A number of banks are raising the fees they charge for withdrawing money at foreign ATMs that aren't part of their network. Bank of America Corp. plans in November to up the fee it charges customers to use most automated teller machines abroad by more than 50% to $5, from $3. Bank of America is one of the largest banks in the U.S. with the biggest network of ATMs in the country. In June, Citibank, a unit of Citigroup Inc., raised its withdrawal fee at non-Citibank ATMs to $1.50 from $1 for some accounts, affecting both transactions here and abroad. Before using your ATM card abroad, consider these tips for dodging high fees from your bank. ? Find out if your bank is in an alliance with foreign banks where you can use their ATMs free of charge.

? Ask your bank if and where it has machines abroad.

? Get cash back using a debit card at foreign merchants.

? Find out if switching to another type of account will mean lower fees.

? Consider switching to a bank that doesn't charge any nonbank withdrawal fees.

Many banks already have high rates for ATM withdrawals abroad, taking into account the additional currency-exchange fees. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., for example, charges customers who take money out in foreign countries $3 plus an additional 2% of the withdrawal to cover conversion costs. At U.S. Bancorp, foreign withdrawals cost $1.50 plus a 3% exchange fee. Wachovia Corp. charges $2 to withdraw money abroad, while Wells Fargo & Co. charges as much as $3 outside the U.S.

The reason for the higher fees: Banks say foreign withdrawals cost more to handle and pose a higher risk of fraud than transactions in the U.S. Bank of America's $2 increase was also imposed to cover the cost of maintaining ATMs, says Angela Ashley, a spokeswoman for Bank of America. "International transactions are more expensive to process," she adds???. http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1...%5Fcoll%5Fleft (subscription site)

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