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ATM fees are insidious. You’re stuck in a bad spot, you need some cash, and the only thing separating you between much needed money and you are two ATM fees. When you use an out-of-system ATM, one that isn’t linked to your account by either the network or the bank, you will often pay two ATM fees. The first is a fee to the ATM owner and the second is a fee to your bank to initiate the transfer. The ATM machine only notifies you about their end of the fee, so that $3 or $4 is just part of the story. When you check your balance, you’ll often see that your bank has charged you its own fee.

Here are some tips on how to avoid these fees (outside of the obvious of not using the ATM in the first place).

No ATM Fee

Some banks will not charge a fee if you use an ATM that isn’t there. The downside of this is that you only avoid one side of the ATM fee, your bank’s side. You are still on the hook for the ATM side. Some banks will refund you all the fees, including the ATM fee, so try to find a bank that offers that and you’ll be in the clear.

Use A Huge Bank

By huge I mean a bank with a wide geographic presence, such as a Bank of America, as your primary checking account. By having a large coverage area, you’re often near a bank ATM and so you avoid those pesky fees. Simply link up that checking account with a high yield savings account of your choice and you can earn high interest rates but still retain the flexibility of wide ATM access.