ATM strategy for the USA — avoiding $5 fees with the right card

American ATMs charge out-of-network fees of $3–5 per withdrawal — meaning every cash withdrawal from a foreign card costs you $3–5 plus your card's forex fee. The good news: the USA has excellent free-ATM options if you know where to look.

The ATM fee landscape in the USA

US banks charge out-of-network ATM fees of $2.50–3.50 per transaction, and foreign cards are almost always 'out of network'. On top of that, your home card may charge an additional $2–5. The combined cost on a single $200 withdrawal can be $7–10, representing 3.5–5% of the amount withdrawn. This is significantly higher than most other developed countries.

The Allpoint network

Allpoint is the USA's largest surcharge-free ATM network with over 55,000 ATMs nationwide. They're located inside CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, Costco, Kroger, and Safeway — places you'll visit anyway. If your card is in the Allpoint network, these ATMs charge nothing. Wise and Revolut are in the Allpoint network for US cardholders. Check your card's terms.

Charles Schwab: the gold standard

Charles Schwab Investor Checking reimburses 100% of ATM fees charged by any ATM globally at the end of each monthly statement. This means you can withdraw from any US ATM — Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, a casino ATM, wherever — and pay nothing net. If you're American or can open a Schwab account, this is the definitive solution for US and international ATM use.

For UK visitors to the USA

Starling Bank charges no ATM fees itself, but you'll pay whatever the US ATM operator charges ($2.50–3.50). Wise is similar. To get genuinely free ATM access in the USA as a UK visitor, look for Allpoint ATMs in CVS or Walgreens, and check whether your card is in their network. Alternatively, carry a travel credit card for card payments and minimise ATM use.

Minimising ATM use in the USA

The best ATM strategy in the USA is often to use ATMs as little as possible. The country has extremely high card acceptance — contactless works at most retailers, Uber/Lyft accept cards, tipping is done digitally on terminals. You rarely need cash except for small food stalls, tips at bars, and parking. A $50–100 cash reserve is usually sufficient for a week-long trip, meaning one ATM withdrawal.

Key takeaways