Locals celebrate surcharge-free ATM access

Wawa has lured lots of business into its convenience stores with surcharge-free ATMs. So many that Wednesday the chain and partner PNC bank held a parade celebrating their one-billionth surcharge-free withdrawal.

Wawa has lured lots of business into its convenience stores with surcharge-free ATMs.  So many that Wednesday the chain and partner PNC bank held a parade celebrating their one-billionth surcharge-free withdrawal.

Dozens of Wawa employees and loyal customers sang and cheered on Arch Street in Philadelphia.

Crowd-pleaser Ben Franklin impersonator Ralph Archibald was given the honor of doing the record breaking transaction. It took 14 years for Wawa customers to ring up one billion ATM withdrawals.

Frequent Wawa customer Adam Conner says he saves $50 a year using the surcharge-free ATMs . Money he says he spends on more hoagies and snacks.

“It’s the most convenient ATM in the area,” says Conner. “A lot of them charge like three dollars for a surcharge so we just come here and it’s free.”

Wawa says customers have saved $1.3 billion at the company’s ATMs. They didn’t say how many of the customers managed to leave the store without blowing that savings on coffee.