RBC US$ ATM fees not for customers

CARLA BRIDGLAL

A viral photo on social media suggesting a $US8.50 surcharge for using RBC’s Piarco Duty Free automatic teller machine is rankling members of the public already struggling with foreign exchage access, but RBC is assuring its customers that the fee does not apply to them. “The real question is why we are the only bank with a US dollar ATM,” RBC TT managing director, Darryl White, told Newsday, confirming that the fee has been in existence “for a while now.” The surcharge is only applicable to people who are not customers of the bank, he said, giving RBC clients preferential access. It’s only fair, he added, especially since foreign exchange has been so hard to come by.

The photo, which has since been shared over 300 times, with nearly 100 comments, captures a message prompt saying that the fee will be added to the amount of the transaction – still limited to a $200 maximum withdrawal limit– and will be in addition to any fee charged by the user’s financial institution.

RBC did initially have several US dollar ATMs located at some of its most high traffic branches but as foreign exchange became more difficult to come by, the bank discontinued its branch US dollar ATMs and kept the one at Piarco International Airport atrium. The Piarco machine had to be removed from the atrium into the Duty Free area after abuse by customers we were raiding the supply, and in some instances, restricting access to the public.