YORK, Pa. -- Rutter's Farm Stores plans to convert to no-surcharge ATMs in each of its 50 convenience stores under a new agreement with M&T Bank.
The conversion is expected to be made in early April. Rutter's has stores in York County, where it is based, as well as in Adams, Franklin and Lancaster counties.
Rutter's is proud to be the first convenience store chain in the area to announce a conversion to no-surcharge ATMs, said Scott Hartman, president of Rutter's Farm Stores. We continue to listen to and respond to the preferences [image-nocss] of our customers. They don't want to pay surcharges to access their own money. With surcharges, consumers pay a fee each time they use an ATM operated by a bank other than their own.
Rutter's has been a valued customer of our bankers for generations. The new ATMs will provide greater convenience to M&T customers in the region and the elimination of the surcharge should drive more business to Rutter's locations, said Michael S. Piemonte, senior vice president of electronic banking at M&T. This is a great opportunity for both companies.
M&T Bank has the largest market share of any bank in York County, he said, with 24% of all bank deposits. M&T Bank Corp. is one of the top 20 bank holding companies in the nation, with $55.1 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2005. With more than 650 branch offices and more than 1,500 ATM locations, M&T Bank has a strong presence in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia.
Rutter's Farm Stores is part of the Rutter's companies, which also include Rutter's Dairy and M&G Realty, a real-estate holding company.
Separately, Sheetz Inc. said that effective March 1, customers who withdraw cash from any M&T Bank ATM machine at a Sheetz storeregardless of their own bankwill not have to pay an extra surcharge fee.
We've all been there, said Louie Sheetz, executive vice president of marketing, Sheetz, Inc. We slide in our card, punch in our PIN, type in how much cash we need. Then that moment we all know is coming: the ATM informs us that accessing our own cash will actually cost us a buck or two, and asks if we still want to continue. So that $20 withdrawal actually costs $21.50 or more. When you stop and think about how many times we use ATMs, those extra charges add up fast. It's frustrating. So from now on, thanks to our outstanding partnership with M&T Bank, Sheetz customers can access their money at any of our locations without having to pay an ATM surcharge fee. It doesn't matter what bank issues your ATM card, when you use the ATM or how much you withdraw. Starting March 1 at every Sheetz, you can get your money for nothing'.
While Sheetz customers will not have to pay a surcharge fee for accessing money, they may still be charged a fee by their own bank for using M&T Bank's ATM.
In addition to the new surcharge-free service beginning March 1, M&T will begin replacing ATMs in Sheetz stores this spring with higher-functioning machines manufactured by NCR. The new touchscreen machines will dispense $10 and $20 bills, along with U.S. postage stamps and offer transactions in English and Spanish. The ATMs also will be voice-enabled for the visually impaired. M&T expects to have new machines installed in all Sheetz stores by fall 2006.
Sheetz has been a valued customer of M&T and we are delighted to extend our ATM relationship with them, said Piemonte. Their stores offer tremendous convenience and their brand is well recognized across our footprint. Extending our relationship with Sheetz allows M&T to continue to offer one of the largest and most convenient ATM networks in the Mid-Atlantic region. We look forward to growing with Sheetz and expect the surcharge elimination to generate higher ATM transaction volume in their stores.
M&T is the premiere bank in many of Sheetz's markets, including Sheetz's headquarters market of Altoona, Pa., where M&T is the market share leader with more than 25% of all deposits.
Sheetz operates 320 convenience locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
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