ATM fees in Canada: what each withdrawal really costs
ATM fees are small enough to ignore one at a time and big enough to matter over a year. They also hide well: they show up as short codes on your statement, sometimes as two lines for one withdrawal. Here is what each fee is, what the official ranges look like, and a calculator for what your own cash habit costs.
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ATM fee calculator
What does your cash habit cost in a year?
Choosing an ATM type fills in example fees inside the ranges FCAC published; replace them with the fees in your own account agreement. At your own bank's ATM, the network access and convenience fees do not apply. The calculator multiplies your fees by your withdrawals and does not include foreign ATM fees or exchange charges.
The three ATM fees, in plain English
FCAC describes three different fees that can apply when you take out cash:
- Regular account fee. What your own financial institution charges you to withdraw money at any ATM. FCAC notes a service package often covers this fee.
- Network access fee. What your own financial institution charges when you use an ATM it does not own, for using the Interac or another network. It is added on top of the regular account fee.
- Convenience fee. What a privately owned ATM operator, or a financial institution where you do not have an account, charges you. Your bank adds it to the other two.
So the same $60 withdrawal can cost nothing at your own branch and several dollars at the machine in a corner store, because two extra layers switch on the moment the ATM belongs to someone else.
What ATM fees cost in Canada
FCAC collected these ranges from Canadian financial institutions, including the large banks, Desjardins, Laurentian Bank, National Bank, HSBC, Alterna and various credit unions (table last modified August 2022):
| Who owns the ATM | Regular account fee | Network access fee | Convenience fee | Total per withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your own financial institution | $0 to $2.00 | None | None | $0 to $2.00 |
| A financial institution where you are not a customer | $0 to $2.00 | $0 to $2.00 | $1.00 to $5.00 | $1.00 to $9.00 |
| A private operator | $0 to $2.00 | $0 to $2.00 | $1.50 to $5.00 | $1.50 to $9.00 |
Private ATMs are the machines in convenience stores, bars and venues with no major bank label on them. FCAC notes they are independently owned and operated. The ranges are a survey, not a cap, so the only number that counts for you is the one in your own account agreement.
One exception worth knowing: FCAC says some credit unions belong to THE EXCHANGE network, and members do not charge customers of other member institutions a convenience fee. Your own credit union may still charge a network access fee for using it.
What your bank must tell you
When you open an account at a federally regulated financial institution, it must give you information about all the charges that apply to the account, including ATM fees. If you no longer have that paperwork, the fee schedule is usually on the bank's website under the name of your account package. Our guide to hidden bank fees shows where the other small charges tend to sit.
Worked example: the corner-store habit
Sam takes out $40 from the ATM in the corner store near home about 4 times a month. It is a private ATM. His account package covers the regular account fee, so that part is $0. His bank charges a $2.00 network access fee and the machine shows a $3.50 convenience fee.
- Per withdrawal: $0 + $2.00 + $3.50 = $5.50
- Per month: $5.50 × 4 = $22.00
- Per year: $22.00 × 12 = $264.00
That is $264 a year to access $1,920 of his own money ($40 × 4 × 12), or about 13.75 cents for every dollar he takes out. If Sam took out $160 once a month at his own bank's ATM, his ATM cost would drop to whatever his own bank charges, which his package covers: $0. Same cash, $264 back.
Small fees like this are exactly what a monthly statement review catches. Our money leaks guide walks through the rest.
Using a credit card at an ATM
Taking cash out with a credit card is a cash advance, and it works very differently from a debit withdrawal. FCAC says there is no interest-free grace period on cash advances: interest runs from the day you take the cash until you pay it back in full. FCAC's example puts regular purchases at 19% and cash advances at 22%. You may also pay a cash advance fee each time, as a fixed amount, a percentage, or both, on top of any ATM fees.
FCAC also notes that a cash advance outside Canada typically costs more, and a foreign currency conversion charge may apply. If you are travelling, our guide to foreign transaction fees covers that side.
How to find ATM fees on your statement
- Open your last two monthly statements, or filter your online banking by the word "fee" or "ATM".
- Look for lines near each cash withdrawal. Network and convenience fees often post as separate lines with short codes such as "network fee", "Interac fee" or "service charge".
- Add up a month of them and multiply by 12. That is your yearly ATM cost.
- Compare the total with your package's monthly fee. Sometimes the cheaper fix is a different habit, not a different account.
Options people compare
| Option | What it changes | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Use your own bank's ATMs | Removes network access and convenience fees | Regular account fee if your package does not cover it |
| Fewer, larger withdrawals | Fewer fees, and stays inside your monthly transaction limit | Carrying more cash |
| Debit in store, cash back at checkout | FCAC says you are not usually charged a fee to pay by debit in store | Some merchants charge for cash back |
| A shared network (some credit unions) | No convenience fee between member institutions | A network access fee may still apply |
| A different account package | May include ATM withdrawals or more transactions | The monthly fee; check whether you qualify for a low-cost account |
These are options to understand, not recommendations. FCAC's Account Comparison Tool lets you compare packages side by side, and more of our calculators are on the tools page.
How to stop paying ATM fees in Canada
- Find the ATM and transaction section of your account fee schedule.
- Check your last two statements for every ATM fee line and add them up.
- Note whether each one came from your own bank's ATM, another bank's ATM or a private ATM.
- Locate your own bank's ATMs, or a shared network your credit union belongs to, near where you usually need cash.
- Take out cash less often, or ask for cash back on debit purchases where it is free.
- If the fees keep showing up, compare account packages with the FCAC Account Comparison Tool.
Questions people ask
How much are ATM fees in Canada?
FCAC's fee survey shows $0 to $2.00 per withdrawal at your own financial institution, $1.00 to $9.00 at another financial institution, and $1.50 to $9.00 at a privately owned ATM. Your own account agreement sets your exact fees.
What is a network access fee?
It is a fee your own financial institution charges when you withdraw cash at an ATM it does not own. It is added on top of any regular account fee.
What is an ATM convenience fee?
It is the fee charged by a private ATM operator, or by a financial institution where you do not have an account. Your bank adds it to the network access fee and the regular account fee.
Why did one ATM withdrawal cost me two or three fees?
At an ATM your bank does not own, you can pay your own bank's regular account fee, its network access fee, and the ATM owner's convenience fee, all on the same withdrawal.
Does my bank have to tell me its ATM fees?
Yes. FCAC says a federally regulated financial institution must give you information about all charges on the account, including ATM fees, when you open it.
Is using a credit card at an ATM the same as a debit withdrawal?
No. A credit card withdrawal is a cash advance. FCAC says there is no interest-free grace period on cash advances, so interest runs from the day you take the cash, and a cash advance fee may also apply.
How can I avoid ATM fees in Canada?
FCAC suggests using your own financial institution's ATMs, making fewer withdrawals to stay within your monthly transaction limit, paying by debit in store, and asking merchants for cash back where it is free.
Looni scans your transactions, groups every ATM and network fee, and shows the yearly total next to the line items it came from. Read-only, no advice.
Sources
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, ATM fees (regular account, network access and convenience fees; fee ranges by ATM owner, table last modified August 2022; disclosure of all charges at account opening; THE EXCHANGE network; tips including cash back and debit in store), How credit cards work (cash advances have no interest-free grace period, example rates of 19% and 22%, cash advance fees, foreign cash advances), and the Account Comparison Tool. The example is illustrative; the arithmetic is ours.