*This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure
Need to grab some cash real quick?
Back in the day, you’d simply look for a nearby branch for your bank to grab some of that green!
And if you couldn’t find one, you’d pay an ATM fee to use another one.
But according to Bankrate, ATM fees have risen to an astounding average of $4.72 per transaction!
That’s ridiculous, and I want to show you how to NEVER pay an ATM fee again.
There are now tons of ATM Networks that partner with banks, online banks and credit unions to allow you fee-free ATM usage around the nation.
We’ll break down the best places to get your cash for FREE, and find ATM’s near you that don’t charge anything to use!
Table of Contents
Locations of Free ATMs Near Me
The quickest way to find an ATM nearby is to simply hop on Google and search “Free ATM Near Me.”
It may look something like this:
And while this gives you a lot of choices, how do you know if you can use any of these without paying outrageous fees? Google just gives you a list, but they don’t tell you if YOUR debit card works there without fees.
Here’s how to make sure you go to the correct ATM to stay away from those greedy fees!
Your Bank’s ATM
First, if you bank at a traditional bank with branches and ATMs around the country, you can simply do a quick search to find your bank ATM’s near you.
For example, when I first opened a checking account, I was with Bank of America. I would simply search “Bank of America ATM Near Me”, and it’ll look something like this:
If you use your bank’s ATM machine, you will NOT be charged a fee.
But since most BIG BANKS charge extra fees for almost everything, and make BILLIONS on your slip-ups, I don’t really recommend banking with a brick and mortar bank unless you have very specific banking needs.
I personally use a local Credit Union for my checking account, a High-Interest Savings account for my savings buckets, and a Money Market for my Emergency Fund.
Fee-Free ATM Networks
The great thing about banking online, is many places are part of an ATM network or co-op that allows you access to EVEN MORE ATM’s than if you were with a traditional bank.
These networks are clusters of banks, or credit unions that partner together to create a large, nationwide network of ATM’s that give you FREE access to YOUR money (I know, right? It’s your money, you should have to pay for it!).
Here’s a list of ATM networks that give you fee-free ATM access. Find out if your checking account is part of these, and make is EASY to find an ATM near you!
8 ATM Networks With No Fees
Allpoint
Allpoint is one of the most popular ATM networks with over 55,000 ATM’s worldwide. They are available in the United States, Canada, UK, Puerto Rico, Australia and Mexico!
Here’s a list of common locations for Allpoint ATM’s:
- Target
- Speedway Gas Stations
- Walgreens
- CVS Pharmacy
- Kroger
- Safeway
- Winn Dixie
- Circle K
All of their included ATM’s are surcharge-free, though if your card is NOT part of their network, your bank may charge a fee.
Quickest way to find out if you are “in network?”
Simply use their “Do I Have Allpoint” tool on this page, enter the first 6 digits of your ATM card, and they will let you know!
They also have a simple mobile app you can download to find any of their ATM’s quickly.
Plus Alliance
Plus Alliance is a network of surcharge-free ATM’s owned by VISA, and is only available FREE to Visa cardholders with the Plus Alliance symbol on the back of the card.
You can also take a look at this list to see if your bank is part of the network.
Here’s a list of common locations for Plus Alliance ATM’s:
- Bi Lo
- Costco
- CVS Pharmacy*
- Get Go
- Target
- Winn Dixie
- Walgreens*
*Select locations
All of their included ATM’s are surcharge-free, though if your card is NOT part of their network, your bank may charge a fee.
There is no mobile app to help locate Plus Alliance ATM’s, you need to use their ATM Locator tool instead.
MoneyPass
MoneyPass is a surcharge-free ATM network with over 32,000 ATM’s nationwide.
You can find the MoneyPass logo on your ATM card to see if your bank partners with them.
They are located in many 7-Eleven stores nationwide, but also partner with MANY small banks and Credit Unions as well.
You can find a MoneyPass ATM near you using their ATM Locator tool.
They also have a simple mobile app you can download to find any of their ATM’s quickly (though looking at the reviews, it looks like it might not have been updated lately).
Co-Op Financial Services
As a big fan of local Credit Unions, I personally use the CO-OP Financial Services network to get surcharge-free cash at ATM’s nationwide!
With over 30,000 partnering ATM’s nationwide, and 5,600 partner bank branches as well, it’s easy to find surcharge-free cash most anywhere. (and since we travel full time, this is a big deal!).
You can find these ATM’s in select retail locations such as:
- 7-Eleven
- Circle K
- Costco
- Publix
- Dunkin Donuts
- Rite-Aid
You can also visit a partner branch (over 5,600 locations) to access their ATM’s for free as well.
To find a Co-Op Financial Services ATM near you, simply use their ATM Location Tool.
They also have a simple mobile app you can download to find any of their ATM’s quickly.
Star
Star ATM Network is one of the oldest, and now largest, ATM networks in the nation. With over 2 Million ATM’s and over 5,700 participating financial institutions, you should be able to find what you are looking for!
Star is more than just an ATM Network, so navigating their locator tool can be a bit confusing. I recommend using their ATM Locator Tool, and just selecting “Surcharge-free ATM” to find one.
They don’t really state how to find out if your bank is participating, so if you use them, make sure to check with your financial institution first.
You may also see the STAR logo on the back of your card, another indicator that they participate in this network.
Pulse Select
Pulse Select is owned by Discover, and provides Discover banking customers access to over 500,000 nationwide ATM’s, and 2.1 Million globally.
They are similar to STAR in that they provide much more than free ATM’s, and navigating their ATM Locator Tool is kind of a hassle.
Just make sure when you search, select the “Show only surcharge free ATM’s” selection is set to “On”, otherwise you just get a list of ATM’s that MAY charge you a fee if not a Discover customer.
Also, it’s hard to find if your bank participates in this network, so you will need to check with them first.
Alliance One
Alliance One is a smaller ATM network co-op of credit unions and community banks, giving you access to about 5,000 surcharge-free ATM’s nationwide.
You can use their simple ATM Locator Tool to find a surcharge-free ATM near you.
TO find if your bank participates, look for the Alliance One logo on the back of the card, or contact your financial institution directly.
Alliance One has a simple mobile app to help you find ATM locations easily.
TransFund
TransFund is a small network of Credit Unions that give you surcharge-free access to their ATM’s nationwide.
They are mainly located in QuikTrip gas stations, but also in participating financial institutions.
You can use their ATM Locator Tool to find a surcharge-free ATM near you. Again, remember that you need to check with YOUR BANK first to see if they participate with TransFund to get a truly free ATM experience.
TransFund also has a simple mobile app to help you find ATM locations easily.
Banks That Reimburse ATM fees
There are many banks and credit unions that not only do NOT charge your “foreign ATM fees”, but will actually re-imburse ATM fees that are charged by the ATM itself!
My credit union does this, and it has been a life-saver when we are in a pinch and none of the above ATM’s will work! (another reason I’m a HUGE fan of credit unions)
When signing up for a checking account, make sure to ask if they have an account that will re-imburse ATM fees, then you NEVER have to worry about those pesky fees again!
No ATM Nearby? Get Cash Back Instead
If you can’t seem to find a surcharge-free ATM and you need cash immediately, my other favorite way is to simply use my debit card at a grocery store or pharmacy (think: Walgreens).
You can usually make a small purchase (I always choose gum), and then opt for “Cash Back” on the pin pad.
There are usually limits ($100 at most places), but this is a great way to get cash WITHOUT paying extra fees, since it simply looks like a typical debit card transaction to your bank.
Free ATM’s Are Everywhere
As you can see, there are hundreds of thousands of options for surcharge-free ATM’s, and with fees on the rise, there’s NO REASON to pay an ATM fee again.
You best bet is to find a bank that simply does not believe in ATM fees, as well as pays awesome interest rates! Credit Unions and Online Banks are my favorite choice for this, as they keep the fees to a minimum, and keep money in your pocket.
