How to avoid ATM fees
ATM fees add up fast. Learn how out-of-network charges, foreign transaction fees, and overdraft fees work, and how to sidestep them.
Share
In this Article
Share
This content is for general educational purposes and is not intended as financial, legal, investment, or tax advice and should not be relied on as such. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information found in this post.
Summary
Out-of-network ATM fees usually stack two charges together, an ATM operator surcharge and a separate fee from your own bank or credit union.
Fee-free ATMs and large in-network ATM lists from online banks and credit unions help you avoid most out-of-network machine fees.
Foreign transaction fees, foreign ATM fees, and dynamic currency conversion can quietly raise the cost of getting cash while traveling.
Checking your account balance before you withdraw cash helps you avoid overdraft fees at the ATM.
Cash back at checkout, a digital wallet, and mobile banking give you fee-free ways to get cash without visiting an ATM at all.
Withdrawing cash should be simple, but the wrong ATM can turn a quick errand into an unexpected expense. Between ATM operator surcharges, out-of-network ATM fees, and foreign transaction fees, it's easy to lose several dollars every time you need cash. The good news is that most ATM fees are avoidable once you know how they work and where to look for a fee-free ATM.
This guide walks through the different types of ATM fees, how to find in-network ATMs and no-fee ATMs near you, and how to keep cash costs low whether you're at home or traveling abroad.
How ATM fees work
An ATM fee usually isn't just one charge. It's often two fees layered on top of each other. The first is an ATM surcharge charged by the ATM operator, meaning the company or business that owns the machine. Federal rules require the ATM operator to disclose this fee on the machine's screen or on a printed notice before you agree to the transaction, so you always have a chance to cancel before you're charged.
The second charge, if it applies, comes from your own bank or credit union. Many financial institutions charge their own out-of-network ATM fees whenever you use an out-of-network machine, meaning any ATM outside their approved list. Between the ATM operator's surcharge and your bank's own fee, a single withdrawal from an out-of-network ATM can easily cost you several dollars.
Where ATM fees add up the fastest
Out-of-network ATM fees can add up quickly if you're not paying attention. A single trip to a machine outside your bank's network can carry a combined surcharge and out-of-network fee of close to five dollars, according to a 2025 industry study of checking account and ATM fees. Withdraw cash from an out-of-network ATM a few times a month, and those fees start to look like a recurring bill.
Withdrawing cash without checking your account balance first can also lead to overdraft fees if the withdrawal pushes your balance below zero. Your bank or credit union may charge a flat overdraft fee any time a transaction exceeds your available balance, on top of whatever the ATM itself charges.
Getting in the habit of checking your balance in your mobile banking app before you withdraw cash is a simple way to avoid stacking an overdraft fee on top of an ATM fee.
Learn more about Banking
Find a fee-free ATM before you need cash
The easiest way to avoid ATM fees is to withdraw cash from an in-network ATM in the first place. Most banks and credit unions partner with a nationwide ATM network, so your debit card works fee-free at thousands of fee-free ATMs even outside your home city. Before you're in a pinch for cash, use your banking app's ATM locator to find the closest in-network ATM, or search online for your network's ATM locator tool.
Planning ahead matters here. If you already know you'll need cash later in the day, look up a no-fee ATM on your route instead of pulling out your card at the first machine you see. A little bit of mobile banking habit, like checking an ATM locator before you leave the house, can save you from paying an avoidable out-of-network ATM fee.
Choose a bank built around fee-free ATM access
Not all checking accounts treat ATM access the same way. Traditional banks with a smaller branch footprint may only waive fees at their own branches, which can leave you exposed to out-of-network fees more often than you'd expect.
Online banks and credit unions frequently make up for having fewer physical branches by partnering with large nationwide ATM networks or shared branching programs, so their customers still get reliable, fee-free access to cash.
Some accounts go a step further and offer ATM fee reimbursement, crediting back a surcharge the ATM operator charges you even at a machine outside their network. When you're comparing checking accounts, it's worth asking how large the fee-free ATM network actually is and whether the account offers any reimbursement for the fees it doesn't waive outright. A debit card tied to a large fee-free network is one of the simplest ways to stop thinking about ATM fees altogether.
Avoid foreign ATM fees while traveling
Getting cash abroad comes with its own set of costs. Foreign transaction fees, sometimes called international transaction fees, are typically a percentage of the transaction added by your card network when you withdraw in a foreign currency. On top of that, the local ATM operator may charge its own ATM surcharge, and your bank may add a separate foreign ATM fee for the international withdrawal.
One of the costliest traps abroad is dynamic currency conversion. Some overseas ATMs offer to show your withdrawal amount in US dollars instead of the local foreign currency, using their own exchange rate. That exchange rate is almost always worse than the one your card network would apply, so choosing to be charged in the local currency, not your home currency, usually saves you money. When the ATM asks which currency to withdraw in, choose the local currency every time.
Skip the ATM altogether
Sometimes the cheapest ATM is the one you never visit. Many retailers let you get cash back on a debit card purchase at checkout, with no ATM operator involved and no separate fee.
A digital wallet can also reduce how often you need physical cash in the first place, since more merchants accept a phone tap or in-app payment at the register than ever before. Withdrawing cash at a store's customer service desk, using your debit card instead of a machine, is another fee-free option worth checking for at retailers you already shop at.
How OnePay helps you avoid ATM fees
Banking through OnePay gives you a checking account built around fee-free ATM access, with fee-free withdrawals at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs nationwide. Outside that network, a flat Cash Out fee applies instead of a surprise combination of surcharges, so you always know what a withdrawal will cost before you make it. Checking through OnePay has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements, and you can use the OnePay app to find the nearest in-network ATM before you head out.
Frequently Asked Questions
An ATM operator fee, also called a surcharge, is charged by the company that owns the machine, no matter which bank you use. Your bank's out-of-network fee is a separate charge some banks add on top whenever you use a machine outside their approved list. You can be charged one, both, or neither, depending on your bank and the ATM.
Check your banking app's ATM locator, which shows in-network ATMs near your current location or along a route you're planning. Most nationwide fee-free ATM networks also have their own locator tool online if you'd rather search from a browser.
It depends on the bank. Many online banks partner with large ATM networks specifically because they don't have their own branches, so they tend to offer wide fee-free access. It's still worth checking the specific network size and any out-of-network fee before opening an account.
Dynamic currency conversion is when a foreign ATM or merchant offers to convert your withdrawal into your home currency using its own exchange rate, which is usually worse than your card network's rate. You can avoid it by choosing to be charged in the local currency whenever an ATM or card reader gives you the option.
Credit unions often participate in shared branching networks and co-op ATM programs, which let members withdraw cash fee-free at thousands of partner locations, even outside their home credit union's own machines. Fees can still apply outside those shared networks, so it's worth checking your specific credit union's ATM policy.
Yes. Many retailers offer cash back on a debit card purchase at checkout for no extra fee, and some let you withdraw cash directly at a customer service desk. Both options skip the ATM operator and any surcharge that comes with it.
If a withdrawal exceeds your available balance, your bank may charge an overdraft fee in addition to whatever the ATM itself costs. Checking your account balance in your mobile app before you withdraw cash is the simplest way to avoid stacking these two fees together.
Not exactly. A foreign transaction fee is typically a percentage charged by your card network for any transaction made in a foreign currency. A foreign ATM fee is a separate, often flat, fee some banks charge specifically for using an ATM outside the country. You can be charged one or both on a single international withdrawal.
Banking through OnePay is fee-free at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs nationwide. Withdrawals at ATMs outside that network carry a flat Cash Out fee, and international ATM withdrawals may still be subject to foreign transaction fees.
Most banks let you see your current account balance in their mobile app or online banking portal in real time, without visiting an ATM at all. Checking there first helps you avoid an overdraft fee if a withdrawal would otherwise exceed your available balance.