That San Francisco initiative which saw residents there vote to bar banks from charging extra fees for using A-T-M’s would have NO affect in Iowa. Consumers nationwide are voicing dissatisfaction with the fees charged for using a money card at an A-T-M to get cash from their own bank account. In California, banks and even retailers charge double fees. In other words, you might have to pay a fee to YOUR bank to withdraw cash with your money card — AND the owner of the machine you use may charge a fee on top of that. But Iowa Bankers Association lobbyist Mike Triplett says that’s illegal in Iowa. It’s o-k for YOUR bank to charge you for using your money card to get cash from an A-T-M, but it’s NOT o-k for the bank which OWNS the A-T-M to charge you a fee for accessing an account in a competing bank.Money machines in the nation’s largest cities charge fees of up to four dollars for the privilege of withdrawing money from your own account, but Triplett says that’s NOT happening here.The Iowa Bankers Association represents 420 of the 440 banks and thrifts in the state. The San Francisco initiative bars A-T-M charges to non-customers. A-T-M fees for withdrawing money from your own bank are still permissable.
