Banks are hurting right now and are doing everything in their power to continue minting the kind of money their shareholders expect. Due to changes in legislation, some banks are considering limiting the size of debit card transactions. Chase Bank recently announced they are considering capping debit card transactions at $50 or $100 to protest government regulations which place a cap on interchange fees. The cap will limit interchange fees to $0.12 per transaction, which could cost Chase up to $1 billion in profits each year. They claim it will no longer be profitable for them to continue making these transactions at such a low cost.
Chase has already ended their debit rewards card program, which was a very popular program. Ending it, and potentially limiting debit card transactions to $50 or $100 has the potential to destroy Chase’s banking business, as many customers will look to go to banks with a more generous online banking program.
$5 ATM fees. Chase is trying out $5 ATM transaction fees on a limited basis in Illinois, and $4 ATM fees in Texas. They want to monitor how many people are willing to pay these higher fees, and if they are still profitable, they will be rolled into more markets.
Other banking fees. We’re not picking on Chase, I promise. We are just highlighting them because of how frequently they have been in the news within the last week or so. For example, Chase is also testing out additional fees including a $3 per month debit card fee, and $15 per month fee to have a checking account.
The big problem is that banks are like the airline industry – where one goes, others will follow. It’s not good news for consumers as most banks are only considered with making their shareholders happy. In the end, we suffer, while they make more money.
What can consumers do? The best thing you can do is put your money where your mouth is. If you have a problem with the fees banks are charging, let them know. If the banks continue to charge high fees or won’t waive the fees, then walk away. It’s as simple as that. There are plenty of great banks which would love to have your business. Here is a list of free online checking accounts, which don’t have minimum balance requirements and offer ATM access at thousands of locations. Why keep your money with a bank that will charge you too much money just for the pleasure of doing business with them?
