By Susanna Kim and Matt Guttman
ABC News
The days of the easy fee grab may be coming to an end. Bank of America's failed plan to impose a $5 monthly debit card fee led to a 20 percent increase in closed accounts in the last three months of 2011 and a public relations headache, which other companies may be keen to avoid.
Asked about the fee debacle in a conference call with investors last week, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said, "So I'd say that yes, we had some impact from the $5 debit fee. That's why we made a decision to reverse it."
The incident may lead to companies thinking again before levying fees on services that have traditionally been free. Verizon Wireless canceled a $2 fee for single bill-pay transactions online or via telephone in December, just one day after the telecommunications company announced the fee.
