Paid an ATM fee? You could be owed part of a $167.5M settlement

People who paid fees to withdraw cash from independent ATMs could be eligible for money from a proposed $167.5 million settlement involving Visa and Mastercard.

The settlement applies to qualifying transactions made between Oct. 24, 2007 and Aug. 14, 2026. Eligible consumers must submit a claim by Feb. 10, 2027, to seek a share of the settlement.

The case, Burke v. Visa Inc., centers on allegations that Visa and Mastercard rules restricted how independent ATM operators could set their access fees. Plaintiffs say the rules prevented operators from offering lower fees when transactions could be processed through competing networks, resulting in higher costs for consumers.

Visa and Mastercard deny the allegations and agreed to settle without admitting liability.

The nationwide settlement generally covers people who were charged an access fee when they used an independent ATM in the United States or its territories to withdraw cash from a deposit account, as long as their bank did not fully reimburse the fee.

The withdrawal must have been made using an ATM or PIN debit card. Independent ATMs are machines not owned by banks or other financial institutions and can be found at places such as convenience stores, gas stations, hotels and…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/