False claim circulates on Facebook that ATM fees were waived in Sri Lanka

The claim was made in a graphic image published on Facebook here on February 18, 2021.

The graphic’s Sinhala-language text translates to English as: “From today onwards, cash can be withdrawn using any bank card off ATMs without any withdrawal fee”.

The Facebook post’s caption translates as: “A must be done request / Here is the good news that was implemented”.

Image

Screenshot of the Facebook post captured on February 24, 2021

A similar claim was made on Facebook here, here and here.

The claim is false, according to private banks and Sri Lanka’s national payment infrastructure.

A spokesperson for LankaClear, a national payment infrastructure organisation that is owned by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, told AFP by phone on February 23, 2021: “No decision has been made to revise or wave off the withdrawal fee charged for CAS".

CAS is an acronym for the Common ATM Switch, a LankaClear system that allows consumers to withdraw money from any ATM in the country regardless of their personal bank. The CAS network connects 99.95% of ATMs in Sri Lanka, LankaClear notes here. 

CAS fees for withdrawing cash or checking account balances were listed by LankaClear here. 

Customer support centres from multiple banks — including People’s Bank, Nations Trust Bank and Bank of Ceylon — also told AFP no decision has been made to waive ATM fees as of February 26, 2021.