Is charging you to use other banks' ATM fair?

[Cyclone]

Originally posted by Greenback

I stopped at a service station the other day and was caught short. I sniffed around for a cash machine, but all I could find was one that charged £1.85 per transaction.

 

I fear this will become a growing trend, with these portable machines not only in addition to, but actively replacing, the old free-to-use machines.

 

The blighters!

 

if you were at a service station and had your cash card, just pay with switch.

[Sierra]

I've been reading this thread, and I'm not clear on something.

 

Are cash machines owned by banks or a third party the only place you can get cash? (obviously, aside from an actual bank)

 

In the states, banks also charge you for using cash (ATM) machines they don't own. I think it's unfair and greedy, but they make the rules.

 

However, just about every business, store, restaurant, etc. has it's own ATM machines at the registers where you pay. (And you could fit two of these machines in a shoebox. They're perched on the customer's side of the counter)You use your ATM card and pin# for the transaction, then it offers you the option of withdrawing cash. Up to $200 in increments of $20. They do not charge for this service. It's free.

 

This system of being able to withdraw cash at stores etc. has been in use at least 20 years. The very first ATM card I remember getting was back in 1980/81, when I was in college. I believe it was at Wells Fargo.

 

Because of this, I have not used an actual bank ATM machine in at least 10 years.

 

The worst charge I've ever seen is the corner gas station where I fill up. They charge .35 cents per transaction, which I gladly pay as it saves me the trouble of going inside.

 

We rarely actually go to the bank, as we have direct deposit for everything else. If I know I'm going to need cash, I withdraw it while I'm buying milk or bread or something. But we don't carry much cash, we use our ATM cards just about everywhere.

 

We've done this all over the country with no problem. Including Washington DC which is 3000 miles from California.

 

Do you not use this system in the UK?

 

Sierra

[Greenback]

Originally posted by Cyclone

if you were at a service station and had your cash card, just pay with switch.

 

True, but I was only buying a drink which would have left me under the £5 threshhold needed for cashback/switch.

[Cyclone]

Originally posted by Sierra

I've been reading this thread, and I'm not clear on something.

 

Are cash machines owned by banks or a third party the only place you can get cash? (obviously, aside from an actual bank)

 

In the states, banks also charge you for using cash (ATM) machines they don't own. I think it's unfair and greedy, but they make the rules.

 

However, just about every business, store, restaurant, etc. has it's own ATM machines at the registers where you pay. (And you could fit two of these machines in a shoebox. They're perched on the customer's side of the counter)You use your ATM card and pin# for the transaction, then it offers you the option of withdrawing cash. Up to $200 in increments of $20. They do not charge for this service. It's free.

 

This system of being able to withdraw cash at stores etc. has been in use at least 20 years. The very first ATM card I remember getting was back in 1980/81, when I was in college. I believe it was at Wells Fargo.

 

Because of this, I have not used an actual bank ATM machine in at least 10 years.

 

The worst charge I've ever seen is the corner gas station where I fill up. They charge .35 cents per transaction, which I gladly pay as it saves me the trouble of going inside.

 

We rarely actually go to the bank, as we have direct deposit for everything else. If I know I'm going to need cash, I withdraw it while I'm buying milk or bread or something. But we don't carry much cash, we use our ATM cards just about everywhere.

 

We've done this all over the country with no problem. Including Washington DC which is 3000 miles from California.

 

Do you not use this system in the UK?

 

Sierra

 

some places offer a similar facility, cashback, whereby you say you'd like £50 in addition to your loaf of bread.

Not everywhere offers it though as the cash comes out of the till and some places would simply run out of cash.

 

Greenback - i've never seen a service station with a minimum, although i guess they might exist. It tends to be takeaways and pubs with those sorts of rules.

[Lotti]

Originally posted by Cyclone

not sure on what grounds you're all so outraged at regarding the independant ones charging. Why they hell else should they provide them, for the love of it?

 

That's all very good to say that, but if you're somewhere where it's not as easy to get to a bank owned cash point, and there is a privately owned cashpoint there why do you think it is there? Perhaps you can't use your card for certain transactions there? like some places have them because you have to pay cash for drinks etc.

That's why they have them! So that you don't think 'oh, out of money, let's go home' you think 'i'll get some more out' and spend more money with them! It's not for your convenience!

[Cyclone]

Originally posted by Lotti

That's all very good to say that, but if you're somewhere where it's not as easy to get to a bank owned cash point, and there is a privately owned cashpoint there why do you think it is there? Perhaps you can't use your card for certain transactions there? like some places have them because you have to pay cash for drinks etc.

That's why they have them! So that you don't think 'oh, out of money, let's go home' you think 'i'll get some more out' and spend more money with them! It's not for your convenience!

 

and what's your point, they aren't running a charity, they are running a business.

[Sierra]

Originally posted by Cyclone

some places offer a similar facility, cashback, whereby you say you'd like £50 in addition to your loaf of bread.

Not everywhere offers it though as the cash comes out of the till and some places would simply run out of cash.

 

Ahhh, thanks Cyclone.

 

I KNEW there had to be something similar. Must be more prevalent in the US then. I never thought about businesses running out of cash, they always seem to have money for cashback transactions.

 

Sierra

[Lotti]

Well, not wanting to argue, I just think, it's not like they offer these machines for your convenience which I could sort of understand them charging for, they offer them so that you can spend more money. If you're going to spend more money there they shouldn't charge you to do so.

 

If they were doing it just for your convenience, I wouldn't expect it to be free.

 

I know they're not running charities, but some people just rip you off. Isn't it true they can set their own tariffs on them things? I can understand if there is a charge for them to connect to the bank, but it can't really cost what they charge you!

[Cyclone]

Originally posted by Lotti

Well, not wanting to argue, I just think, it's not like they offer these machines for your convenience which I could sort of understand them charging for, they offer them so that you can spend more money. If you're going to spend more money there they shouldn't charge you to do so.

 

If they were doing it just for your convenience, I wouldn't expect it to be free.

 

I know they're not running charities, but some people just rip you off. Isn't it true they can set their own tariffs on them things? I can understand if there is a charge for them to connect to the bank, but it can't really cost what they charge you!

 

they have to buy the machine as well, and employ people to stock it up with money, it doesn't run itself.

 

Seriously, they are running a business, do you expect the pub to give you free crisps? Why should the companies running these independant cash machines do it for free, how would they do it for free, they'd go out of business. Putting the cash points in places where you are likely to spend money is just common sense, why would they put them anywhere else???

An argument that the charges are very high I would probably agree with, but I can't agree that they should be free as they simply wouldn't exist then.

[Lotti]

This is true Cyclone, but the point I was making was that they still rip you off, fair enough if they need to charge for the upkeep (although they don't charge you to use the toilets and yet somebody has to clean them) but (and I know you have already said you agree) but the point I was makin was they rip you off by charging too much!

 

And no, I'm quite willing to pay for my crisps!