US cash machine fees

Dave_Donaldson
Dave_Donaldson Posts: 25 Forumite
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in Flights, currency & car hire
I'm travelling to Florida shortly, and taking my Halifax Clarity card, to withdraw cash from ATM's.
There is no charge (other than daily interest) from Halifax, although I've heard that US ATM's often charge for cash withdrawals.
Anyone have any experience of this, or how to avoid the fees?

Comments

  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
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    Last time I was there I got charged $3.50 per ATM transaction so I took out a lot of cash in one go (I use Monzo, Starling and Revolut) and then used the cards as much as possible which wasn't really a problem.

    The U.S. doesn't have free banking like the U.K.
  • Dave_Donaldson
    Dave_Donaldson Posts: 25 Forumite
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    So it's a fixed fee, regardless of the amount withdrawn?
  • Duckyduck
    Duckyduck Posts: 269 Forumite
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    I’ve never seen a percentage based fee, but the fees are set by the ATM owner so could be anything, but generally it’s a fixed fee for using the ATM around $2.50 to $4 per withdrawal.

    Cards are excepted everywhere, so just pay with the card, I usually get a small amount of cash here before I go (as the fee would wipe out the better exchange rate) for tips in the hotel room and toll roads.
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  • Roger1
    Roger1 Posts: 1,603 Forumite
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    As Duckyduck says, it's not a fixed fee. There are some fee-free and low fee ATMs, but they are not easy to find.

    Try:
    - TD bank (part of Toronto-Dominion), esp in New York, so not much help to OP

    - McDonalds and other fast food outlets

    - supermarkets - one we visited had 2 ATMs each with a different fee!
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,574 Forumite
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    Roger1 wrote: »
    As Duckyduck says, it's not a fixed fee.
    It is a fixed fee per withdrawal, varying among ATM operating banks, not a percentage of the amount.

    It's quite rare not to be able to pay with your card in USA.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • NoodleDoodleMan
    NoodleDoodleMan Posts: 3,356 Forumite
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    Anyone have any experience of this, or how to avoid the fees?
    As above - I don't think there are any ATM networks in the USA that don't impose a surcharge separate from your issuing bank's fees.

    I used Wells Fargo in the hotel lobby and supermarket ATMs in San Francisco and was charged around $3 per transaction - best to take out a larger sum than a series of smaller ones.
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,940 Forumite
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    I know a few U.K. ATM’s levy a withdrawal fee but this perhaps brings home how lucky most of us are in the U.K. to have access to free cash withdrawals and free personal banking.
  • Neil49
    Neil49 Posts: 3,079 Forumite
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    The cost of an occasional atm fee will rapidly become an issue of minor significance when compared with the continual onslaught of mandatory tipping for any kind of service and hotel 'Resort Fees' which are just another means of extracting further dollars from your wallet.

    ATM fees are a fact of life in the USA unless you pay a fee for your banking service.

    Have a nice holiday and just pay for everything on your card rather than use cash.
  • Duckyduck
    Duckyduck Posts: 269 Forumite
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    edited 12 May 2019 at 12:56AM
    Neil49 wrote: »
    The cost of an occasional atm fee will rapidly become an issue of minor significance when compared with the continual onslaught of mandatory tipping for any kind of service and hotel

    It’s just a different pricing structure. Prices seem lower in the USA partly because these aspects aren’t included. You’re forced to pay for those things in the U.K. and Europe too, the difference being in the U.K. it’s hidden among the price you pay whereas in the US the price breakdown is more visible and you can decide how much to pay for service based on quality. It leads to better service as waiters for example earn a pittance with minimum wage for service jobs being far lower than the min wage for non tipped jobs, as tips are expected to form part of the wage. It’s not like here where servers get a set wage regardless of service and tips are a nice bonus on top.

    Same with resort fees, they’ve come about due to the increased use of price comparison sites and a low base price improves rankings, just like airlines do with baggage and everything else. No resort fee and a higher room rate isn’t a better deal.
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  • Dave_Donaldson
    Dave_Donaldson Posts: 25 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Thanks for the help, and useful comments.
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