Can You Use a Credit Card at an ATM?

5 min read

Published December 17, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

You may be able to use your credit card at an ATM to get a cash advance.
When you use your credit card at an ATM, you may have to pay cash advance fees, ATM fees, and interest charges.
A cash advance may hurt your credit score, so it’s important to pay down your balance quickly.

If you need to hit the nearest ATM but your debit card isn’t an option, a credit card cash advance may help—for a price. Many card issuers allow you to use your credit card to get cash from an ATM like a debit card. But before you stop at the ATM, consider the risks, costs, and limitations.

Before you use your credit card at an ATM

Withdrawing money from an ATM is one way you might tap into your line of credit. But you may only use your credit card at an ATM if your card issuer offers cash advances.

A cash advance is like a small cash loan against your credit limit. You may get a cash ad-vance through an ATM, a transfer into your account, or in person at the bank. The amount you withdraw increases your credit card balance like a purchase would.

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Before using your credit card at an ATM, you may have to set up a personal identification number (PIN) with your credit card issuer.

How to use your credit card at an ATM

To use your credit card at an ATM, follow the same steps you would take to withdraw cash with your debit card.

Locate an ATM that accepts your credit card network. You may check for a sticker on the ATM itself or look at your card issuer’s website.
Insert your credit card and enter your PIN.
Follow the instructions to make a withdrawal.
Enter the amount of cash you want to withdraw. You may only withdraw up to the daily cash advance limit set by the card issuer or ATM.
Accept the ATM fee and any other transaction fees or charges.
Take your cash and receipt.
End the transaction.

What to consider when you use your credit card at an ATM

Using your credit card at an ATM may help you access quick cash, but you should consider the cost and risks before doing so.

Fees

Taking out a cash advance from an ATM is often expensive. You may have to cover the following fees:

ATM fee: Many financial institutions charge a flat fee for withdrawing cash from their ATMs. Some may charge an additional fee for a credit card cash advance.
Cash advance fee: Your credit card issuer may charge you a percentage of your withdrawal amount or a flat fee for taking out cash against your credit limit.
Foreign transaction fee: If you withdraw cash from an ATM in another country, you may have to cover a foreign transaction fee, which is an extra cost some credit card issuers charge for transactions in a currency other than the U.S. dollar.

Did you know?

High credit card fees may offset your rewards. A card with minimal fees may help you make the most of your rewards. Discover^® has no foreign transaction fee. Plus, Discover has no annual fee on any of our cards.

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Interest rate

You may pay extra interest charges for a credit card cash advance. A credit card’s cash advance interest rate is often higher than the standard purchase interest rate. And interest may begin accruing as soon as you withdraw the cash.

To find your cash advance interest rate, check your credit card statement.

Cash advance limit

Your cash advance limit is usually a percentage of your overall credit limit, so you might not be able to withdraw as much cash as you need. Like your cash advance interest rate, your cash advance limit is generally included in your credit card statement.

Cardmembers with a strong credit history may qualify for higher cash advance limits than cardmembers with lower scores or less experience managing credit.

Impact on credit score

Using your credit card at an ATM doesn’t hurt your credit score, but increasing your overall credit card debt might.

If you can’t repay your balance right away, interest may pile up. As your credit card debt grows, so does your credit utilization ratio—the amount of debt you have compared to the amount of available credit you have. High credit utilization may drag down your credit score.

Even if you can’t afford to pay off your entire cash advance balance, paying more than the monthly minimum may help you reduce the overall interest you’ll pay.

The bottom line

Using your credit card at an ATM may be expensive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should never take out a cash advance. If you use your card to withdraw cash from an ATM, try to repay your debt as soon as possible. That way, you may get cash when you need it without hurting your credit score.

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