Some Banks Raising Fees For ATMs, Overdrafts

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Hold on to your wallet, some banks are raising their ATM fees for non-bank customers.

"I'm already paying you monthly fees and everything else to keep my account open," said John Coviello of Carnegie. "Why can't I take money out where I want?"

Bankrate.com says customers are paying 5 percent more this year to use other bank's ATMs – fees have risen 23 percent over the last five years. The average cost: $4.35 per transaction.

"Excessive," said Melissa Whitten of Squirrel Hill. "Maybe like a dollar or two, but when you get to the four or five dollars per transaction, it's a little much."

It's not just ATM fees that are going through the roof. Banks are raising lots of fees in order to increase their bottom line.

"A wrath of fees are on the rise nationally, driven by banks' continued concern about earnings," said Duquesne School of Business Professor Tom Nist.

That means overdraft fees for bouncing a check – not one fee, but one every day until you cover the check.

"I just think that's a little unfair for people who go paycheck to paycheck," said Chryseis Constantine of Ben Avon.

When it comes to ATMs, consumers do have options: avoid using cash, use your debit cards more, or those apps like Apple Pay. If you must use cash, use your own bank's ATMS.

And if you bounce checks, Nist says, "overdraft protection is the best idea going."

As for all those other fees, price check all the local banks before you sign up.

Tameka Doswell says she switched from PNC to Citizens because of fees and she's almost ready to switch again.

"I think they're losing customers because of it," she said. "They're losing money because we don't want to pay extra money."

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