Banks to start charging for people taking too long at ATMs
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Date: March 07, 2017 11:15AM
With Temperatures Rising as Summer Approaches Banks Roll Out a New Fee
After Wells Fargo, Fifth Third, and SunTrust bank’s recent announcement that customers have to pay between $1.50 and $1.75 if they do cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month, there comes another customer friendly move from the banks. Those who spend more than 2 minutes using bank ATMs at enclosed locations like bank vestibules, they will have to pay ‘extra’ starting June 1st.
“It will be a ‘nominal’ charge of $1.00 for every extra minute they spend inside the ATMs in non-peak hours. For most banks, peak hours are 9:00 am to 3:30 pm and during that time there will be no fee for lingering at the ATM. Outside those hours is considered non-peak. For that period, we will have dynamic price mechanism which will conveniently deduct from the account holder’s account before finishing his transaction,” said a Wells Fargo Bank official who wanted to remain anonymous.
When we asked what is customer friendly about this charge, the bank official said, “Some people simply pass time inside ATMs taking advantage of the free AC we provide inside our ATM vestibules during the summer and heat during the winter. With this charge in place people will complete their transactions quickly and will make way for others”.
“It’s high time our customers should understand we pay rent for the floor space where we install ATMs, huge electricity bills and maintenance costs. We did multiple trials in dozens of cities across the country with different demographics and at different times to check how much time a normal person will take to ATM transaction. Our conclusion was 1 minute is more than sufficient, with most transactions being completed in less than 40 seconds. Thus the 2 minute rule is more than enough”, said the bank official.
Banks leading the charge on this new fee are expected to do a quiet, staggered roll out after Tax Day 2017 with full implementation by June 1st. Other national banks, particularly those in urban areas have expressed interest in initiating the same fee structure.