Alliance & Leicester Cash Machines Access

keenbudgeter

Hi Everyone,

I've explored the whole Current Account Plus offer, and although it looks great, I'm concerned about is issue of free cash machine withdrawls. Their fine print says that some banks may charge, and I've walked past Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds on Tottenham Court Road, to find that none of them show an A&L logo is being 'free'.

Can any current A&L users enlighten me? Do the major banks charge A&L users to withraw from their cash machines?

MarkyMarkD

It's "Leicester"!

Withdrawals are free at all normal "free" machines, AND all A&L machines (some of which charge other banks' customers). So in other words, more machines in the UK are free for you if you bank with A&L than if you bank with Nationwide or most other banks.

And you can undertake transactions at Post Offices free of charge too.

sergeant121

MarkyMarkD wrote:

Withdrawals are free at all normal "free" machines, AND all A&L machines (some of which charge other banks' customers). So in other words, more machines in the UK are free for you if you bank with A&L than if you bank with Nationwide or most other banks.

And you can undertake transactions at Post Offices free of charge too.

And using your ATM card at a Post Office is a lot safer than doing so at a hole in the wall.

Darryl

If the A&L cards have LINK logo on them then they should be free at all LINK ATMs.

Don't know if they do though.

Darryl.

Fatboy_NSS

None of the big banks (Barclays, RBS, LTSB, HSBC) will charge anyone for withdrawing cash from their machines. So as long as A&L don't make their own charge for using someone else's machine (and it would be a very short sighted business practise if they did) then your withdrawals will be free.

MarkyMarkD

Darryl wrote:

If the A&L cards have LINK logo on them then they should be free at all LINK ATMs.

Don't know if they do though.

Darryl.

They do, but that doesn't follow, Darryl.

As I said, A&L cards (and virtually any LINK cards for that matter) are free at any "normal" free machines. But they will all be chargeable if they are used at charging machines - unless the machine is free under a special arrangement (e.g. A&L charging machines are free to A&L customers but charging for other customers).

Darryl

You learn something every day. Thanks MarkyMarkD.

MarkyMarkD

You are very welcome, Darryl. The point to remember is that all the charging machines are also LINK branded and accept all LINK cards - but that doesn't stop them being charging machines.

xxxjimbo

I was also a bit concerned by the A&L small print :

"You will pay a charge of 1.5% (minimum charge £1.50) of any cash withdrawal obtained by the use of the Debit card at any Visa ATM which is not part of the Link Network, or at any financial organisation which accepts the Visa card. The charge may also apply to the purchase of foreign currency or travellers cheques at any outlet that provides foreign currency."

Does this mean I will get charged for cashback in the supermarket using my debit card?

Does it also mean that if I get foreign currency I will get charged for paying for it with my debit card?

Glad

we've been with A&L for a number of years

yes you will be charged at the fee-charging cashpoints that charge a fee on most cards, but you are always informed of charge before completing transaction, these are usually the machines found in garages etc,

you won't be charged for withdrawals using your debit card at other bank/building society cash machines,

you won't be charged for cashback in supermarkets,

you won't be charged a fee for using your debit card to purchase currency

and as previously stated you can withdraw money free of charge from any Post Office, you can also make deposits cash/cheques at the PO using envelopes ordered from A&L which I find very useful living in a smal village,

A&L online banking is also very straightforward

xxxjimbo

excellent. Thanks very much Glad