The Problem.
A.T.M. fees make us feel like suckers. With many banks charging as much as $2 to $3 per transaction, getting speedy cash just twice per month can easily cost you over $70 per year.
The Solution.
Simple: Find A.T.M.s that don’t have surcharges.
The Action.
Download the free Allpoint app, which helps you find a surcharge-free A.T.M. near your current location. The no-frills app is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. Simply search using GPS or enter your address or zip code to find nearby locations.
When we searched, most of our results were A.T.M.s in drug stores and supermarkets near us. One was as close as across the street! If you’re skeptical that Allpoint will be able to find a free A.T.M. without leading you to the boonies, chew on this: The Allpoint network includes 37,000 surcharge-free A.T.M.s around the world, and one out of every 12 A.T.M.s in America is part of the network.
If you’d rather find the closest A.T.M. regardless of fees, consider the ATM Hunter app from MasterCard. We thought it was fine when we tried it out, but Allpoint is still our fave. Our main objection is that ATM Hunter doesn’t tell you about fees for each of its results.
If you feel more secure swiping into a security-protected bank to use an A.T.M., then find an A.T.M. for your own bank. To do so, consider Googling your bank’s name or downloading your bank’s app, if available, to find the nearest branch. We weren’t satisfied with either Allpoint or ATM Hunter for that purpose.
One Drawback.
Some Allpoint and ATM Hunter users have complained that the GPS features is too imprecise. We didn’t have a problem when we tried it, but recommend that you simply search by zip code or address if GPS isn’t cutting it for you.
*If you pay two $3 A.T.M. surcharges per month.
**If you are 25 today and retire at age 65. We calculated that number here.
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