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Every ATM has a limit that determines how much cash you can withdraw. The exact amount depends on various factors, including the bank, the account, and the location.
Reasons for ATM limits
At ATMs, the maximum amount you can withdraw is usually between $1,000 per day or $2,000 to $3,000 per week. Even if you want to withdraw more, this is not easily possible. There are various reasons for this:
- Many banks simply do not have larger amounts available in cash. ATMs in particular have limited storage space and therefore the amount of cash that can be stored.
- Limits also serve a security function. If you lose your bank card or criminals get hold of your data, a limit prevents your account from being emptied in one fell swoop.
- If you want to withdraw more than 5,000 or 10,000 euros, you usually have to wait two to three business days. If there is a weekend in between, it takes correspondingly longer. This prevents too much cash from being withdrawn from the money cycle at once.
- Large cash withdrawals are rather unusual in everyday life, as most large sums of money are transferred electronically nowadays. The limits are therefore based on typical customer usage behavior.
ATM limits at a glance: differences depending on bank and location
Different limits apply depending on the bank, account type, and location. In addition, customers can often adjust their withdrawal limits individually.
- In Germany, the daily limit at ATMs is usually €1,000, but in some cases it can be as high as €2,000. The exact amount depends on your bank, the ATM, and your account.
- Weekly withdrawals are possible in the range of €4,000 to €10,000. The facilities available at the branch also play a role, especially for larger amounts.
- At Volks-/Raiffeisenbank, up to €10,000 per week is possible. However, this amount may be lower at smaller branches. The daily limit here is often around €1,000.
- At Sparkasse and Commerzbank, the daily limit is €1,000 and the weekly limit is €8,000 to €10,000. Here, too, it depends on the size of the branch and the type of account you have there.
- Withdrawals abroad are often subject to different limits than in Germany. Both the respective bank and the ATM operator can set their own limits. In addition, fees may be charged for currency conversion or for using a foreign ATM.
- Many banks allow you to customize your limit. You can do this either directly in the respective banking app, in online banking via your browser, or after consulting customer service.
