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Non-PNC customers will face a $1 surcharge when using any of the bank's on-campus MAC machines. Last summer, PNC and Mellon banks imposed a $1 surcharge on withdrawals from their money access center (MAC) machines by customers of other banks -- and the ensuing outcry led the University to negotiate a deal with PNC to exempt MACs located in campus buildings. But as of January 8, PNC, which operates most of the machines around campus, has begun charging the fee even for withdrawals in University buildings. The policy change angered both students -- many of whom were unaware of the charge until they attempted to withdraw money -- and administrators. "We tried to get PNC not to add the fee at all," explained Associate Treasurer Diane-Louise Wormley. "This is less than ideal." Customers of other banks who attempt to withdraw money from PNC machines are informed of the charge through an on-screen message giving them an option not to proceed with the transaction. PNC officials notified the University in mid-December of the decision to levy the surcharge, and agreed to inform students in a Daily Pennsylvanian ad before it went into effect. But because of a technical mishap, the bank failed to place the ad before putting the charge into effect. The PNC ad eventually ran in the Daily Pennsylvanian's sports section on Monday -- almost a week after the bank began charging the fee. The bank's decision to lift the exemption for MACs in campus buildings disappointed administrators. "We kept pressing them not to add the charge, and they held out until now," Wormley said. "We made an arrangement with PNC that Penn would be the last to get the charge, and we were." Wormley said PNC Bank informed the University early last year that the laws preventing such a surcharge would change, and that the imposition of the fee was "inevitable." The on-campus MACs, in addition to those located in the Wawa Food Markets at 36th and Chestnut streets and 38th and Spruce streets, are the last machines in Philadelphia to implement the charge. College freshman Elana Rosenberg said she learned of the surcharge for the first time last week, when she tried to withdraw money from an on-campus MAC machine. "I was under the impression that if I was using an on-campus MAC machine, that I wouldn't be charged extra," she said. "I'm really not happy about it." Rosenberg, who has a University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union account, said she plans to complain to the credit union about the added fees. Rajeev Shah, the credit union's president and CEO, said students with UPSFCU accounts can avoid the fee by withdrawing money directly from the credit union's Houston Hall office. "But our standpoint is that we really can't reimburse the fees our customers incur," the Wharton and Engineering senior said. Shah added UPSFCU is considering a purchase of one or more MAC machines for its customers' use as a response to the surcharge. While most students expressed anger at the change, several said the surcharge is minimal compared to other charges they have been forced to pay. "It's really not as bad as it could be," said Engineering junior Saiful Khandker. "I've been charged $5 before, but that was for an out-of-state MAC machine. For an in-state machine, this is ridiculous." Pennsylvania state laws began allowing banks to charge the fee last April. PNC Bank instituted the surcharge for non-members at all of its branches last June, according to Jean Jones, an official with the bank. The new surcharge may be particularly frustrating to Commerce Bank customers. The bank -- which opened its branch at 38th and Walnut streets in August 1995 -- had heavily advertised its policy of allowing its customers to use any MAC machines without any fine from Commerce. Many other banks charge a small fee for using MACs that belong to competing institutions. But Commerce customers who use PNC or Mellon's on-campus MAC machines will now face the surcharges from those two banks. "We can't control what other banks charge," said Commerce Bank teller Andrea Williams, who added that Commerce Bank receives nearly 75 complaints each week about the surcharge from University students with accounts at the bank. In response to the surcharge, Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced legislation last summer to prohibit banks from charging fees to customers who use other institutions' MACs. "Congressmen are now realizing it's just banks wanting to get richer," Shah said.

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