Well: Glad that you saw fit to finaly write this one. I only told you it started first only at Wal Mart in michigan. During that period when they only were charging the pin fee's, one could not get a debit card processed as credit, which has since changed, but now all pin transactions in northern mi have a fee associated with them. Just to make it worse, the same fee was applied by wal mart with a electronically processed check.

No argument from me! Anyone with any smarts pays off the credit card every month, so there's no reason on earth to use debit. Some people who responded to your last article seemed to be afraid they didn't have the discipline to live within their means if they used credit. That has nothing to do with the advantages of credit over debit.

As a small retail merchant, I'm disgusted but not surprised. The banks/credit card associations have created an industry of convenience which increases the cost of every consumer product by 3% to 5% on the merchant side and uncountable billions in interest charges on the consumer side.

I use my debit card for practically every purchase I make. I bank with M & T. When you slide your card thru the reader at a retail/grocery store make sure you push the "credit" button and not the debit. You will not have to enter a PIN number and there is no fee.

dumb last time i read it, and still dumb now

I am disgusted with the sneaky tricks of banks these days. They sit around and come up with new ways to rip us off every day.

This is just one more example that validates the suggestion that large banks have a closed room full of MBA's whose function is to dig more profits out of their customers. Special fees to punish credit card users drove the move to debit cards. Now, they are dreaming up fees to punish debit card users.

Hey, Rich Guys, you cannot get blood out of a turnip. Ditch the plastic and return to a cash economy!

I would drop my bank if they did that. This is what happen when we let corp american do what ever they fill they can get away with. This country is going and the wrong direction and it albout money, and we can thank the republican party and some democrate party for thies mass.

Instead of using a credit card to fund normal, every day purchases ~ how about going back to basics (the stone age!) and writing an old-fashioned check instead. My checkbook comes with me everywhere.

Drop your bank. The banks are constantly looking for ways to screw over customers, as soon as you get a fee call them to have it reversed. If they do not drop them. They are counting on this being a hassle which it is but it is time consumers take a stand. It seems that many businesses no longer value offering good customer service or products instead look for way to screw over their customers.

My bank doesn't do this, but I am not surprised. Fees seem to be sprouting up everywhere. I'm at the point where I use my airline miles CC for most big purchases like groceries and gas. Daily stuff is cash, which I get in a lump from the bank's no-charge ATM once a month.

I like using cash, because when I break a large bill, I can stuff the singles into one of my 'funds'. I need a new weight bench, so when I bought lunch I put the change towards that.

I find it interesting that a bank is charging a fee for a PIN transaction when they have been pushing customers to use the debit card over checks for the past decade, especially since it was supposed to be more cost effective for the bank to process an electronic transaction versus processing a check. Maybe it would be better to go back to the good ole days of writing a check and letting the bank deal with the processing costs and also allow the customer to work the old float game again.
The more they keep pushing fees like this one, the more it might force their customers back to writing checks again.

As a US Bank customer, I also get charged for those 25 cent fees and its not fair to me as the customer. There are some stores that only let you use it as a debit card and require a pin. The Dollar Tree is a good example of this. So if I want to shop there, I have to use my card and get charged extra for it. I am sure that there are alot more stores out there that only let you use it as a debit card and you end up getting charged the 25 cents more than you think

And I thought that BOA was the only cretian bank out there. Well until people vote with their feet by moving their accounts out of such banks these jerks will continue their plundering. I left the BOA clutches very soon after they took over our bank chain which had taken over our original bank in Northern Virginia years ago. As I sat at the desk closing my account I was asked why I was closing the account and I made it clear to the bank rep that since BOA took over our bank I noticed a very measureal change in behavior including increased fees, termination of various free services etc. As long as such monster organizations are fed our funds, they will continue to grow. Thanks for making us all aware of yet another banking "scam" to tap into our wallets.

Outrageous.

I found out, to my shock and horror, that banks will allow you to make debit card purchases and use ATMs, even when you're overdrawn! There's no "transaction denied" message. They say they do that as a "courtesy" to you, then they charge you $30 for going overdrawn! Some courtesy!

I wish there was some way we could all get banks to stop doing these practices. Any ideas, anyone?

Here is another way to squeeze everybody. You might as well take your money to vegas the odds are more in your favor there if the banking system allows the rules to be changed anytime they decide it is appropriate with no regard to their client base. Loyalty should count for something!! It is time for some serious talk about the banking industry in Washington. I wonder what percentage of all fees the banks donates to help non-profit organizations, the hungry, the homeless. If they put a small portion back into the hands of people they have helped ruin with their "red tape" I may have a friendlier view. Something has to be done about all the fees! Now! The banking system is helping to create a wider gap between the richer and the poorer and frankly I don't think the banking people "give a damn".

My financial institution recently replaced my simple ATM card with a debit/credit/atm card. I will only employ it as an atm card. As far as the debit card feature, I have been held up many times in line behind customers trying to use their check card and their transaction won't process. I have never had any problem completing my transaction with cash. The opposite of the scenario portrayed on television commercials.

This give the term "Bank Robbery" a whole new meaning. It seems that the banking industry is becoming greedier by the day using the excuse of "watching the bottom line" for the shareholders as their excuse. In Michigan, some stores do not require you to sign when using credit if the purchase is under $25.00, now I know why. What ever happened to customer service and actually valuing the customer's business? Now we are just a commodity to be sold and traded like so much cattle.

Between banks, televangelists, and predatory lenders it's amazing the poor and ill informed have a nickel left to their names. The media recently had a token catharsis over the increasing disparity between the wealthy and the poor, but once again prefer to dwell on O.J. and Paris Hilton. This bread and circuses mind set is at the core of how so many are defrauded out of their rightful status in society. I guess we get what we deserve as a society but my heart goes out to the simple man with a family because he really doesn't stand a chance in corporate governed America.

I have never been impressed by banks' atm fees, minimum account fees and the like. My choice has been a credit union for a long time. They usually have a fraction of the fees that a traditional bank does, and they still have the convenience of loans, mortgages, bill pay, atms, debit cards, credit cards, and web access to your accounts.

I would argue with the writers suggestion to only use credit cards. My bank is doing the opposite, with USAA I actually get a percentage of all of my debit card purchases back every month, IF I select Credit rather than Debit (and don't use the PIN). I don't get charged if I use the PIN, I just don't get the rebate. I suggest that all consumers look around and see if banks in their area offer a similar program.

Interesting, I've had an account with US Bank ever since I've joined the military and I don't reflect any PIN charges. Yet another prime example of Corporate America, which I find to be a real shame because these businesses are more concerned with their profits than your security and well-being. Doubly hard for myself since I'm tasked with protecting things like this

Debtit cards should be ATM only or for an emergency, besides the inherent fees associated with using a debt card as a debt card and places like gas stations blocking a dollar amount the risk of theft from your card and pin number being compromised isn't worth taking a chance. Since the TJMaxx card thefts I have instructed my wife to use credit card or cash, especially knowing that my savings account can be accessed through my debit card. Protect yourselves and your bank accounts.

This story is not a surprise. Both banks mentioned in this story offer rather vague explanations for the additional fees. It is very simple: watch your money because if there is any way to get more from you, banks will find it fast! Here is the real reason for the charges, they impose the fees because most customers don't pay close enough attention or do not complain about it.

I use US Bank in Colorado also and this and a couple of other custumer related issues are the reason I am closing my account

BREMER BANK (midwest-advertising Better than Free Checking) has nailed me as a Sr. Citizen widow with astronomical fees since income is lower now and a few automatic electr. pymts. come out of account same day as deposits but they say I'm "minus balance" until they get around to crediting deposits....say, pymt. comes out at 12:01 A.M. OF DATE and it's not adjusted/balanced to deposit til normal bus. hours.
I think this is unfair...have argued about it til I'm phys. getting S I C K

30 year customer, meant to say.

Wether you use a signiture or a pin when making a purchase is not up to you. It depends upon the merchandiser's method of verifying your right to use the debit card. Merchandisers pay less for pin verification transactions.

If you don't want to use your debit card, use cash. There will always be some fee or interest with a credit card but there will never be any with cash.

How about using neither and pay CASH for everything like in the good ole days when "If you can't afford it, don't buy it"

Huntington National Bank also charges .25 cents if you use your pin on your debit card. I am in the process of switching banks because of this. I am fed up with the nickle and dime charges they try to charge. I also am deeply entrenched with multiple accounts. But, I won't let them push me around.

PIN based transactions are not more secure. You need only to look at the huge issue with TJ Maxx earlier this year where millions of cards were compromised. This issue arose from the fact that the card terminals at stores had been breached causing not only card numbers BUT PINS to be stolen.

The signature based transaction is safer and most banks have $0 liability if there are unauthorized transactions on the card.

I think switching to a credit card is a bad idea because the higher fees paid by the merchant will ultimately be paid by the customer in the form of higher prices.

I'm with Huntington National Bank in Ohio and they are doing this. Anybody know a good bank in Ohio that is not doing this?

Very interesting article. If my bank (bank of America) starts this program you can bet I will be removing all of my monies to another bank.

Given all the hidden fees that started appearing at the end of the month for "debit car purchases", I don't use my debit card any more, write very few checks, and am religious about getting cash out once a week to live on and make anticipated purchases. Finally fed up with back stabbing banks, ATM's, and credit card companies (tore them up long ago).

For merchants the opposite is true. They would prefer that you use a PIN based transaction. The money paid to the card issuer for signature based transactions has to come from somewhere. Guess where? Right out of the merchant's pocket! That is one reason why many merchants have invested large amounts of money developing Point Of Sale software that presents you with a PIN entry screen as soon as you swipe your card. Not only does the merchant get to keep that 2%, but they may also share in any debit network processing fees that are collected.

The ironic thing that I have noticed is that if the PIN entry screen comes up and the customer hesitates or looks lost for more than a second, our local clerks will helpfully reach over, hit cancel to clear the PIN screen, and select credit for you. In three seconds they undo a million dollar programming project.

It is bad enough that banks hold OUR money, offering little or no interest, while they charge high interst rates to loan it for autos, etc. Now they CHARGE US for using OUR MONEY, in an electronic transaction that costs them virtually nothing in labor. No wonder we all have such contempt for the banking industry. If BoA tries this with me, my money is all going back to the credit union union.

Banks have always been too greedy. I have an idea that i have had for 20 years. I propose to start a bank owned by the people for the people. This bank should serve the people and cut out the excessive charges. I wonder how much support i would have on this?

Fifth Third Bank does the same thing here (in Kentucky). PIN transactions are treated as foreign ATM transactions (with fees) -- you only get three per statement period before you get charged for them. However, Fifth Third has worked out deals with certain merchants (Kroger is one, they house some 5/3 bank centers) where the PIN charge doesn't apply. How are consumers supposed to keep all of this straight? I think the banks try to keep the masses as confused as possible so they can keep charging meaningless fees.

I think using cash is the best way to go. That way you're ensuring your card information isn't getting stolen AND you can avoid any annoying "service" charges. If you can't pay cash, then use a good 'ol credit card.

Recently AM South was bought out by Regions. My branch has now been switched over to its new owners and I recently paid a bill over the telephone using my debit card. When I opened my internet banking account I noticed that I was charged not a quarter but a dollar for this transaction. Also I had recently had a cash transaction on my credit card and wanted to pay the cash advance back and was told I could not do this until my account was paid back in full,.

Keep in mind, the customers pay no matter the method. If you pay with a credit card, the cost of the financial transaction is include in the price. If you pay with cash, the financial cost is still included. I am a merchant, so I know that I cannot give a cash discount, yet I do anyway on large purchases. Take that Mastercard. I pay with a debit card and sign the receipt.

I think now the banks are trying a new way to make money because people are limiting their credit card spending; because of big interest rates, so now they are trying to make interest on your own money....this has to stop, who's receiving all of this interest money, start naming so names so we can know who to hate...when we are all on the bread lines.

I live in Ohio and Huntington Bank recently bought Sky Bank that I had my accounts with. Sky did not charge pin based fees. Huntington does charge a $0.25 fee. So now I have to use the "credit" function of my card and sign or pay the fee...At least Huntington warned me ahead of time that they were going to start charging for Pin transactions

It's funny that you would warn people about paying excess fees and then promote the use of paying by credit cards which cost a truck load more. Did you simply overlook using a check or do you work on the other side of the fence for a credit card company?

The banks are going to make their money one way or the other. When my husband and I divorced over twelve years ago, we paid off all credit cards at that time and tore them up. Since that time, I have learned to live within my income. Because I don't like to carry cash, all I use is my Bank Debit Card. I do not own a Credit Card and do not want one. It seems that banks and credit card companies just can't stand that. Before long, companies will charge a fee if you have the nerve to pay cash. (You're already seeing commercials frowning on people that pay by cash.)

That is BS. We are already getting taxed on our paychecks, gas, food, tags, utilities, and pretty much anything else we buy. To be charged to spend money is ridiculous. How much more can corporate America find to suck out of people while they fatten their pockets?

Anything that anyone can do to make a dollar. I RARELY carry any cash on me and have many friends that are the same way. The banks have figured out how to make money just like every other big corporation out there. Don't they make enough? Talk about greed. It is disgusting.

My bank, JP Morgan Chase, decided to "stick" the merchant by dangling the "carrot" in front of me. A few months ago I was informed by Chase that reward points would no longer be given for non-signature transactions. So if I want the points, I must use the option that forces the merchant to pay the higher bank fee. But merchants can fight back, too . . . I noticed that at Publix Supermarkets in Florida, their card processing system now recognizes my Chase card as a debit card, and it will no longer allow me to use the point-earning credit card option. Publix must save a fortune in bank fees every year! Good for them . . . and their shareholders. Sure, I'd like the reward points, but I find more satisfaction knowing that the bank isn't able to stick it to all concerned!

I live in Oklahoma and am a customer of BancFirst. My bank charges a $1 fee for EACH transaction using a PIN code. I was never told of the fees when I opened the account. It took a Walmart employee to help me outsmart the system. She told me to use my debit card as a credit - when it asks for my PIN code, hit cancel then credit. NO MORE FEES!

Forget the banks. Join a Credit Union.

Try joining a credit union! My credit union doesn't charge for using my debit card with PIN.

Forget the banks. Join a Credit Union.

Thank you, I knew I was not crazy when these charges suddenly showed up on my statments. Calls to TD Bank North were no help, they in fact lied and said that they had always been chaging these fees, I just haden't noticed in the last eight years. I use a pin for safety reasons and will now find a bank that is more honest with its coustmers and does not steal my money.

"Banks are more interested in money than security"...gee, what penetrating insight! The banks are publicliy owned, for-profit businesses. Nothing mysterious about that.

There is a way around this. You can use your debit card if it says Visa as a Visa and not a debit card, this will by pass the fee.

It is not true that only the account holders in the four states are charged for using PINs.
I'm from Chicago, Illinois, and I have bank account with TCF Bank and MB Financial Bank. Both are charging fees if I'm using the PIN. TCF will charge $0.30/transaction and MB will charge me $0.50/transaction.
On every MB deposit receipts you will find this note:
"Debit card users: press Credit and save the fee!"

Forget the banks. Join a Credit Union.

Hey, look at that! More parasitic behavior from the Big Banking Industry. This is becoming all too common in this day and age. "Free Checking"?? HAHAH!!! Nothing could be further from the truth. Banks find very "creative" ways to get their patrons money for GOOD! Not only that, they'll try and hide the news behind the fine print. Or make up rules as they go along. What did we think, as children, about other kids making the rules to games we played as they went along? Yeah, no one liked it. I'm not going to plug ANY bank here because I believe they are all guilty of some sort of this behavior. I can't wait to read the first holier-than-thou comment about "personal responsibility" regarding THIS new development.

My bank, Jackson County Bank based in Seymour, Indiana just started charging $1 for every debit made from my savings account, using the debit card they issued, at their ATMs. You can believe we are looking for another bank!

Great article, Debit cards have always been a little mystifing to me, but I love them and use them all the time. Banks, I've heard, are raking in huge profits right now because of new little publicized charges they institute. I hope this is one charge that gets nipped.

I up rooted all my accounts from US Bank after banking with them for 7 years. Because of the fees and the HUGE hassel they gave me to close my accounts after my purse was stolen. I didn't even have fruad charges on my account. It took a year to clear up all the internet pay problems. :(

looks like we start using cash for things.

Well that .25 cent PIN fee is nothing when you're talking about US Bank charge $35.00 overdraft fees even on purchases of $1.06 etc. Then if you do not put enough money in to cover that they will charge you an overdraft fee on the overdraft fee. I think it's outrageous that they can get away with this. They practically bankrupt your account. This especially affects young people who are not as good as watching their accounts. I understand a fee for overdrafting but come on. If you have five $1.06 charges you get hit with five $35.00 charges. By the time the cycle goes on, you're in the hole so deep that your next paycheck gets taken by the bank in overdraft fees. This has to stop. Make it reasonable like $5.00. They love this new debit card system where even when a minor overdraft occurs, they can charge these ridiculous amounts. This is ridiculous.

Be smart - use a credit card, pay if off in full each month, earn points, receive gifts for the spending you have done. Ditch the debit cards until banks become reasonable with their customers. Might be a long wait.

"But Wendt, the bank spokeswoman, said the decision to levy the fee in four states was "market driven," because other banks in those states charge PIN fees too."

Meaning: Other banks are getting away with it, so we will too. "market driven"=provide a service to set you apart and get more business, NOT drive it away.

I work for a bank and we do not have this charge. But I'll warn folks another reason why banks probably impose this fee for using PIN "debit" and not a signed "credit" transaction...you're more likely to overdraw your account.

When you use a PIN debit a hold is automatically placed on those funds so that you're available balance reflects that amount being deducted.

But when you sign, or do a "credit" purchase using a debit card it can take 2 or 3 days for that transaction to register to your account. Basically it's the wait time for that vendor to batch out and for those funds to be deducted from your account. Therefore people who use this type of transaction then go and check their available balance aren't actually getting the real balance. Therefore, those riding a tight line on their checking account and not balancing a checkbook register themselves, go ahead and continue using their card not realizing that they don't have has much money in the bank has they think and they Overdraft their account.

There's another $30-$40 dollars per transaction in fees. YOU MUST KEEP A CHECKBOOK REGISTER AND USE IT AFTER EACH AND EVERY PURCHASE WHETHER BY CHECK OR DEBIT CARD. Also, on a side note...you should never use a debit card to make purchases online. It is much harder to recover a double-billing/lost funds or i.d. theft on a debit card than a creditcard.

This is another form of cheating customers to protect the banks bottom line at the customers expense. No wonder people don't wish to keep much money in a bank account. Business has lost site of customers & feel profits are more important than happy customers. Extra fees are only (PROFIT) not true expense to a bank.

Don't use any plastic.

And, if you have used it and your credit rating stinks already, then simply don't pay it off.

If you owe the bank $50 and you don't pay it off, then that's your problem. If thousands of people owe the bank billions of dollars and decide not to pay it off, then that's the bank's problem. Let them figure it out.

Think about this: If you have a bad credit rating and your income is low, there's no downside to not paying off a creedit card.

Garnishment? Big deal. Garnishment is income sensitive, so the maximum amount that can be garnished will likely be way less than the bank claims you owe, most of which will be fees and other usurious charges that are described in this article.

It's about time that the poor and the institutionally and chronically indebted in this country realize the collective leverage they have with the credit card and banking industry.

The banking industry has fed like parasites on the poor for decades. It's time we started fighting back. And the best way to do that is to simply stop paying your credit card bills -- en masse.

Accept the "embarrassment" of being a defaulter, which you probably are anyway, as a war wound.

Embrace it as a mark of honor; you're standing up to an industry that has for decades dumped on the poor in this country and that has rigged the banking laws so that banks and credit card companies are now legally allowed to financially rape you.

And when the bank sells your debt to a scum debt collector, ignore the threats from that scum debt collector; the worst they can do is take you to court or try to arbitrate money from you.

You will lose in arbitration, whether you should or not, since consumer arbitration is nothing more than a debt collection service bought and paid for by the banks and credit card companies.

But that arbitration award against you must become a court judgement before it can be enforced. This can only end in garnishment.

If you do everything the court asks you to, you won't be in comtempt and (possibly) having a few dollars taken from you paycheck every week and, possibly, having to turn over tax "refunds" (change your filing status to minimize this threat) will be the end of it for you.

Meanwhile, the banks and the credit card companies will have lost billions of dollars.

Do it now. Tear up your atatements and tell the banks and the credit card companies where they can stick their fees.

The other benefit of doing this is that, since the bank and credit card insdustry's consumer base will have an increasingly poor credit rating, the value of the mysterious credit rating itslef will diminish.

You have the right to live a decent life that does not involve having to constantly answer to banks and credit card companies for your very existence.

Don't Pay!

THE DAY I AM CHARGED FOR USING MY DEBIT CARD IS WHEN I NO LONGER USE IT..

Greed makes the world go round, we did not complaint years ago when big business and government took our money, so why cry now !!!!! WE DID TO OURSELVES !!!!

Greed makes the world go round, we did not complaint years ago when big business and government took our money, so why cry now !!!!! WE DID TO OURSELVES !!!!

Debit cards can be used as credit cards by simply telling the clerk you want your transaction to be a credit instead. I do this because Visa gives rewards to use your signature instead of debit. Thanks.

What about price clubs such as COSTCO WHOLESALE? They only accept debit card or AMEX. We have no option to use M/C or Visa card there.

We've known about the pin fee since we opened our US Bank accounts last year. There are actually only a few businesses that require using the pin number, like Costco. Compared to the other excessive fees that the other banks charge, we still believe that US Bank has the lowest fees, overall.

how do I see your previous column? please email me that column or tell how to find it

Ha! My bank pays me five cents for every debit card transaction. I make sure to use if as frequently as possible (as opposed to using checks).

Just another example of big bank greed. Smaller banks will not do this because they know their customers.

I agree with Hansen wanting to switch banks. We are the customers and you should always focus on the bank with the best customer service possible. Mysteriously assessing a quarter for every debit transaction is NOT good customer service. Also, I highly recommend using credit cards for purchases as Sullivan, the writer, suggests. You are protected by the fact that the money isn't instantly taken from your account. However, the caveat is, pay them in FULL everyone month. Typically, you are safer and you earn more rewards this way. Banks are going to make their money regardless, might as well treat yourself to a share of the pot.

I also recently found these little charges on my bank statement, mostly for using my debit card for retail and gas purchases. I recently switched banks because of these charges abd have now found a bank which charges no fees and also rewards you for uing the cards. Shop around folks, good banks are out there and will give you the service you signed up for. After all it's your money, not the banks.

I am a retail owner. We are being pushed by the credit card service providers to sway customers away from pin pad purchases and to the more traditional signature. It is a financial must as a pin pad purchase cost us more and eats into our profits. Afew cents here and there add up quickly with thousands of purchases every week.

I JUST GOT A DEBIT CARD TO MAKE TRANSACTIONS AT THE STORE EASIER FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME IN LINE. IF I'M GOING TO BE CHARGE A FEE, I'LL GO BACK TO WRITING A CHECK. CHECK WRITING DOESN'T BOTHER ME ONE BIT. I HAVE FREE CHECKING ACCOUNT.

I know when I shop at the local grocery store (and when I shopped) at Wal-Mart, I am not given the choice to sign or enter a pin. The systems installed ask for your pin as soon as you swipe your card. They used to let you cancel and then select credit, but no more. Right now there is no PIN charge, but if the banks decided to screw customers even more, the only choice we would be left with is to go back and start using cash. Maybe it's time we do. Then the banks can't steal as much from us. Putting in a home safe is cheaper.

What banks are doing are really getting out of hand. Alot of people like myself would rather use there debit card instead of carrying cash. If your debit card/credit card is lost or stolen it is easier to contact the bank. Unless someone knows your pin number a purchase can't me made. Once your cash is lost or stolen it is gone for good.

If it was not in the terms and conditions of your original banking agreement, I wonder how they would feel if you, along with their other customers, sued or pressed charges for illegally tampering with and removing funds from your account without prior notification or your consent!!! Banks need to be taught a HUGE lesson.

I understand your position on credit cards vs bank/debit cards, but reality is, most people don't want to use their credit cards unless they have large purchases they can pay off down the road. No one really wants to pay interest on top of ALL their purchases. Plus, not all bank/debit card purchases come with hidden fees, although I think that's pretty shady tactics for a bank to charge loyal (or any really) customers extra fees on their purchases. They make enough money on us already.

If I find my bank or credit union charging a fee for debt card purchases I will change banks!!! I use a pin for security. Anyone can sign a piece of paper...

I used to bank with Wells Fargo. Every time I used a non-Wells Fargo ATM, Wells Fargo charged me $2 in addition to the standard $1.50 or $2 fee at the ATM. This wasn't just a once-a-month fee. I also had a difficult time using the card as a PIN-debit card at the local gas station for instance. I went in to close my account and Wells Fargo offered me the card that doesn't charge this fee. WHAT????? Shame on you, Wells Fargo. I told them in all honesty that I had already found a new bank. My new bank is a small local bank and I've been there ever since. I even financed my house through them. I've never been charged extra fees for using my card as a PIN-debit card. They didn't even charge extra fees when I used my card to pull money out of ATMs in Germany. What sense does it make to start charging fees because everyone else is doing it? What, because people are numb to it and will just accept it? greedy, greedy, greedy Why not drop the fees and let everyone know about it? That would make me come running with open arms.

Market Driven?
the decision to levy the fee in four states was "market driven," because other banks in those states charge PIN fees too.
No - Greed Driven !

Another reason to use an on-line bank such as INGDirect. Not only do you get a higher interest rate on savings, you get interest on money kept in you debit card account, overdraft protection (with interest when used) and NO charges for use. One thing I face with the Electric Orange Debit Card is limited access to free ATM, but then, since there is no charge for using the card, that hasn't been a problem.
And one last thing, INGDirect runs special programs, such as one running now through Dec 31. 1% payback on all uses of Electric Orange when used as a signature card. They make money and they pay you to help them earn that money

Another reason to use an on-line bank such as INGDirect. Not only do you get a higher interest rate on savings, you get interest on money kept in you debit card account, overdraft protection (with interest when used) and NO charges for use. One thing I face with the Electric Orange Debit Card is limited access to free ATM, but then, since there is no charge for using the card, that hasn't been a problem.
And one last thing, INGDirect runs special programs, such as one running now through Dec 31. 1% payback on all uses of Electric Orange when used as a signature card. They make money and they pay you to help them earn that money

USAA Federal Savings Bank does things differently. They share part of their earnings from "credit" charges made with a debit card with the customer. Unfortunately, many stores make it harder to do a charge with a debit card than to enter the PIN which saves the store money!

Bob --

From my prospective, you've got it a little wrong. I use a debit card because I want it to come out of my checking account and I don't want to carry my checkbook. All the banks will force me to do is write paper checks so they can spend more money processing paper. If I want to use credit and postpone payment, I pull out the credit card.

I have been with bank for 20 years and I went over by
"1 penny" using a debit card and I was charged 38.00 od fee, I could not believe it. I did call the bank manager and she gave me a refunded.

AM PM Gas station also charge .45 cents per trans. with Debit card-

You should switch to Chase Bank which gives 1 point per dollar spent on non-pin purchases and you are not penalized for using your debit card with pin. It has more than 8500 ATMs all over the country and you are assigned a personal banker to your accounts.

I too am charged PIN fees & have been a US Bank customer for many years. I carry many accounts with them. 99.8% of the time I don't make PIN purchases because of this, only when I need cash back & there is no available US BANK ATM around because the 25 cents is cheaper than the ATM fees that they charge if you use an ATM that they don't own. A couple of weeks ago I was charged 25 cents for using my Debit/Visa card as a VISA & the charge itself went thru my account twice. Once as a PIN purchase & once as a Visa Purchase. US Bank refunded the PIN purchase plus the 25 cents, of course, after I had to make the phone calls to point out their error. I, too, am very unhappy with US Bank & am considering other options for my banking needs.

i enjoyed the article about debit cards but i disagree with the author advocating using credit cards because credit cards create debt and can encourage excessive spending unlike a pay as u go check card. Even if u consider youself thrifty with excellent bill paying habits there is always risk. Emergencies happen, sickness in the family, or get laid off, and if u owe on a credit card then you have a problem that is not associated with check card: you have a debt to cover at a time when u least can afford it....thanks my two cent

You forgot to explain WHY banks earn different amounts on PIN-debit & signature-debit transactions

Most of the time you can use your debit card just like a credit card with a signature and no PIN. A lot of the time if you use your debit card and they merchant asks for a PIN, you can press one of the keys on the pin padwithout entering your pin ( I forget which pin, either ENTER or CANCEL, the cleck can tell you which it is ) and the transaction will go through as a credit card transaction and not a debit card transaction.

This is ridiculous. This is one reason why I dont do any banking with your large banks. I bank at a credit union. I dont get charged the fess the big banks charge. I have been with the credit union since 1999 and I really love it. I feel I get better customer service. I also think credit unions are safer then the big banks. If I were you I would chnage banks,US Bank doesnt deserve to have you as a customer.

My bank dosen't charge the fee, but the gas station does. 35 cents for a debit transaction, but credit is no extra charge. Needless to say, I select credit.
Always read the fine print, even at the gas pump.

I have been banking with U.S. Bank for six years and I was aware of the quarter fee when using your pin for purchases it is stated right in the pamphlet that you get when you receive your card or bank policies have changed. Maybe she should of took the time to read the information then she would of known of the fee. Also its not that difficult to know the difference between PIN and non-Pin purchases.

I don't use credit cards or debit cards. Someday America will wake up to the rip-off they are receiving by using them. Good old cash works great for me. I preach to a lot of young people about the danger of credit cards. Cut them up....throw them away. Start getting America back on track.

I have been banking with U.S. Bank for six years and I was aware of the quarter fee when using your pin for purchases it is stated right in the pamphlet that you get when you receive your card or bank policies have changed. Maybe she should of took the time to read the information then she would of known of the fee. Also its not that difficult to know the difference between PIN and non-Pin purchases.

I agree with Bob Sullivan so much I refuse to use debit cards and always done so. I have never had one. I even got rid of my Citibank credit card because the service was so poor. I found the cash only method of purchases prevents identity theft, purchase patterns aren't tracked, and it is never declined because of an idiotic fraud algorithm that flags your own purchases. America should protest the electronicification of our purchases by cutting up all plastic, and checks as well, and move to cash in every case where possible. Our financial well being is being striped from us in the name of profit!

There getting away with leagle loan sharking,they jacked up my intrest on my credit card for no reason.Waite till the subprime loawns hit,I guess we will get the bullet for that.

Enough already with the bank fees. Even if Congress stepped in and did something about this one, they'd think up five more. It's an endless game of whack-a-mole with the consumer getting whacked the most. It's not right. Next they'll be charging you for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide across a moist membrane.

When has anyone ever really been able to trust a bank? If it wasn't for FDIC, I would probably be using a mattress lol
Then, the only fee I pay is creaking bones when I get up to get money to go shopping.

I live in missouri, and I am very tired of seeing a 25 cent charge every time I get gas,,,U.S. bank may lose me too. Its the only time I use my card,,gas cost enough then the bank adds more hurt,,,everyone sell your USB stock, ( That means you too Warren Buffet)

CASH IS KING!!!!!!!!!

The banks are not up front as soneone you could trust. We trust them to hold our money and they find ways to take it from us. Banks as a whole are greedy. They loan money for homes to people who have a history of not paying their bills and want the government to bail them out because they were greedy? Banks need to be accountable for their actions . Big fines on credit cards. They let you take money from your credit card when your over limit and sock it to you for taking cash and going over limit. I keep an eye on the bank the same as a dishonest person. You cannot trust them.

I use an American Express card exclusively for purchases and my "Debit" card to withdraw cash only. I have had no problems whatsoever and am rewarded for using the AMEX for purchases. Remember when an ATM card was for cash withdrawl only? Convenience is not free anymore. The convenience of using an ATM card for purchases(now called Debit)as well could not go on long without big banks finding a way to make money off of it........one quarter at a time.

This an interesting article, because about a week ago I get a call from my bank, Wells Fargo here in Denver Colorado, from a new person in charge of my account, to say that he had reviewed my account and said that I was in the wrong program and that the $20.00 per month fee was no longer going to be applied...gee what gives here? Being nice? Now I'm wondering if they were trying to cover this problem because it was starting to catch up with them and just happen to call me so as not to lose me as a customer. Yes nickel and dime us to death!!!

I use my Debit Card as a credit card. You can't skrew up you credit score or face late charges if the
money comes out of your checking account immediately.
Besides,I don't sleep at night if I have one cent on
credit cards..I have been abused by late fees, telephone threats, bad credit reports and so on.
The only time I leave a balance on anything is my home equity line of credit..I refuse to be a bank victim again..

it's not that hard.... you do not need to stop using your debit card. just use it as credit. it will still be deducted out of your checking account then you don't have to worry about the discipline of paying off your credit card each month.

This is happening in Mo. also. I just saw the fee on my last two bank statements. I am not going to use that bank to pay for things in the store anymore either.

Hanscom Federal Credit Union up here in Mass is by far the BEST "bank" I've ever belonged to! Switch to credit unions folks!

When shopping, I find it preferable to use pin-debit transactions because they clear through your bank account faster, (usually 24 hrs vs. 3-4 DAYS using signature transactions) and it cost retailers less. I worked at Walmart last year, and at the particular store I worked at, I was told that fees for customers using debit or credit cards totalled more than $100,000 a year on average. As the fee for using debit is less than half the cost of signing for the transaction, we were supposed to encourage people to pay with debit or to sign up for a Walmart credit card (which would be no-transaction fee for the store). The more the fees that the stores have to pay for us consumers making purchases with signature transactions, that all comes back to us in higher prices for goods...I'm seriously considering going to all-cash, so hopefully I'd think more before making small usesless purchases like a cup of coffee or a candy bar using plastic!....and if you are getting fees from your bank for using debit, talk to them about changing to another type of account. Wells Fargo was mentioned above as charging fees for debit purchases- well, I've banked there for 10 years and do not receive charges for my debit card at all.

As I was reading this article, I was shaking my head. Not because I disagree with it, but because people still don't get it. As long as you don't carry a balance, credit cards are good. My credit card gives me back 1% of all purchases at the end of the month. Suppose I buy an item for $100 and use my debit card instead of my credit card. Even without any debit card fees (which there would be), the debit transaction here just cost me one dollar because I got nothing in return. I can't stress enough... for general purchases "Credit cards are in, debit cards are out!".

Read the account disclosure statement carefully. Generally you can avoid the "skim" on the signature based Visas offered by US Bank by NOT opening a line of credit on your account.

That's what we did (we're one of the lucky ones in KY that get hit with the debit fee) and it seems to take care of the issue. If you remove the "credit" line and use it solely as a checking card only, you still can select “Credit”, it's just not applied any type of interest.

Also, just as a head up, Mr. Sullivan is correct in that the checking cards have less security in the instance of fraud.

However, we found that by setting up a second account and transferring limited amounts into the account provides a good safety net, if you take off any "overdraft" protection.

The card is declined (as my son found out the hard way) if any attempt to spend more than the available balance. You would have “acceptable losses" as opposed to your entire checking account balance. It’s great for shopping online, in other riskier venues, or for teenager use. It’s a bit irresponsible to push people open traditional credit cards, which can backlash on them in so many ways (it’s not like the traditional credit card companies are there to “help” any of us) when there are “cash basis” resources available.

Having been a commercial banker for 28 years, I can remember when debit cards were first introduced. Banks, at that time, wanted us to use debit cards to avoid using live tellers and to avoid using checks which were more expensive to process. Eventually banks quit returning checks in the monthly statement. At any rate, as a regular debit card user with PIN, I think charging for the use of a debit card and PIN is disingenuous at best, and downright greedy at worst.

US Bank charging a $.25 fee for debit transactions is not anything new. They have charged this same fee for the last 9 years or longer. I know this because I was an employee at US Bank for several years and it happened then. The general public should know to say credit when they use their debit card and sign the credit slip. If they do something this simple, there shouldn't ever be any hidden fees.

ATM fee - $2. Debit card purchase fee - $0.25. Courtesy overdraft fee - $33. Paying with cash - Priceless.

I would just like to point out that the spokeswoman for U.S. Bank doesn't even have all her facts straight. I live in Tennesse and opened a US Bank account. For the first month we used our PIN for all transcation. Least to say, when the statement came, we had a surcharge of .25 for every purchase on there. So, it is not just those four unlucky states that have PIN fees imposed on them, there are others. Least to say, we have since switched banks.

Bottom line--someone has to pay for the transaction. If you "debit" the bank has to pay hence the charge to the customer. If you "credit" the merchant has to pay which results in a higher costs to the consumer. The later is simply not as obvious. Why do you think you can't charge with Visa or MC at Costco?? They require you to "debit" or use Amex because it's part of their formula for delivering lower priced products.

I use my Debit Card as a credit card. You can't skrew up you credit score or face late charges if the
money comes out of your checking account immediately.
Besides,I don't sleep at night if I have one cent on
credit cards..I have been abused by late fees, telephone threats, bad credit reports and so on.
The only time I leave a balance on anything is my home equity line of credit..I refuse to be a bank victim again..

I use my Debit Card as a credit card. You can't skrew up you credit score or face late charges if the
money comes out of your checking account immediately.
Besides,I don't sleep at night if I have one cent on
credit cards..I have been abused by late fees, telephone threats, bad credit reports and so on.
The only time I leave a balance on anything is my home equity line of credit..I refuse to be a bank victim again..

As a former long time bank employee I am outraged over this fee!! Debit cards are the safe and efficient way to purchase anything.Unlike credit card purchases, which may take days to be posted, point of sales transactions post immediately to your account, so your balance is always current. To force people to use credit cards, which always must be paid in full later, is ridiculous! I prefer knowing how much money I have available NOW! With credit cards it is easy to overspend and run up a debt that may be difficult to get out of. Please, leave our debit cards alone! We do not want to be forced to go back to checks (time consuming, bad for the environment), or cash (time consuming, can be easily stolen). Our life needs modern efficiency like the debit card. I think banks should up the fees for still using checks for purchases instead! We all have been behind some inconsiderate check user in the stores! Unfortunately, quite a few of them are still out there. Punish them instead.

Go back to cash and checks. Worked 20 years ago. Will work today. Don't give banks anymore reasons to gouge the public. This country is gearing up to not wanting to deal with cash transactions.....and we are allowing it! Cash also makes you keep an eye on your bank balances. Plastic is a little thing you can flash out there with no immediate concept of your cash funds available. Then you are dealing with overdraft fees all of the sudden.

First of all, let me say that I have never had any problems with my bank. However, reading stories like this and some of the previous articles regarding banks and fees makes me worry. Anyone think we could force legislation that would make banks pay us for using PIN's for securities sake? Maybe that is wishful thinking gone to far.

In your article the lady who got railroaded on the.25 cent fee's asks the question, then whats the point of a debit card. That would be a good article. Basically a debit card keeps the society cashless and checkless.Therefore already saving and profiting the banks. I went into Washington mutual to cash a check the other day, wich i do frequently,i use My drivers lic. and Passport for id. Wich works at all banks and never had a problem. The new teller then asked for a 3rd id. I got upset.When i finally got ahold of bank management about this, WaMu says they can legally ask for a 3rd id, but what they were really asking for was my debit card as better id than my Passport and Drivers License.Why? Because then instead of tying a bad check a customer could write to me to just a name and address from a passport Drivers License.They could use the Debit card info to get my bank info to make it easier to collect. The banks are pushing people around. Manipulating the system. Eventually as the bible says noone will buy or sell lest they take the mark of the beast.So the system being setup by the banking system is so that noone can buy or sell except thru a bank!!!!!!!!

I use my Debit Card as a credit card. You can't skrew up you credit score or face late charges if the
money comes out of your checking account immediately.
Besides,I don't sleep at night if I have one cent on
credit cards..I have been abused by late fees, telephone threats, bad credit reports and so on.
The only time I leave a balance on anything is my home equity line of credit..I refuse to be a bank victim again..

Sounds like most of you getting charged a whopping 25 cents for pin transactions are lucky my bank charges 50 cents for signature transactions and $1.50 for pin transactions needless to say i limit my card usage and do signature when possible

This a shame. We use PINs as a more secured way of paying for things and it costs the consumer more money. We have to pay for protection.

Now that some banks and companies have figured out a new way to rape you, probably the rest will follow, I guess it must be nice to impose a sneaky charge that will add up to millions of dollars with no logical explanation to unsuspecting people, if you're a crook.

I bank with Wells Fargo, and I have NEVER been charged ATM fees, PIN fees, or any other fees. I never carry cash, and always pay with my debit card. I usually choose the "credit" option, because it gives me points towards rewards. I've flown round-trip to the East coast because of this.

Pin fees -- what about being charged $3 a transaction for getting my money out of my day to day savings-
after 7 ATM or teller charges the bank can charge you $3 per transaction to get you own money out --
I always go to the bank account branch so not to pay the added fee of $1-$2 for atm usage from other branches --$3 take out my own money!!!

Keep on using the cards Im loving ever dollar of it.

I have a debit card, but it can be used as credit card. When paying, just say it's a credit card. It's that simple. Ask in advance if you need to put in the pin number. Often with debit cards you do, but with credit cards you don't. In that case, just have merchant process it as credit or press the credit button. The card works either way. Caution: in U.S. and Canada when making ATM withdrawals, it asks if you want to withdraw from checking or savings (assuming card links to both). But if you use card in Europe at an ATM it doesn't give you that coice; it assumes checking and if you don't have enough funds in checking, it takes from savings to cover the shortfall and you're charged by your bank an overdraft fee. You can call the bank to get a courtesy reversal of the fee if you explain them what happened. But at least be aware that the choice to withdraw from savings or checking is not offered in Europe.

Used Bank of America for years. Towards the end they had so many fees, we went to a credit union. Best decision ever made. Bank of America never cared about our years of loyalty. Credit union appreciates us as customers.
Just used the "credit" option when you use your debit card, and you should not have a fee problem.

I've used Wells Fargo since 1997 and have never recieved a PIN fee or frankly any fee what-so-ever from them. If you are getting those fees tacked onto your account, I would suggest talking to someone at your bank about changing your type of account to get away from those fees. If they do not have an account that does not charge fees, change your bank. Force the banks to be customer friendly. It's your money... Your choice. Don't be stupid.

There is one other thing that is happening that ticks me off. I bought my daughter a car, and financed it thru Wells Fargo. Since you can't pay it online unless you have an account with them, I would call on their 800 number and make a payment by phone. I work internationally and never know where I will be when its time to pay the bills, so I do all of my banking online, except Wells Fargo because they are behind the times. The last time I called to make a payment, they charged $10 to use the payment by telephone. How can they, in good conscience, charge their customers for making a payment. Stick with the small local banks and they treat you like a king. Forget about Chase, and Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.

Of course banks aren't as concerned with security. It's not the bank that pays when a fradulant card is used, it's the merchant. IIRC it was the Wall Street Journal a couple of years ago that ran an atricle on how fradulant card use was really a profit center for banks since they get the money back from the merchange AND charge the merchant a fee for accepting the bad card.

I.Z., Please go back and read the article. It has nothing to do with using credit or debit, but rather the fees that the banks are charging us. These fees are imposed on us by the banks without the consumers knowledge. Most people toss their bank statements without looking at the fees. This is what banks are counting on. Heidi was smart enough to realize this fee and not accept it from her bank. Heidi could have a hundred thousand in her account and live comfortably. The fee imposed is on her checking account and NOT a credit card account(Discover, AMEX, VISA or M.C..) Please keep this in mind when you go back and read the article.

So US Bank says the decision was market driven, because other banks in the area were doing the same. It sounds to me that this is just another example of a business going through great pains to be just as lousy as the other banks. Start transitioning into another bank. You'll save money and feel good.

I used to bank with US Bank but had nothing but problems like Hansen. I got rid of them quick. Their
Customer service department sucks and their cashiers
are not very knowledgeable. Heidi and anyone else who has an account with them my suggestion is to dump them.

Now that some banks and companies have spent their time figuring out a new way to rape people, probably the rest will follow. It must be nice to impose a charge that will add up to millions of dollars on unsuspecting people, if you are a crook.

COSTCO WHOLESALE accepts checks and CASH from card carrying members.

Never NEVER NEVER use a debit card. That takes your money right out of your bank account. No intermediate step. If someone gets the card number, your money is gone - poof - and it'll take at least a week to get it back. Then you get bounced check fees, and late fees and penalties and interest for all the charges you incurred when your account was emptied.

Moreover, most large retailers use UNSECURED wireless networks to process charge purchases at a register. That means your account # and pin can be read from some thief sitting in their car in a parking lot - with a wifi scanner. Gas stations, large retailers - lots of places use wifi as the point of sale to the main server in the back room. If your credit card number is stolen - no big whoop = you are not on the hook for the money. If someone empties out your bank account, well, thats another story. . . .

As a long time customer of one of the biggest banks in the Northeast, (PNC)I use my debit card for everything from gas to dry cleaning. I have never been charged a fee for this service. My advise is this, check you banks policies on using your debit card. They have to spell out all fees in writing to their customers. Read between the lines, and if there is still a question, call their customer service. I am very lucky, not only does my bank let me use my debit card for any transaction I wish, their online bill paying is free, even when they have to mail out a paper check because the company does not take electronic transfers. This saves me postage!!

I work for a bank currently, and I completely agree with the statement that banks try to find ways to rip you off. We're encouraged to sell the products that make the bank money with fees. It's one of our monthly goals. In my defense, I'm a peeon who needs this job - but I'm looking heartily for one outside banking.

I only deal with Wings Financial Credit Union: Checking, Savings, Line-of-credit,auto loan, home mortgage. They are absolutely great in every respect; can't say enough good things about them. I suggest looking for a credit union in your town. Even if it isn't as good as Wings it will almost certainly beat every bank in -- or out of -- town. Wings is in Minnesota. I'm not.

Also, why use a debit card at all? I get to use the credit union's money for a month to six weeks.

I was unemployed and living on credit cards for a little while and when I got back on my feet, I paid Chase $3,000 on the credit card and they stole my money by reducing my credit limit. That payment was supposed to not only pay down my card, but help with my credit report to show I wasn't as close to my limit. My other two cards understood my situation and reduced my interest rate.

US Bank's big push over the last decade has been to encourage the ease/convenience of the debit card, while gradually making it less convenient and much more costly to access your money. During that same ten year span, US Bank's profits have soared an estimated 67%, largely on the backs of small consumers.

I was recently overdrawn by $0.80 due to the "foreign atm fee" imposed by the bank themselves. I was charged an additional $35 for the overdraft. An email and a hard-copy letter produced no response whatsoever. I finally called and waited on hold for 22 minutes, all the while being forced to listen to their insulting advertisement about their alleged "five star customer service guarantee". My reward for navigating that soul-sucking gauntlet was to be told by a "supervisor" that, and I quote, "you knew you didn't have the money and you spent it anyway! I'm sorry, but this wasn't a bank error and, therefore, we can't help you." I'm left to wonder which of the five stars represents my situation, and doubtless, that of countless others....

I've since switched to a credit union....

I should think that a financially astute personal money manager would check cash terms from the Mafia before most banking institutions. I couldn't figure out what all of those $2.00 charges on my bank - Wachovia - account were until I noticed their proximity to an ATM withdrawl.

So, I pay about $2.00 to use the ATM and then get charged $2.00 more by Wachovia. Corleone had his money man whacked for missing out on this one.

Then, about a month ago, I made an error in transferring funds on-line and created a $5.00 OD in one account. "Mama' Wachovia, trting to protect me from myself, arbitrarily placed a $55.00 'OD Insurance Program' on the account that was overdrawn, plus the one that wasn't. Corleone had his assistant money man whacked.

Thing is, these are not honest charges. Anymore, OD and ATM uses cost a bank virtually nothing because the whole process is done by computer systems - no staff, no moving parts, almost no incidental costs. What we are paying is a 'rip-off' charge to pad the bank's profits. The incident of OD &/or ATM has virtually no cost beyond systems which can be amoprtized on taxes, we pay over and over again for phoney 'services'.

Their are banks which have awakened to the fact that providing honest service or better can be a competitive advantage. These guys not only do not charge the phoney-baloney ATM charge on their end, but will reimburse the other bank's charge on the other end.

Look on the 'Net and find a bank that has customer-friendly personal money programs. If it'sw in Timbuktu, it makes no difference anymore, what with on-line banking making distance irrelevant.

As soon as the 'everybody does it' rationale won't work anymmore, we'll see the systems change. I should think that Wachovia, with the wonderful rat hole they entered on their sub-primes, would have better things to do these days than to sit around dreaming up new ways to shaft their customers each day.

Well, no, the best advice is NOT to use credit cards instead of PIN transactions as the article suggests. If you do, and you pay off your statement each month as you should, the bank then considers you a "convenience user" of their credit card and assesses you a fee for that. The whole game is stacked against consumers. All you can do is watch constantly (and who has time for that?), to see where this month you'll be ripped off the least. Go ahead - try to prove me wrong. -S.

If you don't keep a check register and overdraw your account - that is your problem!! If you can't manage your money - that is your problem! I don't think it is difficult to hit the credit button instead of the debit button so that you don't receive a fee. I run into a place once every three months or so that will only except debit. I then either write a check or pay cash. If you budget your money (which everyone should) then take cash out before you go to a store that doesn't accept credit cards.

Thanks for this important information. I enjoy using my debit card because it helps me track where my money is going and what I'm spending it on at the end of the month. However, I began noticing that when I use it at a gas station I'm charged $1.00 plus the amount of the gasoline and the full amount doesn't post until a day or two later. Why are they allowed to use such shady practices? Why are there banking regulations against it? They make more than enough money from all of us. It means they are petty, greedy, people who steal from us. There needs to be a law against it.

Well I have read many of the post and let me tell you all that I work at a bank that does not charge a fee yet. You all have no idea what the process we go through to maintain all accounts. It is easy for you all to back lash when you don't know all the facts. We are the ones that make sure everything is secure and we pay big bucks to make sure everything is up to date and safe for all of our customer's. Most customer's have no idea what is going on in the banking business. We do have to keep up with all the changing laws and regulations. You should be thankful that there are banks to help you manage and save your money and pay you interest and insure your money. Keep it at home and see how much interest you get of if someone steals it and you will be out because you don't have any kind of insurance on it. So .25 is nothing at this point. Start carrying cash and try not to be in such a rush.

Well Well are we really to be surprised. The banking industry was never set up to help the consumer.

One sure-fire way to avoid all this fee crap is to quit using your credit/debit/ATM/whatever cards, and start using just plain old-fashioned cash.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for those who complain about this fee crap. Everyone wants everything for free, when it costs money to provide these services. Granted, 25 cents or 50 cents seems to be a bit much (probably a LOT much), but these institutions will only lower or eliminate them if everyone complains. And, what are the chances of that happening?

***** U S E C A S H ! ! ! *****

Don't blame the banks, blame your Representative in Washington. Some years ago when Congress addressed the issue of ATM fees, they, [Congress], stabbed the American consumer in the back and took the campaign contributions and sided with the Banks. At the time, our so-called Representatives, had an opportunity to make ATM-fees non-existent in banking, but acquiesced to the BANKING CONSORTIUM and moved-on. Remember, we tell Congress what to do, and that topic needs to be revisited. So, if you want your money back, you know where to go and to whom your address your mail.

CHASE bank does not have PIN fees. You can use your debit card either way and there is NO fee - regardless of what type of acct you have.

Some of us have bad credit due to layoffs and cannot get a credit card. Also, it is much more secure to enter a PIN than sign your name on a machine that can be copied and reproduced. My cousin was a victim of such identity theft and is still paying the price years later.

"No argument from me! Anyone with any smarts pays off the credit card every month, so there's no reason on earth to use debit."

This isn't about using a credit card instead of a debit card. That's another issue altogether, which personally I won't use a credit card for more than one purchase every couple of weeks, just to build credit. What the article is talking about is using the same card, the one that you use and enter a pin with, but use it like a credit card where you choose to sign a slip of paper instead of entering the pin. Most of my purchases are made with a debit card, but since it has the Mastercard logo I can use it like a credit card and not enter a pin. It may be debit, but when they ask whether I'm using credit or debit I tell them to run it as a credit card. No fees, no interest payments, just comes straight out of checking.

Uh, Hello?
Business is in business to make money. NOT give you something for nothing. (Banks are a business, NOT a governmental service.) Of course they are going to charge fees where they can. That's how they stay in business. You get the convenience of a fairly secure, convenient method of paying for goods and services. The cost has to be paid somewhere, somehow. There seems to be an attitude in this country that businesses should just give everything away for free, and no one should have to pay for it. In my town, you can't swing a stick without hitting a bank. The competition is fierce, and it's easy to find one that provides the service and fee structure you want.
If you don't want to pay interest, transaction fees, etc.--use cash. As far as I know, it still works and there are zero fees associated with it.

I'm not supporting these fees by banks - but, the reality is we're a society of convenience. Banks and card companies have been expanding the payment infrastructure for years - all to meet the 'needs' of the consumer public. Just like the ubiquity of cell phones, consumers are hard pressed to remember a time when merchants didn't take plastic for a purchase (cash and checks only). That said, its the way the banks go about getting extra money from consumers that's galling. And, its only exacerbated by the fact that they almost deny doing it when they're confronted with evidence! No bank should be required to handle all your financial transactions for free - but, they should at least be up front with the fee structure so you can make an informed choice about their services. Unfortunately, it won't be long before bank fees will be as understanda