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Can my ATM Balance Show my Overdraft Limit

For overdraft protection, is there a way for ATMs to be able to disclose the available balance and the current balance or actual balance?


We assume that the "available balance" that you refer to would be the balance in the account, increased by the amount of the overdraft "cushion" provided by a bank's overdraft protection program (often referred to as "courtesy overdraft" programs). Showing the available balance or the amount of the overdraft cushion on an ATM screen is certainly possible, but doing so triggers an advertising requirement that the bank also disclose on the screen its fees for paying overdrafts and the time period by which the bank expects depositors to bring an overdrawn account back to a positive balance.

Making those two disclosures is feasible at a bank's own ATMs, but not at other ATMs that its customers may use. In fact, a number of ATM networks forbid participating institutions from providing an overdraft protection available balance to their customers at network ATMs, so it's certainly possible for you to see your available balance at your own bank's machines (if the bank elects to disclose it there), and the lower (actual) balance at other ATMs you might visit. For what it's worth, the federal bank regulators have expressed their preference that account balances at ATMs not include any overdraft protection cushion.

Published on BankingQuestions.com 3/06/07