By Andrew Verity BBC News Personal Finance Correspondent

Charges for cash machines to be made clear

Banks have agreed the reform after complaints by Nationwide building society that more than 11,000 cash machines were now charging without always telling customers beforehand.

A survey published earlier this month found that cash machines in pubs and stores which charged for withdrawals were becoming more commonplace.

According to the study, customers will have to pay �42.6m in ATM charges this year.

The research also showed that people are confused over how often they have to pay charges.

Convenient cash

It is now more than three years since a public outcry led banks and building societies to stop charging customers for using cash machines.

But since then there has been a rapid growth in so-called convenience cash machines, installed in pubs, clubs and convenience stores.

They charge upwards of �1.40 for withdrawing as little as �10.

There are now more than 11,000 of these convenience machines, nearly a quarter of the total network.

Nationwide had complained that customers were not being told of the charges until they have nearly got their money, deterring them from going round the corner to a free machine.

After some resistance, the members of Link, the cash machine network, have now agreed to give clear warnings - either on a label or on-screen - before customers put their cards in.

But the reform will not take effect until next April.