Cash may no longer be king these days, thanks to the convenience of electronic payments, although you might occasionally want some bucks to slip into a birthday card or tip a driver. Accessing your money keeps getting more expensive, however, if you’re using out-of-network ATMs. In fact, the average total ATM fees hit $4.86 in 2025 — up from $4.77 last year — according to Bankrate’s latest Checking Account and ATM Fee Study.
Another common bank fee is the overdraft fee, which banks often charge when they cover transactions that would otherwise bring a customer’s account to a negative balance. This fee is imposed by 94 percent of accounts, and the average amount has dipped 1 percent this year to $26.77, Bankrate found.
Meanwhile, it may be getting harder to avoid monthly service fees for consumers with an interest-earning checking account. The average minimum balance to avoid such a fee has climbed to $10,705, which is up nearly 5 percent from last year.
Those who opt for a non-interest checking account instead will have an easy time finding one that doesn’t charge fees. Nearly half (47 percent) of all non-interest accounts don’t charge monthly service fees, while another 48 percent of non-interest accounts will waive the fee if customers sign up for direct deposit.
Key insights from Bankrate’s 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study
- ATM fees are at a record high. The average total cost of using an out-of-network ATM is now $4.86. It consists of the average surcharge of $3.22 levied by ATM-operating banks, plus the average fee of $1.64 from one’s own bank for using an ATM outside its network.
- Overdraft fees are down ever-so-slightly. After increasing the previous year, the average overdraft fee has dipped 1 percent this year to $26.77. Meanwhile, the average nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee has fallen for the 4th straight year to a new record low of $16.82.
- For interest checking accounts, the average minimum balance required to avoid service fees has reached a record high. The average monthly fee for interest checking accounts is now $15.65, with the average minimum balance to avoid this fee being $10,705 — up nearly 5 percent over last year.
- Free checking accounts remain highly accessible. Similar to last year, 47 percent of non-interest checking accounts charge no monthly service fees, while another 48 percent waive the fee for account holders who set up direct deposit.
- Atlanta remains the metropolitan area with the highest ATM fees. The average out-of-network ATM fee in Atlanta is $5.37. Like in 2024, Atlanta has the highest average fee for non-network ATM use, among those metro areas covered in Bankrate’s survey.
ATM fees hit record high for third straight year
One or two charges could result each time you use an ATM that’s not in your bank’s network. First, the bank that owns the ATM will likely assess a surcharge, and second, your own bank may charge you for going outside its network.
ATM-owner surcharges continue to climb: The average ATM surcharge has increased for the fourth straight year, hitting a record high of $3.22, up from $3.19 last year.
All the ATM-owning banks in the survey said they charge non-account-holders to use their ATMs, and none reduced the fee over the past year.
The average out-of-network ATM fee is the highest since 2018: The average fee you’ll pay your bank for going outside its ATM network is $1.64. This is up from $1.58 last year and the highest amount over the past seven years.
Per the survey, in 39 percent of cases, banks or specific accounts do not charge customers for out-of-network withdrawals. Among those that do charge a fee, however, increases in the amount eclipsed decreases by an 8-to-1 margin this year.
Combined ATM charges hit a record high: Together, the total average cost of using an out-of-network ATM is now $4.86, which is up nearly 2 percent from $4.77 last year and hitting a record high for the third consecutive year.
As ATMs become less frequently used, associated fees are likely to rise. Consumers can most easily avoid these fees by banking with institutions offering wide ATM networks or reimbursing out-of-network ATM charges. An increasing number of online banks and brokerages now reimburse ATM fees, regardless of the machine used.– Stephen Kates, CFP® | Bankrate Financial Analyst
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