Card Briefs: Survey: ATM Fees Prejudice Service Sales

A recent survey said automated teller machine transaction fees discourage consumers from considering other services at the fee-charging banks.

Of 1,000 adults surveyed in January by Opinion Research Corporation International, two-thirds of the ATM users said fees discourage them from looking at a bank's other products, like home equity or consumer loans. Also, 78% said they avoid machines that charge a fee.

Though banks must absorb the cost of providing ATM access, their fee structures might not be good for business, said Jeffrey T. Resnick, executive vice president of Opinion Research.

"Commercial banks should reconsider that approach," he said. "The value of the missed marketing opportunities may be greater than the revenue lost by eliminating the charges."

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