Chase charges a monthly fee on most checking accounts, but you can eliminate it by meeting one straightforward requirement

Chase's most common checking accounts—the Chase Total Checking and Chase Sapphire Checking—charge $12 per month unless you meet at least one waiver condition. The easiest way to avoid the fee is to keep a minimum balance. For Total Checking, that's $500 in your account at all times. For Sapphire Checking, it's $2,500. If maintaining that balance isn't realistic for you, Chase offers other paths: direct deposit of any amount, setting up automatic transfers, or linking a Chase savings account with a minimum balance.

The fee hits your account on the same day each month, usually around the 25th. If you don't meet a waiver condition by that date, the $12 comes out automatically. Chase won't warn you beforehand, so you need to know your account type and which waiver you're using before that date arrives.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Total Checking charges $12 monthly unless you keep $500 minimum balance, receive direct deposit, or link a savings account with $500 minimum.
  • Chase Sapphire Checking charges $12 monthly unless you keep $2,500 minimum balance, receive direct deposit, or link a savings account with $2,500 minimum.
  • The monthly fee posts automatically around the 25th of each month with no advance notice.
  • Direct deposit of any amount—even $1—counts as a waiver, so a small recurring transfer from another bank works if your employer doesn't offer direct deposit.

The minimum balance waiver and how to track it

The simplest waiver is the minimum balance. For Total Checking, you need $500 in the account on the day the fee posts. For Sapphire, you need $2,500. This balance is checked once per month, not daily, so you don't have to keep it there every single day—only on the date Chase runs the fee.

The problem with this waiver is that it ties up money you might otherwise spend or invest. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, keeping $500 or $2,500 sitting in a checking account costs you the opportunity to use that money elsewhere. That's why the direct deposit waiver often makes more sense.

To confirm your account type and which waiver applies to you, log into Chase online or call 1-800-935-9935. Ask the representative to confirm your account name and which fee waivers are available. Write down the answer—don't rely on memory.

Direct deposit as the easiest waiver

If your employer offers direct deposit, setting it up with Chase eliminates the monthly fee regardless of how much money you keep in the account. The deposit can be any amount—$1 or $1,000—and it counts as long as it's a recurring transfer from an employer's payroll system.

If your employer doesn't offer direct deposit, you can create a workaround: set up an automatic transfer from another bank account you control. Transfer any amount—even $1—on the same day each month. Chase treats recurring automatic transfers the same way it treats employer direct deposit, so the fee waiver applies.

To set up direct deposit with your employer, ask your HR or payroll department for the form. They'll need Chase's routing number (021000021 for most Chase accounts) and your account number, which you'll find on the bottom left of your checks or in the Chase app under account details.

Linking a savings account to waive the checking fee

Chase also waives the checking account fee if you link a Chase savings account with a minimum balance. For Total Checking, the linked savings account needs $500. For Sapphire Checking, it needs $2,500. The savings account must be in your name and linked to the checking account in the Chase system.

This waiver works if you're already saving money at Chase anyway. You're not creating new money—you're just moving existing savings into a linked account. The downside is that savings accounts earn interest at a low rate (Chase's savings rate varies but is typically well below 1% annually), so the interest won't offset the $12 monthly fee.

To link a savings account, log into Chase online, go to your checking account settings, and look for "fee waiver" or "linked accounts." You can also call 1-800-935-9935 and ask a representative to link an existing savings account or open a new one.

What happens if the fee posts to your account

If the $12 fee posts because you missed a waiver important date, you can ask Chase to reverse it—but only once per year, and only if you've been a customer in good standing. Call 1-800-935-9935 and explain that you didn't meet the waiver requirement. The representative can remove the fee as a courtesy, but they're not required to do so.

Don't count on this reversal. It's not a may provide, and using it once means you can't use it again for 12 months. The better approach is to set up a waiver now and confirm it's working before the next fee date arrives.

Switching to a Chase account with no monthly fee

Chase offers one checking account with no monthly fee: the Chase High School Checking account, but it's only for customers under 18. If you're an adult, you're limited to Total Checking or Sapphire Checking, both of which charge $12 monthly unless you meet a waiver.

Some customers open a Chase savings account instead and use it as their primary account, avoiding the checking fee altogether. Savings accounts at Chase don't charge monthly fees. The tradeoff is that savings accounts come with limits on how many withdrawals you can make per month (though Chase has relaxed this rule in recent years), and they're not designed for frequent spending.

If you're unhappy with Chase's fee structure, you can also move to a different bank. Many online banks and credit unions offer checking accounts with no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement. The switch takes a few days, but it's straightforward: open the new account, set up direct deposit or transfers, and close the Chase account once everything is moved.

Confirming your waiver is active before the fee posts

The safest approach is to confirm your waiver status one week before the fee date. Log into Chase online or the mobile app and look for account details or fee information. Some accounts show which waiver is active; others don't. If you can't find it, call 1-800-935-9935 and ask the representative to confirm in writing (via email or find message) which waiver is protecting your account.

If you're using the direct deposit waiver, verify that your most recent deposit posted. If you're using the minimum balance waiver, check that your balance is at or above the required amount. If you're using the linked savings account waiver, confirm the savings account still has the minimum balance and is still linked.

This one-week check takes five minutes and prevents a $12 surprise. It's especially important if you've recently changed jobs, moved money around, or made changes to your accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the monthly fee reversed if it posts by mistake?

Chase may reverse the fee once per year as a courtesy if you call and explain that you met a waiver requirement but the fee posted anyway. This is not may provide, and you can only use this option once in a 12-month period. It's better to prevent the fee than to rely on reversal.

Does a transfer from another bank count as direct deposit?

No, but it counts as an automatic transfer, which Chase treats the same way for fee waiver purposes. Set up a recurring automatic transfer from another bank account for any amount on the same day each month, and the checking fee waiver applies.

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

Yes. If you're using a linked savings account as your fee waiver, closing that account removes the waiver. The monthly fee will start posting the next month unless you set up a different waiver (direct deposit or minimum balance) before the fee date.

Can I use multiple waivers at the same time?

Yes, but you only need one. If you have direct deposit and a $500 minimum balance, both are active, but Chase only needs one to waive the fee. Having multiple waivers is actually helpful because if one fails (your employer stops direct deposit, for example), the other one still protects you.

Does the minimum balance have to stay in checking, or can I move it to savings?

The balance must stay in the checking account itself. If you move it to a linked savings account, it no longer counts toward the checking account's minimum balance waiver. However, if you move it to a linked savings account with its own minimum balance requirement, that account becomes your fee waiver instead.