATM withdrawal popularity.
U.S. banks don't disclose how much they earn in non-customer ATM fees, but overall, they've collectively brought in less money from all fees in recent years.
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San Francisco boasts some of the lowest ATM fees out of the cities surveyed — $3.85 on average — but when you weigh that against the city's exorbitant housing market, it's a safe bet you're better off staying put.
