Running ATM Business: Is It Permissible?

Dr. Monzer Kahf, a prominent economist and counselor, states: “Charging fees for the ATM service is permissible. This is not interest, because interest must have time element in a loan contract. The ATM provides a service that can be priced and charged to the beneficiary to the service.

It should be noticed that the general rule of potential exploitation in pricing such services applies to the fees of ATM. It means that if these fees are set at high level, the excessive part of the fee becomes forbidden on the basis of exploitation.”

Also, the well-known Muslim scholar, Taqi Usmani, an expert in the fields of Islamic law, Economics and Hadith, adds: “The service provided by the ATM is not Haram. The amount charged from the customer is a service charge and not an interest. Since the ATM service and the hiring transaction is effected between installing company and the clients, both are Halal transactions.” (Quoted, with slight modifications, from www.albalagh.net)