Atlanta has the country’s highest ATM fees, study says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - If you visit an ATM to pick up some cash, you’ll probably be forking over more in Atlanta than in any other major metro, according to a new study.

The average out-of-network ATM fee in Atlanta is $5.37, the highest in the country, Bankrate’s latest Checking Account and ATM Fee Study found. Meanwhile, the national average is $4.86, an all-time high for the third year in a row.

This isn’t Atlanta’s first time topping the list. It also ranked No. 1 in 2024, Bankrate said.

The study looked at 25 metropolitan areas to find out which residents were paying the most. The top ten average fees are:

1. Atlanta, Georgia: $5.37
2. Phoenix, Arizona: $5.35
3. San Diego, California: $5.31
4. Detroit, Michigan: $5.25
5. Cleveland, Ohio: $5.21
6. Miami, Florida: $5.11
7. Tampa, Florida: $5.05
8. Los Angeles and San Francisco, California: $4.99 (tie)
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio: $4.98 (tie)
10. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: $4.96

At the bottom of the list is Boston, with an average fee of $4.37.

In 2000, the average ATM fee was $2.55, Bankrate said.

According to the financial services company, charges are increasing because fewer people are using ATMs in the age of digital banking, prompting banks to raise fees to maintain their networks.

You can avoid fees by using a bank with a large ATM network, getting cash back from debit card purchases and finding a bank that reimburses ATM surcharges imposed by other banks.