Does anyone know which bank the atm belongs to or if it's privately owned?

It says Actor's Federal Credit Union on it.

I don't know if I trust an ATM that looks like a toy.

New item on the Dollar Menu?

@MeSoHornsby: I laughed!

I'm surprised they didn't add fries sticking out of the top.

Yep they look like a toy. Still... if one of you bank's branches aren't nearby and you don't feel like getting walloped with a hefty $1.75 atm fee at some deli, these are great

@Triborough: FYI, there was no picture up when I posted that question.

Why would you ever pay an ATM fee? If you don't have a local bank go to CVS or Duane Reade or whatever and buy a 50 cent pack of gum on your debit card and get cash back.

Sure you might not need gum, but it's cheaper than paying a dollar for nothing and you get some gum out of it.

Jeez did V-tech make that atm or what?

My favorite method of avoiding ATM fees is the grocery store. They'll let you get cash back with a debit card purchase, and most don't tack on fees to the transaction (although I have known some that do). So get a candy bar and whatever cash you want back. It's cheaper than using an ATM, and you get a snack out of the deal.

I laugh at people who pay ATM fees,and frankly, I would NOT pay 99 cents when I could get cash back or find a free ATM..hell I could probably buy something off the dollar menu with my debit and get cash back.

While it may be handy if you need cash, doesn't practically every Micky D's already take debit card as payment? So now you have to decide who to trust with your PIN - McDonald's or Actor's Federal Credit Union.

When I saw the headling I seriously thought that you could literally withdraw .99 off of your card to add to change found on the floor to purchase off of the value menu.

It's coming to that. You watch.

I hate how it costs $25 now to take $20 out of the ATM. Fucking banks.

@MBZ321:

If you are a tourist and your bank doesn't have a branch in NY, then ATM fees are unavoidable to an extent. Although, most tourist areas do accept credit cards, so constant need for cash isn't necessary.

@crackblind:

Yeah, I would rather use plastic too. But there are some die hard Dave Ramsey sheep (followers) who probably drag their envelopes around, even on vacation.

I must be lucky. My bank has so many atms throughout the area, I'm never far from a fee free withdraw.

considering i've used atms with $4 fee in ny, this is kinda nice. especially since there's a million mcd's there.

those "doormen" are the worst panhandlers around. i would never even consider giving them any money just because of their weaselly way of trying to make people fee guilty. sometimes i'll go to a different store or restaurant if there's a "doorman" just to avoid them.

I use a Credit Union, and every McD's I've ever used between Florida and Maryland was free to take money out of...

Why are we celebrating 99 cents?

@OminousG: B/c compared to BOA's $3.00 charge if you don't have an account, $0.99 isn't that bad. Besides, I think it's more "taking notice" than "celebrating." Besides, celebrations suck with no cheese dip..

I have worked with two banks in the past that refund ATM fees from foreign ATM transactions. These are on free checking accounts. I recommend them both:

Macatawa Bank in West Michigan automatically refunds ATM fees up to $2 each.

Bank of Texas refunds unlimited fees but you need to send in receipts.

Wouldn't it be easier just to use the card at McDonalds, instead of taking the cash out first? Some banks let you use other banks ATM's for free. Even if it's 99 cents, I'd rather find a bank and just charge the meal LOL.

This is great, but what about the skimmer machine attached to the ATM?

@Canadian Impostor: In NYC they're hip to that game. The most cash you can get back from CVS is $35 and in NYC that's about the cost of a pack of gum.

The 99 cent ATMs are the only reason I ever go to a McDonalds. I hate to pay ATM fees too, but sometimes its unavoidable, ever since the death of the free WaMu. Most of the Duane Reades and grocery stores have stopped giving cash back and my bank branch could be a 20 minute walk out of the way (you don't just drive up to the drive-thru bank in NYC like you can in the suburbs.) Also, one magical time in 2006, I found an extra $20 in one of those McD's ATMs.

The Actor's Federal Credit Union has no additional branches and these ATMs are the only way I know of that union members can get free withdrawals off-site.

FYI FOR CU MEMBERS: Many offer partnerships (but not all), so you can use other CU's ATMS with no charge. I know several in PA do this. I am able to use my ATM card at unions I don't belong to and get refunded, and free ATM use at all 7/11's in PA.

Another tip: Every Duane Reade store has a Chase ATM where the fee is only 99 cents for non-Chasers.

go find one of these ATM's in midtown on a saturday night, the line for them is longer than one to get into a club in the village

at my micky d's in harlem the 99 cent fee is waived because my bank, Commerce, is part of some partner network with the mcdonalds atms. It even has my banks colors and graphics during the transaction.

@Canadian Impostor: No cash back at Duane Reade since they installed the Chase ATMs in the stores - it's a 99 cent fee there, too.

I have to admit, I hadn't paid attention to how ridiculous BoA fees had gotten, because I hadn't used one of their ATMs in ages - I was out late last week and used the one near my house when I had to have cash, and, $3? Really? Quite the scam they've got going.

@camille_javal: Chase bank ATMs (not the Duane Reade ones) are $3 also.

Does this matter? Every intersection in Manhattan has three banks on the corners (and a Starbucks on the fourth).

Wells Fargo is horrible for their fees. And I mean, they have shit-ton of fees.

$2.50 for not using a Wells Fargo ATM when withdrawing money

$1.50 for not using a Wells Fargo ATM when wanting a transaction.

$1.00 for checking your transactions at an ATM. It prints out on a receipt and it doesn't even give you a description of where the purchase was made.

$2.00 for talking to a REAL LIVE person on the telephone if their automated system would of been able to answer your question for you.

And I think they just up'ed their overdraft fees to $35 from $30 ... wait, did I mention the overdraft protection you pay daily? LOL.

Thank god I don't bank with them, and just worked for them.

I bank with a CU, so as long as I stay away from banks like Wells Fargo, BoA, and etc--I basically get a free-of-charge to use whatever ATMs that I decide to use.

Amalgamated at Broadway and Rector downtown has no-fee ATMS. You don't even have to bank with them.

I think that will inspire companies to make 99 PERcent ATMs.

@Wormfather is Wormfather: Yep. This is what I came to say. This is a great deal until you realize the McDonald's ATMS are often targeted by identity/card number thieves. I have more than one direct acquaintance who had their bank account emptied or stolen from because the McD's ATMs are easier to put the skimmers on and get them off without anyone noticing - either because of the location of the atms (sometimes upstairs or in the back - always away from employees) or the fact that they are not banks and not usually under direct surveillance.

I have only paid an ATM fee once. I forgot my cash when I took my little sister to an ice cream shop, and had to quickly find a way to pay the guy before my ice cream melted. I went to the neighboring c-store, leaving my little sister as collateral, and tried to get cash back for a tin of altoids, which I did need. No go, they didn't take cards either. So, I needed to use the one ATM in the shopping center. It was some no-name ATM with a $2 charge, plus the $4 wachovia charge. So, I ended up withdrawing $20 and paying $6 for a pair of $2 cones, a total of $10.

Just go to any Duane Reade and ask for cash back using your debit card. $.05 piece of gum and $40 please...

For those of you near a WaWa gas station, their ATMs are free unless it changed lately.

When I need cash, I run up to the grocery store and buy a pack of 30 cent gum with my debit card and get cash back that way. Beats the heck out of any ATM usage fees.

@keith4298: Duane reade doesn't do cash back on debit purchases. CVS on the other hand does.

Why is everyone still not using Schwab Investor Checking?

No account fees, ALL ATM fees refunded.

Make all ATMs free for everyone.

the AFCU is my bank. Totally trustworthy. NOT the same as the scary deli/sidewalk ATMs.

@Canadian Impostor: Plus, you can get the amount you need instead of being restricted to multiples of $10 or $20. "I need $12.47 cash back, please." (Not really, but occasionally I just need a fiver).

They should put in 99c ATMs at the McDonalds here. Only three ATMs in the entire city (that I know of) allow me free withdrawals. One is at my Credit union, and the other two are at 7-11s (affiliated network). Every other ATM in town advertises a $2.00 fee for withdrawal. There's one I steer clear of, it advertises a $2.00 fee, but it adds $2.00 to your withdrawal IN ADDITION TO charging a $2.00 fee. I used it twice in one month before I checked my statement. So I withdrew $60, expecting $62 to be taken from my account. Instead it was $64. $8 in fees for two transactions, $4 more than expected. Nowhere on the ATM did it explain the double-charge. Probably a programming glitch. So NYC does have it lucky it seems in this case.

USAA Federal Savings Bank -- Charges no fee and refunds the first 10 ATM fees paid per month.

Membership in USAA is restricted to military, ex-military, or children of military, but they really take care of their members.