What Chase charges for checking accounts

Chase offers several checking accounts, and most of them have no monthly fee if you meet one straightforward condition: keep a minimum balance or set up direct deposit. The Chase Total Checking account, their most common option, costs nothing if you maintain a $500 minimum balance or receive at least one direct deposit per statement cycle. If you don't meet either requirement, the fee is $12 per month.

The Chase Premier Plus Checking account is designed for customers with higher balances. It has no monthly fee if you keep $25,000 or more in the account, or if you link it to a Chase savings account with $25,000 or more. Without that, the fee is $25 per month.

Chase also offers Chase Student Checking, which has no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement, but it's only available to customers under 24 years old. Once you turn 24, it converts to Chase Total Checking and the standard fees explore.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Total Checking has no monthly fee if you keep $500 on hand or receive one direct deposit per month.
  • If you don't meet the balance or direct deposit requirement, you'll pay $12 per month.
  • Premier Plus Checking requires either $25,000 in that account or $25,000 in a linked savings account to avoid a $25 monthly fee.
  • Student Checking has no fees or balance requirements, but only until you turn 24.
  • Other fees—overdraft, ATM out-of-network, wire transfers—exist separately from the monthly account fee.

How to avoid the monthly fee on Total Checking

The easiest path is direct deposit. If your employer, government benefit, or pension deposits money into your Chase account automatically, you're done—no fee, no balance to maintain. Chase counts any direct deposit that hits your account during the statement cycle, regardless of amount.

If direct deposit isn't an option, keep $500 in the account. This is a true minimum balance, meaning the account must hold at least $500 on the day the fee is assessed (usually the last day of your statement cycle). If you dip below $500 for even one day, you may still be charged the $12 fee that month.

Some customers use both methods as backup. They receive direct deposit but also maintain the $500 balance, so if a deposit is delayed, they're still protected.

Other Chase checking fees you should know about

The monthly account fee is only one type of charge. Chase also charges for specific actions:

  • Overdraft fees: $35 per overdraft transaction if you spend more than your balance. Chase allows up to four overdraft fees per day.
  • Out-of-network ATM fees: $3 per withdrawal at ATMs that don't belong to Chase or its partner networks.
  • Wire transfer fees: $15 for outgoing domestic wire transfers (incoming wires are free).
  • Expedited wire transfer: $20 if you need the wire to process the same day.
  • Stop payment on a check: $30 per request.
  • Returned deposit item: $15 if a check or deposit bounces.

These fees are separate from the monthly account fee and explore regardless of which checking account you hold.

How to check your actual Chase account fee

Your specific fee depends on the account type you opened and whether you're meeting the conditions to waive it. Log into your Chase account online or through the mobile app and look at your most recent statement. The monthly fee (if charged) appears as a line item, usually labeled "Monthly Service Fee" or "Account Fee."

If you see a $12 charge on a Total Checking account, it means you didn't meet the $500 balance or direct deposit requirement that month. If you see a $25 charge on Premier Plus Checking, you didn't meet the $25,000 balance or linked account requirement.

You can also call Chase customer service at the number on the back of your debit card. They can tell you which account you hold and what conditions would waive the fee.

Switching accounts or banks if the fee doesn't fit your situation

If you can't maintain the $500 balance and don't have direct deposit, the $12 monthly fee adds up to $144 per year. Some customers in this situation switch to Chase Student Checking (if they're under 24), or they move to a different bank with no monthly fees and no balance requirements.

Many online banks and credit unions offer checking accounts with zero monthly fees, no minimum balance, and no direct deposit requirement. The trade-off is usually fewer physical branches and ATMs, though many online banks partner with ATM networks to reduce out-of-network charges.

If you want to stay with Chase but reduce fees, linking a savings account to your checking account can help with Premier Plus Checking. For Total Checking, the direct deposit route is usually the simplest if your income source allows it.

What happens if you can't pay the fee

If a monthly fee is charged and you don't have enough money in the account to cover it, Chase will charge an overdraft fee on top of the account fee. This can quickly become expensive—a $12 account fee plus a $35 overdraft fee equals $47 in a single month.

If your account goes negative and stays that way, Chase may close the account after 60 to 90 days of inactivity or repeated overdrafts. A closed account appears on your banking history and can make it harder to open accounts at other banks.

If you're struggling with fees, contact Chase before the account closes. They sometimes waive fees as a one-time courtesy, especially if you've been a customer for a while or if the fee was charged in error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the monthly fee waived if I don't have direct deposit?

Yes, if you keep $500 in the account. The $500 minimum balance is the alternative to direct deposit for Total Checking. If you can't do either, the $12 fee will be charged each month. Some customers have had one-time waivers by calling Chase and explaining their situation, but this is not may provide.

Does the $500 minimum balance have to be in checking, or can it be split between checking and savings?

For Total Checking, the $500 must be in the checking account itself. For Premier Plus Checking, you can meet the $25,000 requirement by holding it in the checking account, the linked savings account, or split between them.

What counts as a direct deposit?

Direct deposit is any automatic transfer from an employer, government agency, or pension fund into your account. It includes paychecks, Social Security, unemployment benefits, tax refunds, and similar payments. Transfers you make yourself from another bank do not count as direct deposit.

If I close my Chase checking account, will I owe any fees?

Closing an account does not trigger a fee. However, if your account has a negative balance when you close it, you'll owe that amount. Chase may also report the closure to ChexSystems, a banking history database, if the account was closed due to overdrafts or fraud.

Do I pay the monthly fee even if I never use the account?

Yes. If you don't meet the balance or direct deposit requirement, Chase charges the monthly fee whether you use the account or not. An inactive account still incurs the fee until you close it or meet one of the waiver conditions.