ING cuts free cash access to 3,000 ATMs, charges €1-2 elsewhere

ING limits free ATM access to 3,000 locations, charging €1-2 for the rest

In Huesca, withdrawing cash is a simple walk. The ATM on Calle Zaragoza is within stone's throw of almost any point in the city, making the process effortless. In Madrid, in a two-street village, or in areas without a nearby branch, the same operation has become an expense: between €1 and €2 per withdrawal. ING Direct decided that its customers can only withdraw cash for free at Banco Popular and Banca March ATMs. Everything else comes with a fee.

The announcement was made in December 2015, leaving clients doing the math. A key phrase in the notice, which should not be overlooked, was for the time being. Consequently, many affected customers chose to wait before making definitive decisions, while most criticism focused on the fine print rather than the underlying idea.

From over 50,000 available ATMs to fewer than 3,000

The reduction is obvious. Under the previous agreement, an ING customer had access to more than 50,000 ATMs in Spain. With the new network, the number drops below 3,000. Geography dictates the impact: Banca March concentrates much of its presence in the Balearic Islands, so for those living on the mainland, the map shrinks abruptly, making the situation harder to manage.

Some demanded looking beyond the anger. The reasonable question was whether the bank absorbs the cost of using third-party ATMs, which are never free: the operating entity charges for the service, and this toll ends where it ends. If the agreement includes a usage fee, the debate shifts from ATM networks to who pays this toll: the bank or the customer.

Why does the minimum free withdrawal amount depend on the autonomous community?

Because the transaction amount changes the cost, and the bank preferred setting different thresholds instead of a single rule. Among the limits mentioned in the terms review were €120 and €200, and a proposal to set a single threshold of €90 nationwide was also on the table. Some argue that Madrid residents are the least favored, although in the capital, Bankia’s high density of branches works in their favor.

The higher threshold is the most bothersome. Those accustomed to carrying little cash find it unusual to empty an ATM all at once, especially with €50 notes, which are less manageable than €20 ones. The alternative of spreading expenses over several days clashes with the threshold design: three small withdrawals can cost more than one large one. No one has yet found a logic that convinces everyone.

Bankia and Bankinter included too, plus a correction regarding Sabadell

The picture changed within hours. According to El Mundo, ING customers will also be able to withdraw money commission-free at Bankia and Bankinter ATMs. The commission table circulating in parallel had at least one error identified by name: with Sabadell account cards, withdrawals are free at any Bankia and Red 6000 ATM, not at the €0.65 shown in the chart. This criterion also applies to Activobank’s free accounts.

What about the rest? The doubt about whether Evo Banco was included in the cuts remained unanswered. What did become clear is that traditional banking is not a cheaper alternative: Santander, BBVA, Bankia, and Caixa charge fees for their accounts, while ING keeps maintenance and card costs at zero, with interest on checking accounts. This detail explains why many, despite their anger, did not switch banks.

Alternatives: UNO-E, OpenBank, and supermarkets

The trickle of substitutes was constant. UNOe allows free deposits at BBVA ATMs; OpenBank offers free teller deposits at Santander once a month, according to the review done at the time. These are deposit operations, not withdrawals, and that difference matters: someone needing cash on a Saturday afternoon cannot always solve the problem at a teller window.

The supermarket idea also faded. Withdrawing cash at DIA checkout counters was presented as an elegant solution: treated like any other purchase, alongside weekly shopping and without interest. However, Finandia’s fine print says otherwise, and such transactions are always recorded as credit. The detailed breakdown, bank by bank and ATM by ATM, is what truly clarifies who benefits and who pays the price.

Switching banks, waiting, or paying by card

The immediate reaction split in two. A survey conducted by the website that first reported the change showed that most respondents planned to switch entities or wait to see if the bank rectified the issue. For those without a tied mortgage, today it takes just a browser session and a salary slip to move banks.

On the other side were those who do not plan to move: in nearly all shops, payment is by card, cash is withdrawn every two weeks, and anger does not alter the fee schedule. Nevertheless, the most repeated consensus was different and had little to do with ING: none of the major banks deserve free loyalty, and it is advisable to review conditions every few months even if the entity has given no reason. It is true that the change caught some newcomers off guard, those who had switched just days before.

With these numbers, customer migration should have been massive. It still isn’t. And amid the fuss over a euro, the disorienting fact remains: ING fully repaid its bailout and closed it with a surplus of €6 billion. During the same period, the Netherlands’ risk premium stood at 15.7 points compared to Spain’s 120, Dutch public debt fell with GDP at 67.10% while Spanish debt rose with GDP at 99.30%, and Brussels warned about the capital deficit of the Spanish Deposit Guarantee Fund. Viewed from that perspective, the ATM war remains a trivial dispute.