Chase charges monthly fees on most checking accounts, but you can waive them by meeting specific requirements

Chase's most common checking account, the Chase Total Checking, carries a $12 monthly maintenance fee. However, you can avoid this fee by meeting one of three conditions: maintain a $500 minimum daily balance, set up direct deposit of at least $500 per month, or link the account to a Chase savings account with a $500 minimum balance. If you do none of these, the $12 fee posts automatically each month.

Chase also offers Chase Premier Plus Checking, which costs $25 per month but waives the fee if you maintain a $15,000 minimum daily balance or have $25,000 in combined Chase deposits and investments. This account is aimed at customers with higher balances and includes benefits like higher interest rates and fee waivers on certain services.

For customers who want no monthly fee at all, Chase offers Chase High School Checking (for ages 13 to 17) and Chase First Checking (for ages 18 to 24), both of which have no monthly maintenance fee. Once you age out of these accounts, they convert to a standard checking account with fees.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Total Checking has a $12 monthly fee that you can waive by maintaining a $500 minimum balance, setting up direct deposit, or linking a savings account.
  • Chase Premier Plus Checking costs $25 per month and requires either a $15,000 minimum balance or $25,000 in combined deposits to waive the fee.
  • Young customers can open Chase High School Checking or Chase First Checking with no monthly fee, though these convert to a fee-based account at age 25.
  • If you do not meet the fee-waiver requirements, the monthly charge will post to your account automatically unless you close the account.

How to check your current account type and fee status

Log into your Chase online banking account or the Chase mobile app and go to your account details. The account name appears at the top of your account summary. If you see "Total Checking" or "Premier Plus Checking," you have a fee-bearing account. Your account statement will also show whether the monthly maintenance fee posted that month.

If you are unsure whether you are meeting the fee-waiver requirements, call Chase customer service at 1-800-935-9935 or visit a branch. A representative can tell you which requirement you are closest to meeting and what balance or deposit you need to reach to avoid the fee next month.

What counts toward the direct deposit requirement

Chase accepts direct deposits from employers, government agencies (Social Security, unemployment, tax refunds), and some third-party payment services. The deposit must be at least $500 in a single month to waive that month's fee. If you receive $250 one month and $300 the next, neither month qualifies.

Transfers you initiate yourself—moving money from another bank account to Chase—do not count as direct deposit. Payroll deposits, pension payments, and government benefits do count. If you are unsure whether a specific payment qualifies, ask your employer or the paying agency whether they can send it as a direct deposit to your Chase account.

Overdraft fees and other charges beyond the monthly maintenance fee

The monthly maintenance fee is separate from overdraft fees. If you overdraw your account (spend more than you have), Chase charges $35 per overdraft transaction. You can have multiple overdrafts in a single day, and each one incurs a separate $35 fee. Chase allows up to four overdraft fees per day, so the maximum daily overdraft charge is $140.

Chase also charges fees for other services: $2.50 for each out-of-network ATM withdrawal, $15 for a returned check, and $25 to $35 for a wire transfer (depending on whether it is domestic or international). These fees are in addition to the monthly maintenance fee and are not waived by meeting the balance or direct deposit requirement.

Moving to a different Chase account or bank if fees are a problem

If you cannot meet the $500 minimum balance or direct deposit requirement, you have options. Some online banks and credit unions offer checking accounts with no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement. However, if you want to stay with Chase, switching to Chase High School or First Checking is not possible once you age out of the program.

You can close your current Chase account and open a new one, but Chase may report the closure to ChexSystems (a banking history database), which could affect your ability to open accounts at other banks for a period of time. Before closing, ask Chase whether there are any other account types that might work better for your situation, or speak with a banker about options that waive fees.

How the $500 minimum balance requirement works

Chase looks at your daily balance, not your average balance. This means you must have at least $500 in the account every single day of the month to waive the fee. If your balance drops to $499 on even one day, you do not meet the requirement for that month, and the $12 fee will post.

If you are close to the $500 threshold, be aware that pending transactions (debit card charges that have not yet cleared) may count against your balance before the money actually leaves your account. This can cause your balance to dip below $500 temporarily. Check your available balance, not just your current balance, to see what Chase is actually counting toward the requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I waive the fee by using multiple methods at once?

No. You only need to meet one of the three requirements—minimum balance, direct deposit, or linked savings account. Meeting all three does not give you any additional benefit. Once you satisfy one requirement in a month, the fee is waived for that month regardless of the others.

What happens if I meet the requirement partway through the month?

The fee is based on your balance or deposits for the entire month. If you set up direct deposit on the 15th but do not receive the deposit until the 20th, that deposit counts toward that month's requirement. However, if the fee already posted before the deposit arrived, you will need to contact Chase to request a refund.

Do I lose the fee waiver if I close my linked savings account?

Yes. If you are using a linked savings account with a $500 balance to waive the checking fee, closing that savings account removes your waiver. The next month, if you do not meet one of the other two requirements, the $12 fee will post to your checking account.

Is there a way to get the monthly fee refunded if it already posted?

Chase may refund one or two monthly fees if you contact them and explain that you were unaware of the requirement or recently met the waiver condition. However, they are not required to refund fees, and repeated requests are unlikely to succeed. The best approach is to set up the waiver before the fee posts each month.

What if I have a Chase business checking account instead of personal checking?

Business checking accounts have different fee structures and requirements. Chase Business Basic Checking, for example, has a $15 monthly fee that waives with a $2,500 minimum balance or $5,000 in monthly deposits. Contact Chase business banking or visit a branch to learn the specific requirements for your business account type.