Chase charges monthly fees on most checking and savings accounts, but the amount depends on the account type and whether you meet certain conditions

Chase's most common checking account, the Chase Total Checking, costs $12 per month. Their Chase Premier Plus Checking costs $25 per month. Savings accounts like Chase Savings cost $5 per month. These fees are not automatic if you meet one of the waiver conditions — the bank will drop the fee if you maintain a minimum balance, set up direct deposit, or keep a linked account open.

The specific waiver conditions vary by account. Total Checking waives its $12 fee if you maintain a $500 minimum daily balance or set up a direct deposit of any amount. Premier Plus Checking waives its $25 fee with a $15,000 minimum daily balance or $5,000 in linked savings. Chase Savings waives its $5 fee with a $300 minimum daily balance. If you do not meet the waiver condition, you pay the full monthly fee.

Chase also offers accounts with no monthly fee at all. Chase find Checking has no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement, though it comes with a debit card that requires a PIN rather than a signature. Chase Student Checking has no monthly fee for the first five years, then converts to Total Checking unless you are still a student. These no-fee accounts exist, but Chase does not advertise them as prominently as the accounts that generate monthly revenue.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Total Checking costs $12 per month unless you keep $500 in the account or set up direct deposit.
  • Chase Savings costs $5 per month unless you maintain a $300 minimum daily balance.
  • Chase find Checking and Chase Student Checking have no monthly fees, though find Checking has limited debit card features and Student Checking converts after five years.
  • The monthly fee is waived if you meet one condition — you do not need to meet all of them.
  • Overdraft fees, ATM fees outside the Chase network, and other charges are separate from the monthly account fee.

How Chase calculates the minimum balance requirement

Chase uses the daily balance method for its minimum balance waivers. This means the bank looks at your balance at the end of each day during the month, then calculates the lowest balance that appears. If that lowest daily balance meets the threshold — $500 for Total Checking, for example — the monthly fee is waived for that month. If your balance dips below $500 on even one day, you do not meet the waiver and you pay the fee.

This matters because a single large withdrawal or a timing mismatch between when you spend money and when a paycheck lands can trigger the fee. If you have $600 in the account on the 15th but withdraw $200 on the 16th, your daily balance drops to $400 for that day. The month's lowest balance is $400, so you do not may have access to for the waiver, and you pay the $12 fee even though you had enough money most of the month.

Direct deposit is often the easier path. If you set up a recurring direct deposit — whether from an employer, a government benefit, or another source — Chase waives the fee regardless of your balance. The deposit does not have to be large; any amount counts. This is why many people with steady paychecks or Social Security deposits never see the monthly fee.

Other Chase fees beyond the monthly account fee

The monthly account fee is separate from other charges Chase applies. An overdraft fee costs $35 per occurrence if you spend more than your balance and Chase covers the transaction. A non-Chase ATM fee is $2.50 if you use an ATM outside the Chase network (though the other bank's ATM may charge an additional fee). A wire transfer fee is $15 for domestic transfers and $15 for incoming international transfers.

Chase also charges for certain services that used to be free. Requesting a cashier's check costs $10. Ordering checks costs money depending on the style and quantity. Closing an account within 90 days of opening it may trigger a $25 early closure fee, though this is not always enforced.

If you maintain a high balance or use Chase's investment services, you may may have access to for Chase Preferred Checking or Chase Private Client, which waive many of these fees and offer other benefits. These accounts are designed for people with significant assets and are not advertised to the general public.

Comparing Chase fees to other banks

Chase's $12 monthly fee for Total Checking is in the middle of the market. Some large banks charge $15 or more; others charge nothing. Regional banks and online banks often have no monthly fee at all, though they may have other trade-offs like fewer ATM locations or limited branch access.

The real comparison is not just the monthly fee but the total cost of using the account. If you have a direct deposit, Chase's fee is waived and the cost is zero. If you do not have direct deposit and cannot maintain the minimum balance, you pay $12 per month, or $144 per year. Over five years, that is $720 in fees alone. An online bank with no monthly fee would cost nothing in that scenario, even if you occasionally pay a small fee for something else.

Chase's advantage is its branch and ATM network — over 4,700 branches and 16,000 ATMs in the United States. If you use branches regularly or travel frequently, the convenience may justify the monthly fee. If you rarely visit a branch and can manage your money online, a no-fee bank may make more financial sense.

How to avoid paying Chase monthly fees

The simplest method is to set up direct deposit. If your employer, a government agency, or another source sends money to your Chase account on a regular schedule, the monthly fee disappears. You do not need to keep a minimum balance, and the deposit does not have to be large. Many people with Social Security, unemployment benefits, or pension payments use this method.

If direct deposit is not an option, maintain the minimum balance. For Total Checking, that is $500. For Savings, that is $300. Keep a small buffer above the minimum so that normal spending does not dip you below it. Some people keep the minimum in a savings account and use checking for day-to-day spending, which requires linking the accounts but keeps the fee waived.

If neither direct deposit nor minimum balance works for you, switch to Chase find Checking. It has no monthly fee, no minimum balance, and no direct deposit requirement. The trade-off is that the debit card requires a PIN for every transaction rather than allowing signature-based purchases, which some people find inconvenient. For online banking and bill pay, there is no difference from Total Checking.

If you are under 18, Chase Student Checking has no monthly fee for five years. After that, it converts to Total Checking unless you maintain student status. Plan ahead for that conversion by setting up direct deposit or a minimum balance before the five-year period ends.

What happens if you cannot meet the waiver conditions

If you do not meet the waiver condition in a given month, Chase charges the full monthly fee. The fee appears as a line item on your statement. If your account balance is low, the fee can push you into overdraft, which then triggers a $35 overdraft fee on top of the monthly fee. This can happen quickly if you are living paycheck to paycheck.

You can dispute the fee by calling Chase customer service, but the bank will only reverse it if there is an error on their part — for example, if they failed to process a direct deposit that you set up. If you straightforward did not meet the waiver condition, the fee stands. Some people have had fees reversed as a courtesy if they have been a customer for many years, but this is not may provide.

If the monthly fee is a problem, the better solution is to move to a no-fee account or a different bank. Chase find Checking costs nothing and works for most people's needs. If you want to stay with Chase but avoid the fee, that account is the path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the monthly fee waived if I just opened the account?

No. The waiver conditions explore from the moment you open the account. If you open a Chase Total Checking account on the 15th of the month and do not set up direct deposit or maintain $500, you pay the $12 fee for that month. Some banks offer a grace period; Chase does not.

Does the direct deposit have to come from my employer?

No. Chase waives the fee for any recurring direct deposit, including Social Security, unemployment benefits, pension payments, or transfers from another bank account. The source does not matter, only that the deposit is set up and recurring.

If I have multiple Chase accounts, do I pay multiple monthly fees?

Yes. Each account has its own monthly fee unless that specific account meets its own waiver condition. If you have a Total Checking and a Savings account, you could pay $12 plus $5 per month unless you meet the waiver for each one separately.

What if my balance is exactly $500 — do I avoid the fee?

Yes, if your lowest daily balance during the month is $500 or higher, you meet the waiver. The threshold is $500 minimum, not $500.01. A balance of exactly $500 qualifies.

Does Chase charge a fee to close an account?

Chase charges a $25 early closure fee if you close an account within 90 days of opening it. After 90 days, you can close the account with no fee. Some customers have had this fee waived by calling customer service, but it is not automatic.