Business
Anyone Who Paid a Fee at a Store or Gas Station ATM Since 2007 May Be Owed Part of $167.5 Million
By Mike Harper · October 16, 2026
That surcharge for pulling cash out of the machine at a gas station or corner store could finally get you something back. Visa and Mastercard have agreed to pay $167.5 million to settle a class action over fees at independent ATMs, and the claim form takes a few minutes with no receipts required up front.
The case is Burke v. Visa Inc. in federal court in Washington, D.C. It says the card networks’ rules barred independent ATM operators from charging a lower access fee when a withdrawal could run over a cheaper competing network, so cardholders paid more than they should have. Visa and Mastercard deny doing anything wrong, and the court has not decided in favor of either side, according to the court-authorized settlement notice.
Under the deal, Visa pays $88,775,000 and Mastercard pays $78,725,000. The judge granted preliminary approval on August 14, 2026, court records show. The settlement still needs final approval, and no one gets paid until that happens.
Who qualifies. You are in the nationwide class if you were charged an access fee for a cash withdrawal at an independent ATM in the United States between October 24, 2007, and August 14, 2026, and your bank did not fully reimburse it. An independent ATM is one not owned by Visa, Mastercard or any bank or other financial institution. CNBC, citing the settlement website, says these machines are often found at convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores and bars. There are also statewide classes for California, Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan.
What does not count. The withdrawal had to come out of your checking or other deposit account using an ATM or PIN-debit card. Credit card cash advances and prepaid cards are excluded. Fees at bank-owned machines belong to a different case, Mackmin v. Visa, whose settlements were approved in 2022 and 2025.
How to file. The claim form asks for your name, address, mobile number and email, then whether you paid an unreimbursed surcharge at an independent ATM and roughly how many times. You sign it under penalty of perjury. You do not have to send bank statements now, though the administrator can ask for them later. File online, or mail the form postmarked by February 10, 2027, to Non-Bank ATM Surcharge Fee Settlement, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173053, Milwaukee, WI 53217.
Use an email and phone you check. Payments will be sent digitally, with choices such as PayPal or a virtual debit card, and you can ask for a paper check at that point. If your email or phone number changes, it is up to you to update it with the administrator.
How much you get. Nobody knows yet. Each valid claim gets a proportional share of the net fund based on the number of qualifying transactions submitted. Before that, the fund covers attorneys’ fees (class lawyers plan to ask for up to 30%), up to $3 million in notice and administration costs, taxes and service awards for the people who brought the case.
Mark the other dates. Opt-out letters must be received and objections postmarked by December 11, 2026. The fairness hearing is February 17, 2027, at 4 p.m. Eastern. If the judge approves the deal and no one appeals, the notice says the administrator expects to send payments within six months. An appeal would push that back.
If you do nothing, you get nothing. You also give up the right to sue Visa and Mastercard over these claims later.
To file a claim before the February 10, 2027 deadline, go to the official settlement site at nonbankatmsurchargesettlement.com or call 1-866-893-1052. Filing is free, and payments depend on the court granting final approval.