Is Your Debit Card Worth $5 A Month?

For years, the big banks have touted the ease and convenience of ATM cards.

And Americans who already were on the plastic habit have gradually increased their use of debit vs. checks and credit cards.

But since banks were hard hit from the Great Recession, the big boys have been looking at different ways to get more green from consumers' wallets.

Bank of America Corp. has been the focus of consumer ire since its announcement last month that it will begin charging some customers $5 a month when they use their debit cards to make purchases.

The move by the nation's largest bank, which is slated to take effect next year, follows Wells Fargo & Co. recent announcment it is test-piloting a $3-per-month fee for its customers who use debit cards to make purchases. Wells Fargo is testing the fee in a handful of states, including Georgia.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is testing a $3 fee in some markets, though not Georgia.

In the summer, Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. announced its own $5 fee on some customers who use their debit card to make purchases.

But consumers are fighting back.

Molly Katchpole, a BofA customer from Washington, D.C. created an on online petition campaign on change.org to get the BofA to nix the plan.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 132,000 people had signed the petition.