In Florida, Rite Aid drug stores and a major pharmaceutical manufacturer will offer coupons through onsite ATMs, just steps away from the product shelf. Banks have been restrained in following suit, although BankBoston has tested a program to offer civic coupons to such attractions as the city's art museum through its ATMs. Banks want it their way The bankers argue that the way they use ATMs and price their products, whether it's soda or surcharges, is their decision to make without restrictions, just as other businesses make similar decisions. Customers can use their cards in London, he says, thanks to the industry's customer-driven, if costly, approach. ATM owners, primarily banks, say they made those conveniences possible in part by surcharging.
Banks freely admit that surcharging has turned a loser into a moneymaker.
But it's all about the service, not the money, they say. Nobody is forcing customers to go out of network to get their dough. Bankrate Inc. All rights reserved.