ATM Fees in Australia: What Businesses and Customers Pay

Most business owners who install an ATM have one question before anything else: what does this actually cost, and who pays for it?

ATM fees in Australia work differently depending on who owns the machine and who is withdrawing cash. For a business considering an ATM, understanding how these fees are structured, disclosed, and shared is the first step to making a confident decision. This guide breaks down what businesses and customers pay, and where the money actually goes.

What ATM Fees Actually Cover

An ATM fee in Australia is not one single charge. It is usually made up of two separate costs that can apply to the same withdrawal.

• Direct charge: the fee set by the owner of the ATM, shown on screen before the withdrawal is confirmed.

• Foreign fee: a separate fee some banks charge their own customers for using a machine outside their network, usually applied after the transaction and shown on the customer's bank statement rather than at the machine.

Since 2009, ATM owners in Australia have been required to disclose their direct charge on screen before a customer completes a withdrawal or balance enquiry, and the customer can cancel the transaction at no cost if they choose not to proceed.

Who Pays the ATM Charge on Withdrawal

The customer pays the direct charge shown on screen at the time of withdrawal. If their own bank also applies a foreign fee for using a machine outside its network, that cost is added separately and appears on their monthly statement rather than at the ATM itself.

Customers using their own bank's ATM do not pay a direct charge in most cases. The fee structure only applies when a customer withdraws from a machine that is not part of their own financial institution's network, which is the situation for the majority of ATMs installed in pubs, clubs, retail stores, and other independent venues.

How Businesses Earn from ATM Fee Revenue

For a business hosting an ATM, the fee is not a cost. It is a source of income. Most ATM providers, including Next Payments, install machines at no upfront cost to the venue and pay the business a share of the direct charge revenue generated by each withdrawal.

This means the more a machine is used, the more a venue earns, without the venue setting or collecting the fee itself. The provider manages compliance, cash loading, and servicing, while the business benefits from increased foot traffic and a new source of passive revenue.

• No upfront cost: reputable providers cover installation, maintenance, and repairs.

• Monthly rebate: businesses earn an ongoing share of transaction revenue.

• Added foot traffic: customers visiting to withdraw cash often spend more in-venue.

Staying Compliant with ATM Fee Disclosure Rules

Any business hosting an ATM needs to understand the disclosure rules that apply, even though the provider manages compliance on the venue's behalf in most cases.

• The direct charge must be displayed on screen before the customer confirms the transaction.

• Customers must be able to cancel the withdrawal at no cost if they do not want to proceed once they see the fee.

• Fees cannot be varied by time of day or added after the transaction has been confirmed.

Working with an established ATM provider means these requirements are built into the machine and its software, so the venue does not need to manage disclosure manually.

Key Takeaways

• ATM fees in Australia are made up of a direct charge set by the machine owner and, in some cases, a separate foreign fee charged by the customer's own bank.

• The direct charge must be shown on screen before a withdrawal is confirmed, giving the customer the choice to cancel at no cost.

• Hosting an ATM is a revenue opportunity for a business, not a cost, when the machine is installed by a provider that covers setup and ongoing maintenance.

Considering an ATM for Your Business?

Next Payments installs and services a full range of ATMs for Australian businesses, including the Premium ATM for venues that want a compact, high performance option, and the High Capacity ATM for busier sites that need larger cash storage. Every installation is free, backed by 24/7 support, and includes live reporting so you can see exactly how your machine is performing.

Speak with our team to find the right ATM for your venue.

Have a question or would like more information? Please contact: media@nextpayments.com.au