First Union Folds on ATM Fees

First Union, the second-largest bank in New Jersey, will stop charging its own account holders a fee when they use unmarked ATMs the bank owns.

"We've made a decision to expand the privileges of free ATM use for our customers to include all of our ATMs, whether they are branded or not," spokeswoman Fran Durst said of the change, which takes effect Thursday.

Banks typically offer customers free withdrawals at machines they own.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reported on Saturday that First Union operated a number of unmarked ATMs at the Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City where it has an exclusive contract and charged its own customers a $3 fee for using them.

The First Union Trump Plaza ATMs simply say "World Cash Center." The ATM screen is equally nondescript: It has a picture of Trump Plaza and flashes "Welcome to Trump Plaza" when customers insert cards.

First Union's new policy will affect all of its unbranded ATMs, not just those it operates in New Jersey. Nationally, First Union said roughly 90 of its 4,700 ATMs are unbranded.

The company does not plan to issue refunds to customers who already were charged the fees, Durst said.

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Author: 6 ABC-AP