A credit card cash advance fee is the fee imposed when you take out a cash advance against your credit limit. (The credit limit available for cash advances may be lower than that for purchases.)

How the Cash Advance Fee is Calculated

Cash advance fees are calculated in one of two ways, or a combination of both these two.

Some credit card issuers calculate the cash advance fee as a percentage of the amount of your cash advance.

Using this method, the fee might between 2% and 5% of your cash advance. That's a $2 to $5 cash advance fee for every $100 you borrow.

Your cash advance fee could also be a flat fee that doesn't change regardless of the amount of your cash advance.

Finally, the card issuer might charge a cash advance fee that's a percentage of the total cash advance amount and impose a minimum cash advance fee amount. For example, your cash advance fee might be 5% of the cash advance or a minimum of $10 whichever is greater. If you take out a $100 cash advance, 5% of that amount is only $5, so you would pay the minimum cash advance fee of $10. On the other hand, if you took out a $300 cash advance, 5% would be $15 so your cash advance fee would be $15.

Your credit card issuer is required to disclose the method it uses to calculate your cash advance fee. Refer to your credit card agreement or the back of your billing statement for more information. If you have questions about your cash advance fee, contact your credit card's customer service department by calling the number on the back of your credit card.

Know how the fee is calculated before you take out a cash advance.