Bank of Ghana urged to crack down on hidden ATM charges
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
Policy and consumer advocacy group CUTS International Accra is calling on the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to take decisive action against unfair and exploitative ATM charges imposed on bank customers nationwide.
Once heralded as a modern solution to banking congestion and inaccessibility, ATMs have become a source of frustration for many Ghanaians due to technical breakdowns, cash shortages, and opaque fee structures.
CUTS says these issues have added to consumers’ financial burdens—many of whom are penalized simply for trying to access their own money.
At a media briefing in Accra, Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Regional Director of CUTS International, described the situation as both unjust and avoidable.
“It’s deeply unfair to charge people extra for using another bank’s ATM when their own bank’s machine is broken or out of cash. Consumers shouldn’t pay for problems they didn’t create,” he said.
The call follows findings from the 2025 State of the Ghanaian Consumer Report, a nationwide survey of 1,795 respondents across all 16 regions. The report revealed:
- 71percent encountered ATM-related issues in the last three months.
- 44percent were forced to use third-party ATMs.
- 68percent of those users were not informed about additional fees before completing transactions.
CUTS argues this lack of transparency violates the BoG’s Consumer Protection Directives, which require full disclosure of charges.
“In advanced markets, ATM users are told the cost of a transaction before they hit ‘Proceed’. In Ghana, people only learn about charges through SMS alerts or when checking their bank statements,” Mr. Adomako lamented.
He noted that while banks save money through automation—reducing the need for tellers and branches—customers continue to face card maintenance and per-transaction fees, even at their own bank’s ATMs.
“The irony is that ATMs save banks money, yet these savings aren’t passed on to customers. Instead, consumers are penalized. This erodes public trust in the banking system,” he stated.
CUTS International Accra has proposed four urgent reforms and is urging the Bank of Ghana to implement them in its forthcoming review of ATM charges:
- Four free third-party withdrawals per month – Mandate banks to allow at least four fee-free third-party ATM withdrawals.
- Eliminate ATM card maintenance fees – Remove monthly fees for customers who use only their bank’s ATMs.
- Mandatory fee display – Require ATMs to clearly show all charges before the transaction is completed.
- Penalties for downtime – Set minimum ATM uptime standards and fine banks or compensate customers when service is unreliable.
“Digital banking should be about convenience, transparency, and affordability, not hidden costs. The Bank of Ghana must adopt a consumer-first approach and restore fairness to our financial system,” Mr. Adomako added.
