Banks in Beijing have begun charging customers for bank statements, the Beijing News reported.
Although bank statements within a one month period for debit cards are still offered free, most banks charge from 5 to 20 yuan (US$0.7 to 3) for statements covering longer periods.
Charges for credit card statements are much higher, totaling 45 yuan for a year.
Customers also have to pay 10 yuan for retrieving a lost password.
Banks have turned to charging for intermediary services because they bring great profits without any risk, said a bank staff member, while deposit and loan businesses were unstable.
Qiu Baochang, a local lawyer, said banks should seek public opinion before charging for intermediary services.
China's four major state-owned banks have recently raised ATM fees on cross-bank, same-city withdrawals to 4 yuan from 2 yuan in some cities, including Tianjin and Guangzhou, but Beijing has not been included as yet.
