ALTOONA, Penn. – Sheetz, a network of 310 convenience storesspread across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohioand North Carolina will stop surcharging for ATM transactions atits stores this year, a company spokesman confirmed. The company isnegotiating the details of the move with its ATM deployer now, thespokesman said. One of the goals of the new ATM policy is to usethe surcharge-free ATMs as a way of driving traffic through thestores, which already have a reputation for selling inexpensivegasoline. The 7-11 food chain recently finalized a deal with CO-OPNetwork which will see CO-OP Network cardholders be able to usesurcharge-free ATMs in the chain's more than 5,000 locations.Richard Steckroth, manager of business development for theprivately-held convenience store chain, said that Sheetz could notwait until its contract with the ATM deployer Buffalo, NewYork-based M&T Bank, expired – even though Sheetz hasmaintained its association with M&T on the surcharge-freebasis. “We consider ourselves a very consumer friendly and familyfriendly firm,” Steckroth said, “and the surcharging stuck in ourcraw from the very beginning. We realized that we couldn'teliminate all ATM fees since the cardholders' own financialinstitutions might impose a fee, but we could eliminate at leastsome of them.” Steckroth also said Sheetz would be open to talkingto any credit unions which may be close to one of its stores andwho might be interested in putting its brand on an ATM in a Sheetzstore. CO-OP Network cardholders would also be welcome to getsurcharge-free cash in the stores, he said.