There has been recent news about Bank of America charging $5/mo for using their ATM.
This blog entry is related to that. Recently I needed to get some cash. I have a debit card. I know that I will be charged a fee for using another bank's ATM. However, I was surprised by the new Wachovia policy. When I enterered $200 as the amount I wanted to withdraw, the seemingly usual "disclosure statement" popped up on the ATM screen that I would be charged a fee for using Wachovia's ATM. In the past this was $1 / transaction. But lately it was $2.50. But, on closer examination, the terms have changed. The fee was $3.50. Worse than that, the maximum that I could withdraw was $60. So, they were charging a fee of $5.9%! I bet this is going to be happening with almost every bank ATM.
BUT... there is one place where the fee is a flat $1.50 per transaction: Walmart. Find the ATM located usually near customer service. The machine is actually more than an ATM; it is a general services machine. It has a "Walmart" label on it. Pick the "ATM" button and go from there.