NYPIRG Critical of High ATM Fees

By Eileen Buckley

Buffalo, NY – The New York Public Interest Research Group NYPRIG says 97 percent of ATMs in New York charge fees. The survey finds the average ATM surcharge for getting cash in New York is $1.49. In the Buffalo area, the average fee is a $1.50.

Mary Carney, a NYPRIG project coordinator in Buffalo, says ATM consumers are charged for a number of services.

"ATMs charge consumers to check account information," she explained. "The average fee for replacing ATM cards is $4.84 in upstate New York."

NYPRIG says KeyBank charges a $2.00 ATM fee, the highest in the Buffalo area. But Elizabeth Smith, a spokesperson for KeyBank in Buffalo, says customers are "happy with the convenience" of the number of area ATMs. KeyBank is in 13 states, operating 2,600 ATMs nationwide.

"We understand that our ATM pricing may differ from other banks in this marketplace," Smith said. "But KeyBank feels the fee that we charge, for non-KeyBank customers to access our ATM, is appropriate for the convenience that we are providing."

NYPRIG is urging consumers to use their own bank's ATMs when possible. NYPRIG says it is calling on Congress and state and local lawmakers to pass pending legislation that would strengthening banking laws and making banking more affordable.

NYPRIG says it supports a ban on ATM surcharges.