Prefer to watch? Here's the quick video version of today's issue.
If you’ve ever paid $3 to get your own cash out of a gas station or corner store machine, part of a settlement may be yours.
Dad Joke
What happens when a snowman gets angry?
He has a meltdown.
Which machine it was
Sometimes you just need cash, and the nearest ATM is the one you’re going to use. I’ve seen many people turn to the nearest, not the best, ATM at a moment of need.
You’re not driving across town to save a few dollars when you’ve got somewhere to be. You pay the fee, mutter something at the machine, and get on with your day.
That’s why I wanted to pass this along.
You may have seen a headline about Visa and Mastercard’s $167.5 million ATM fee settlement. Your first thought might be: “I’ve paid plenty of those. Does any of that money belong to me?”
Maybe. But it depends on which machine you used.
This settlement covers fees at ATMs that aren’t owned by a bank. Think of those machines inside convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, or bars.
If you paid a fee at one of those between October 24, 2007, and August 14, 2026, it came out of your bank account, and your bank didn’t reimburse you, you may qualify.
The separate fee your own bank charges for using somebody else’s ATM doesn’t count. Neither does taking a cash advance on a credit card. I know. A fee feels like a fee when it’s your money, but those distinctions matter here.
This hits people hardest in rural and urban areas where big name banks don’t exist. If you don’t have a convenient bank branch nearby, “just use your bank’s ATM” isn’t especially helpful advice.
Now, if you’re thinking, “Steve, I don’t have an ATM receipt from 2009,” you don’t need one to file. You do have to swear that you paid qualifying fees, and the administrator may ask for records later. Go by what you actually remember.
How much might you get? Nobody knows yet. It depends on how many people file, so I wouldn’t spend it in your head.
If this sounds like you, type nonbankatmsurchargesettlement.com into your browser yourself. The deadline to file is February 10, 2027. Skip the links that might show up in a random text or email.
I put the details in my guide, including how this differs from the older settlement involving bank-owned ATMs. The lawsuit alleged that Visa and Mastercard’s rules kept fees high. Both companies deny wrongdoing, and the settlement isn’t a finding that they did anything wrong.
Anyway, I wanted to make sure you heard about it and knew which fees count. You’ve already paid them. If you qualify to get some of that money back, you might as well file.
What’s the most you’ve ever paid an ATM just to get your own money? Share it in the comments so we can all learn from it. I read every comment.
Grabbing cash from the closest machine when you need it isn’t a money failing. It’s what people do on a hard day. I’ll see you tomorrow.
— Steve
Also on the site since Friday: what a weak September jobs report means, whether the government can take your Social Security for an old Military Star card, and Damon Day doing the math on a $55 Walmart order.
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This is what I’m telling friends like you over coffee. But remember, you do you.