Australian bank ATM fees (and how to avoid them)
Avoid ATMs feed by making withdrawals at your own bank ATMs, or a Big Four bank ATM. And watch out for independent, non-bank ATMs that charge withdrawal fees of $3 or more.
Key takeaways
- It's fairly easy to avoid ATM fees by using your own bank's ATMs or any ATM from CommBank, ANZ, NAB or Westpac. Banks never charge you for using their own ATMs if you're a customer.
- Independently owned ATMs can charge fees of $3 or more. But even then, some of these ATMs partner with major banks to offer customers free-free withdrawals.
- But with more independent ATMs and fewer bank ATMs around these days, you have to be careful not to get hit with an ATM fee.
Australian bank ATM fees and charges, partnerships and alliances
You can use this table to see whether or not your bank has any ATM partners that offer you ATM withdrawals without a fee.
| Institution | ATM partners | Withdrawal fee for other Australian bank cards |
|---|---|---|
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| N/A (you will be notified of the cost at specific ATMs before you proceed with a transaction) |
 |
| $0.70 |
 | N/A | $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| $0 |
 |
| The fee may vary from $1.50 to $3.50. |
 |
| $0 |
The biggest ATM networks in Australia
Finder survey: Do Australians regularly have cash in their wallet?
Response | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 55.98% |
| No | 44.02% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1004 Australians, December 2023
Independently owned ATM fees
There are many independent ATMs in Australian now, with multiple operators. You can find these machines inside pubs, clubs, convenience stores and in public places.
They work just like bank ATMs but they charge an ATM withdrawal fee. These fees vary widely, you will cost at least $2 or $3 but can go even higher.
You can avoid withdrawal fees if your bank is an ATM partner
Atmx is one of the largest independent ATM networks in Australia. If you have a debit card with one of its partner banks you can make fee-free withdrawals.
These ATM partners are:
- ANZ
- Suncorp Bank
- Westpac
- BankSA
- St.George Bank
- Bank of Melbourne
- Horizon Bank
- Bank Orange
- BCU Bank
- P&N Bank
- AMP Bank
- RACQ Bank
- Police Credit Union
- Warwick Credit Union
- Central Murray Credit Union Limited
- Police Bank
- BankWAW
- Central West Credit Union
- BNK Banking Corporation
- GMCU
- Broken Hill Community Credit Union
- Dnister Ukranian Credit Co-operative Ltd
- Transport Mutual Credit Union
- Defence Bank
Note that atmx acquired rediATM in 2019, so it has the same partner banks.
How to avoid paying ATM fees
Use a partner ATM or any of the big four banks' ATMs
Use an ATM owned by your financial institution or a partner ATM. Check your bank’s website or mobile app for an ATM locator that can advise you of nearby machines you can use for free.
The four major Australian banks – and a handful of others – don't charge ATM fees for out-of-network Australian cards. As these ATMs are typically the easiest ones to find, you shouldn't have an issue making a fee-free cash withdrawal with your debit card.
Use a global alliance ATM if you’re overseas
There is a Global ATM Alliance that gives people who bank with partnered financial institutions a way to use ATMs for free around the world. In Australia, Westpac is part of this alliance, which means Westpac Group cardholders (Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and St.George) can make withdrawals for free at a huge number of international ATMs.
For example, if you were using a Westpac Group card in France, you wouldn't be charged fees at BNP Paribas ATMs. Or, if you were in the UK, you could avoid international ATM withdrawal fees at Barclays Bank ATMs.
Plus, most ATMs in Europe don’t charge a local ATM operator fee, so the main charges you’ll incur will be from your own bank if you don’t use a partner ATM.
Use a fee-free debit account
If you want to avoid ATM withdrawal fees, a fee-free debit card is another option. The ING Orange Everyday Account, the ME Bank Everyday Transaction Account and the Citibank Plus Everyday Account all offer fee-free withdrawals to cardholders.
However, some of these debit cards have terms and conditions you need to meet to be eligible for fee-free withdrawals, so make sure you read the fine print or contact the bank to find out if you qualify.
Which bank has the biggest ATM network in Australia?
Our expert says: Bank ATMs are getting harder to find
"The number of bank ATMs peaked in 2016. Since then, banks have been shrinking both the number of branches and ATMs in their networks. But independent, fee-charging ATMs are becoming more common. Depending on where you live, it may be hard to actually find a fee-free bank ATM. "
What fees will I be charged for using my credit card at an ATM?
When you use a credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM, you'll be charged a cash advance fee worth around 2-3% of the transaction amount, or a minimum dollar value of around $2 to $5. You'll also attract the cash advance interest rate from the date of the transaction.
Even if your credit card doesn't charge overseas ATM withdrawal fees, you'll still attract the relevant cash advance charges. Given the high fees and interest rates, you may want to consider using your debit card to make ATM withdrawals instead.
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Tried to use my Suncorp key card at a Bendigo bank and it was going to charge me $2.50 as an ATM fee. Do these banks really have a partnership as listed in this article? Why is the ATM fee there?
Hi Abigail, The relationship between Suncorp and Bendigo wasn’t reciprocal – Bendigo customers got free transactions at Suncorp, but Suncorp customer never got free transactions on Bendigo ATMs. The arrangement has now ended, so I’ve updated the listing above to reflect that.
How come on your website states 0 fees for using another australian card (St George) at a commonwealth bank ATM yet just got charged $2.80
Hi Kathleen,
CommBank removed ATM fees for customers of other Australian banks in 2017 (for reference, here is the announcement from CommBank). However, around 300 offsite CommBank ATMs were acquired by a third-party provider (Armaguard) in 2020. Since then, Armaguard has been rebranding the machines as atmx. As this guide states, fees do apply at atmx by Armaguard machines. So it might have been one of the rebranded machines. Your account transaction history may provide details of the operator.
I’ve also checked the St.George website and can see that the current transaction accounts available to customers do not charge ATM fees in Australia. The Complete Freedom account even says “$0 cash withdrawals on major bank ATMs in Australia (Certain ATM providers may still charge a fee)”.
If you want to follow up on the fee, you can contact St.George on 13 33 30, CommBank on 13 22 21 or Armaguard on 1300 785 258. Or, contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority on 1800 931 678. Hope this helps.
If I had a bank of Melbourne card and I needed to deposit money but the only ATM near me with cash deposit is anz would I get a charge?
Cheers
Hi Tom,
Thanks for reaching out to finder.
You can only make cash and cheque deposits at selected Bank of Melbourne’s partner banks ATMs such as St.George and BankSA. It’s best to contact Bank of Melbourne to verify and confirm if it’s possible to make a deposit through ANZ ATM to avoid any mistakes.
I hope this helps.
Cheer,
Charisse
My friend is on a pension. Her son moved for work and left his cat with her but said he’d pay for food and would transfer money. She went several times to a rediATM (the only one near her) to see if funds arrived. She was charged $2.50 each time for balance check, not even a withdrawal. Are they allowed to do this?
Hi Sally,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder.
I understand that this situation could be frustrating. There are different ways on how ATMs earn and one of them is charging withdrawal fees. If you use an ATM which isn’t a partner of your card, then it is most likely that you will be charged a fee.
It is important to take note of the name of your card and the ATMs that don’t charge any fee. You can do that by looking at our table on this page. So, for example, if your card is NAB or Macquarie cards and you use RediATM, you won’t have to pay any withdrawal or inquiry fee.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
I understand being charged a fee if withdrawing money, but seems unreasonable to be charged $2.50 for a balance check.
Hi Sally,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
I can understand your frustration. I suggest that every time you check your or your friend’s balance in a cash machine, make sure that they are ATM partners. When we say ATM partners, these financial institutions are partnered together so customers can use any of their ATMs free of charge. Customers are charged $2.50 even doing a balance enquiry and this fee is called “disloyalty” fee for using rival ATMs.
As a friendly reminder, while we do not represent any company we feature on our pages, we can offer you general advice.
I also advise you to contact your bank to verify this info for your peace of mind.
I hope this helps.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jeni
My son was charged an ATM operator fee of $8.00 for a withdrawal which I think is extremely excessive. Is this a rip-off or are the non-bank ATMs that charge this much?
Hi Linda, thanks for your question!
Usually, ATM operators charge fees to non-partner banks and unfortunately these fees are usually high especially when you use the independent ones. So as much as possible, you have to look for an ATM where you can withdraw funds from your own bank’s ATM or ATM alliances.
Cheers,
May