ATM Fees in the USA: $3 to $7, Except at These Four Machines

Last updated on 12 September 2026

Most ATMs in the United States charge $3 to $3.75 per withdrawal, rising to $6.95 in supermarkets and at petrol stations. Four operators charge nothing, and cardholders in the Global ATM Alliance withdraw at Bank of America completely free. Knowing which machine to look for saves $30 to $50 on a three-week trip.

The machines that charge nothing

As of 12 September 2026. Per-operator figures come from the POVNOMAD fee dataset (ATM Fee Saver, as of 1 September 2026). The overall level was cross-checked on 12 September 2026: Bankrate puts the average US surcharge at around $3.20, and independent guides give $3 to $8 for foreign cards. Global ATM Alliance membership was confirmed for 2026. US operators must display the fee before you confirm — read it.

The Global ATM Alliance is a group of banks that waive each other’s ATM fees: Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Scotiabank and Westpac. If your card was issued by any of them, Bank of America machines cost you no operator fee. Your own bank’s foreign transaction fee still applies.

What the other machines cost

As of 12 September 2026, source as above. In the US Virgin Islands fees run $2.50 to $6.50 with limits around $200; on Guam and Hawaii, Bank of Guam, BankPacific and First Hawaiian charge $5.

Travelex is the worst combination in the country: $6.95 on a $100 maximum is 7 percent. These machines sit in airport terminals and tourist areas precisely because that is where people take them without looking.

The screen that trips up foreign cards: Checking, Savings or Credit

Nearly every US machine asks which account to draw from. This is a quirk of the American system, where one card can be linked to several accounts. Most foreign cards have no such split but are treated as a current account.

Always choose “Checking”. “Savings” is usually declined for foreign cards, and “Credit” triggers a credit card cash advance, which typically carries a separate fee and accrues interest from day one.

If a withdrawal is refused after you picked “Savings”, the card is almost never the problem. Try the same withdrawal again with “Checking”. The full walkthrough of every ATM screen is in With or without conversion? — the screens are reproduced there.

Two fees, not one

American machines display the operator surcharge before you confirm; that is required. What they do not display is the second charge: the conversion, if you accept the offer to be billed in your home currency.

Decline it. On screen it reads “Without conversion”, “Decline conversion” or “Continue in USD”. Your own bank then converts at the Visa or Mastercard rate, which is materially better than any machine’s rate.

The fee screen is also your free exit. If the machine wants $6.95, cancel — nothing is posted and the card is returned. There is almost always a bank branch nearby charging half that.

Cash matters less than you might think

The United States is largely cashless. Cards and contactless work in restaurants, shops, petrol stations, hotels and public transport; many places no longer accept cash at all.

Cash is realistically for tips where card is not offered, food trucks, some taxis, laundromats and parking meters. A couple of hundred dollars covers most trips.

One American peculiarity worth planning for: prices are almost always displayed before sales tax, which is added at the till and varies by state and city. And tipping is expected rather than optional in restaurants and bars, commonly 18 to 20 percent, usually added on the card slip.

What your own bank adds

The dollar figures above are the US operator’s charge and apply whoever issued your card. On top, most banks add a foreign transaction fee, commonly around 1 to 3 percent, and some add a flat charge per withdrawal.

With US limits often at $500, a flat charge from your own bank weighs heavily: two withdrawals mean paying it twice. Look up the foreign transaction fee as a percentage and the flat charge per withdrawal before you travel. We deliberately name no individual issuer’s terms; they change often, and only your bank can confirm them.

Why you want a signal at the machine

Many banks now require approval through a push notification in their app for withdrawals abroad; with no data connection the card is declined regardless of which button you press. And with a sixfold spread between a credit union machine and a Travelex unit, checking the map first genuinely pays.

A USA eSIM from POVNOMAD starts at €2.50. Install it at home by QR code; validity starts when it first connects in the United States. Unlimited plans include tethering at no extra cost up to the daily allowance, after which the connection continues at 1 Mbit/s.

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