Bank of America charges a monthly maintenance fee on most checking accounts, but you can avoid it by meeting one of several conditions

Bank of America's standard checking account (called SafePass) carries a $12 monthly maintenance fee. You do not pay it if you keep a minimum balance, set up direct deposit, or maintain a linked savings account with a certain balance. The specific requirement depends on which account you hold, because Bank of America offers different checking products with different fee structures.

The fastest way to avoid the fee is to set up direct deposit of your paycheck or other regular income. Once direct deposit posts to your account each month, the $12 fee disappears. You do not need to keep any balance. If direct deposit is not possible for you, a minimum balance requirement is the alternative — the amount varies by account type, typically between $500 and $1,500.

Key Takeaways

  • Bank of America's SafePass checking account charges $12 per month unless you meet one waiver condition.
  • Setting up direct deposit of your paycheck or other regular income is the easiest way to eliminate the fee, with no balance requirement.
  • If direct deposit is not an option, maintaining a minimum balance in the checking account itself or in a linked savings account will waive the fee.
  • Bank of America's Advantage SafePass account has a higher $25 monthly fee but offers more waiver options, including debit card purchases and transfers.
  • You can confirm your account type and current fee status by logging into your online account or calling customer service.

The three main ways to waive the SafePass checking fee

Bank of America's SafePass checking account offers three paths to avoid the $12 monthly fee. The first is direct deposit: any regular deposit from an employer, government agency, or other source counts. This includes paychecks, Social Security, pension payments, and unemployment benefits. The deposit must post to your account at least once per month.

The second path is maintaining a minimum daily balance in your checking account. For SafePass, this is typically $500, though the exact amount can vary. Bank of America calculates this as your lowest balance on any day during the month — if you drop below $500 even once, you owe the fee for that month.

The third path is linking a Bank of America savings account with a minimum balance. If you maintain $500 or more in a linked savings account, the checking fee is waived. This is useful if you prefer to keep your checking balance low but have savings elsewhere in the Bank of America system.

Understanding the Advantage SafePass account and its higher fee

Bank of America also offers Advantage SafePass, a premium checking account with a $25 monthly maintenance fee. This account is designed for customers who want more waiver options. You can avoid the $25 fee by meeting any one of these conditions: direct deposit, maintaining $1,500 in the checking account, maintaining $2,500 in a linked savings account, or making at least 10 debit card purchases per month.

The debit card purchase option is unique to Advantage SafePass. If you use your debit card for ten or more transactions in a month — whether they are $1 coffee purchases or larger expenses — the fee is waived. This can be easier than maintaining a large balance if you spend regularly. However, the $25 base fee is significantly higher than SafePass, so this account only makes sense if you cannot meet SafePass waiver conditions and the debit card option fits your spending habits.

How to set up direct deposit to eliminate the fee

Direct deposit is the most reliable way to waive the maintenance fee because it requires no balance and no ongoing action after setup. To set it up, you need your Bank of America account number and routing number, both visible on the bottom left of your checks or available through your online account.

Give this information to your employer's payroll department or to the agency sending you regular payments. They will enter it into their system, and the deposit will begin on your next scheduled payment date. Once the first deposit posts, the fee waiver takes effect when ready. If you receive multiple regular deposits — for example, a paycheck and Social Security — any one of them counts.

If your employer or benefit provider cannot process direct deposit, ask whether they offer a prepaid card or check option instead. Some government agencies and employers will load funds onto a prepaid card, which does not trigger Bank of America's direct deposit waiver. In that case, you would need to use one of the other two methods.

Maintaining a minimum balance without direct deposit

If direct deposit is not available to you, keeping a minimum balance is straightforward but requires discipline. For SafePass, you must maintain $500 as your lowest balance at any point during the calendar month. This means if you have $600 on the first of the month and spend down to $450 on the fifteenth, you will owe the $12 fee for that month.

Bank of America does not average your balance across the month — they look at the single lowest day. This matters if you receive paychecks or other deposits mid-month. Plan your spending so that you never dip below $500, or accept the fee in months when you do. Some customers keep a separate savings account at Bank of America and transfer money back to checking as needed to stay above the threshold.

The $500 minimum for SafePass is lower than the $1,500 minimum for Advantage SafePass, so if you are choosing between the two accounts, SafePass is easier to maintain fee-free through balance alone.

Using a linked savings account to meet the balance requirement

Bank of America allows you to link a savings account to your checking account for fee waiver purposes. If your linked savings account maintains a $500 balance (for SafePass) or $2,500 balance (for Advantage SafePass), your checking account fee is waived even if your checking balance is much lower.

This approach works well if you have savings you want to keep separate from your spending money. You can keep $100 in checking for daily use and $500 in savings, and the fee is waived. The savings account itself may have its own maintenance fee, so check the terms of the savings product you choose. Bank of America's basic savings account has no monthly fee if you maintain a $300 minimum balance, making this a low-cost way to waive both fees.

What happens if you miss a waiver condition in a given month

If you fail to meet any of the three waiver conditions in a single month, Bank of America will charge the maintenance fee. For SafePass, this is $12. The fee posts to your account automatically on a specific day each month, usually around the end of the statement cycle.

You can dispute a single fee by calling Bank of America customer service and explaining your situation. If you have been a customer in good standing and this is your first fee, they may reverse it as a courtesy. However, they are not required to do so, and repeated fees are unlikely to be reversed. If you find yourself paying the fee regularly, it signals that one of the waiver methods is not working for your situation, and you should switch to a different account type or method.

Checking your account type and fee status

Log into your Bank of America online account or mobile app and look at your account details. The account name will tell you whether you hold SafePass or Advantage SafePass. Your recent transactions will show whether the $12 or $25 maintenance fee has been charged in recent months.

If you are unsure which waiver conditions explore to your account, call Bank of America at the number on the back of your debit card. Customer service can confirm your account type, tell you which waiver methods are available, and explain why a fee was charged in a specific month. They can also help you set up direct deposit or adjust your account if you want to switch to a different product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a transfer between my own Bank of America accounts count as direct deposit?

No. Direct deposit must come from an external source — an employer, government agency, or other outside entity. Transferring money from your savings account to your checking account does not count, even if you do it every month.

If I have direct deposit set up, do I still pay the fee in months when the deposit is late?

Yes. The fee waiver requires that direct deposit post to your account at least once per month. If a paycheck is delayed and does not post until the next month, you will owe the fee for the month it did not arrive. Once the deposit posts, the fee waiver resumes.

Can I avoid the fee by keeping money in a Bank of America money market account instead of savings?

This depends on the specific account. Some Bank of America money market accounts may have access to for fee waivers, but not all. Call customer service to confirm whether your money market account can be linked for fee waiver purposes.

What if I close my linked savings account — do I lose the checking fee waiver?

Yes. Once you close the savings account, the link is broken and the waiver no longer applies. Your checking account will be subject to the monthly fee unless you meet one of the other waiver conditions.

Is there a Bank of America checking account with no monthly fee at all?

Bank of America's standard checking products (SafePass and Advantage SafePass) both carry monthly fees unless you meet waiver conditions. However, some customers may be offered different account types based on their banking history or relationship with the bank. Call customer service to ask whether you are may be able to access for any fee-free checking options.