Not Withdrawing From the Fight

Opponents of ATM surcharges may take their fight to the ballot box.

The California Public Interest Research Group is considering a statewide initiative campaign after it failed last week in its attempt to get San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors to ban such charges, which most banks levy on non-customers who use their automated teller machines. The fees, typically $1.50 to $2 per ATM visit, are charged on top of any fee that the ATM user’s own bank levies for using a “foreign” ATM. Previous attempts to get a ban through the state Legislature have also failed.

CalPIRG and other consumer advocates say banks are gouging non-customers. Bank lobbyists, including the California Bankers Assn., argue that the surcharges are a fair price for convenience and that most consumers don’t incur them anyway, opting instead to use their own banks’ ATMs.