Popular dollar stores are charging customers to get cash back when they make a purchase. Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar charge for their cash-back service, despite competitors — including Walmart and Target — offering it for free. Customers are paying $90 million a year in cash-back fees, according to estimates from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Americans with lower incomes or fewer lower banking options are more likely to have to pay these fees, which means vulnerable families may be hit the hardest. Dollar stores are typically located in small rural towns, where there are fewer have fewer banking locations where residents can get cash out for free. CFPB found that Dollar Tree charges $1 for cash back, while Dollar General charges between $1 and $2.50, and Family Dollar charges $1.50. The retailers also set low limits in how much cash people are able to get back at a time, so they may have to pay the fees more than once to get the money they need.
