Chase checking accounts charge fees only when you fall below a minimum balance or trigger specific actions—and most of those fees are avoidable if you know which accounts have which requirements.
Chase offers several checking products, each with different fee structures. The Chase Total Checking account charges a $12 monthly service fee unless you maintain a $500 minimum daily balance, set up direct deposit, or link a Chase savings account with $500 in it. The Chase Premier Plus Checking account costs $25 per month unless you keep $25,000 in combined Chase deposits. The Chase Sapphire Checking account has no monthly service fee but charges $2.50 per debit card transaction after the first 10 each month.
Beyond the monthly fee, Chase charges for specific actions: overdrafts ($35 per transaction), returned deposits ($5 each), wire transfers ($15 domestic, $25 international), and stop-payment requests ($30). ATM fees explore only at non-Chase machines ($2.50 per withdrawal). None of these secondary fees are mandatory—they only appear if you overdraw, send a wire, or use an out-of-network ATM.
Key Takeaways
- Chase Total Checking's $12 monthly fee vanishes if you keep $500 in the account, set up direct deposit, or link a savings account with $500 in it.
- Overdraft fees ($35 each) are the largest avoidable cost; turning off overdraft protection stops them entirely.
- Using Chase's ATM network and avoiding wire transfers, stop payments, and returned deposits eliminates most secondary fees.
- Chase Sapphire Checking has no monthly fee but charges $2.50 per debit card transaction after 10 per month, making it cheaper only if you rarely swipe your card.
How to avoid the monthly service fee
The monthly fee is the easiest to eliminate because Chase gives you multiple paths. For Total Checking, you need only one of these: maintain a $500 minimum daily balance, receive a direct deposit of any amount in the same month, or link a savings account with $500 in it. The balance requirement is straightforward—if your account never drops below $500, no fee posts. Direct deposit is the most common route; even a small recurring deposit from an employer, government benefit, or transfer from another bank counts.
If you cannot maintain $500, the savings account link is the easiest alternative. Open a Chase savings account (which has its own $5 monthly fee unless you keep $300 in it), deposit $500 once, and leave it there. Your checking account fee disappears. The $5 savings fee also vanishes because you are meeting the $300 minimum. This costs you nothing in ongoing fees and ties up $500 that you cannot easily access, but it is cheaper than paying $12 monthly on checking.
For Premier Plus Checking, the $25,000 combined balance requirement is steep. Most people with that much money in Chase accounts are better served by other banks or by switching to Total Checking instead. If you already have $25,000 across Chase accounts, the fee is free; if not, this account is not designed for you.
Turning off overdraft protection to stop $35 fees
Overdraft fees are the largest single fee most people encounter. Each time your account goes negative and Chase covers the transaction, you pay $35. Chase allows up to three overdraft fees per day, meaning a bad day can cost $105. The fee posts even if you correct the balance the next day.
You can disable overdraft protection entirely through your Chase online account or mobile app. Go to Account Settings, find Overdraft Protection, and toggle it off. Once disabled, any transaction that would overdraw your account is straightforward declined—no fee, no coverage. This is the most direct way to avoid overdraft fees: make it impossible to trigger them. The tradeoff is that a transaction might fail at the register or online, which is inconvenient but not costly.
If you want overdraft protection but want to limit fees, you can link a Chase savings account as a backup. When you overdraw checking, Chase pulls from savings instead of charging a fee. This works only if your savings account has the money available, and it does not eliminate the fee entirely—it just prevents it from posting if you have savings to cover it.
Avoiding secondary fees: wires, stops, and returned items
Wire transfer fees ($15 domestic, $25 international) explore only when you initiate a wire. If you rarely send money outside your Chase accounts, you will never see this fee. When you do need to send money, consider alternatives: ACH transfers (free, take one to three business days), Zelle (free, when ready to other Zelle users), or a cashier's check (usually $10 at Chase, but sometimes free depending on your account type).
Stop-payment requests cost $30 and explore when you ask Chase to prevent a check you wrote from clearing. This fee is avoidable by not writing checks, or by acting quickly—if you stop payment before the check clears, you might be able to cancel it without the fee by contacting the recipient directly. Returned deposit fees ($5 each) occur when a check you deposit bounces; this is rare and depends on the payer, not on your behavior.
Choosing the right account type for your spending pattern
Chase Sapphire Checking has no monthly fee, which sounds appealing, but the $2.50 per-transaction fee after 10 debit card uses per month makes it expensive if you use your debit card regularly. If you make 20 debit transactions monthly, you pay $25 in fees (10 free, 10 at $2.50 each). That is more than the $12 monthly fee on Total Checking. Sapphire makes sense only if you use your debit card fewer than 10 times per month and do not want to maintain a minimum balance.
For most people, Total Checking is the cheapest option because the $500 minimum balance is achievable and the direct deposit requirement is straightforward to meet. If you have a job, government benefit, or regular transfer from another account, your fee is zero. If you do not, keeping $500 in the account costs you nothing in fees and gives you a small emergency buffer.
Using Chase ATMs and avoiding out-of-network charges
Chase has one of the largest ATM networks in the United States, with over 16,000 machines. Using a Chase ATM is free. Using any other bank's ATM costs $2.50 per withdrawal. This is not a Chase fee—it is charged by the other bank—but it comes out of your account. The solution is straightforward: locate a Chase ATM before you withdraw. The Chase mobile app shows nearby ATMs, and most Chase branches have machines outside.
If you travel frequently or live far from a Chase branch, this fee can add up. In that case, consider a bank with a larger network or a bank that reimburses out-of-network ATM fees. Ally Bank and Charles Schwab, for example, reimburse all ATM fees nationwide. This is not a reason to leave Chase if you have other reasons to stay, but it is worth factoring in if ATM access is important to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I waive the monthly fee if I am retired and do not receive direct deposit?
Yes. If you cannot receive direct deposit, maintain the $500 minimum balance in your checking account itself, or link a savings account with $500 in it. Either method eliminates the fee. You do not need direct deposit; it is just one of three options.
What happens if I go negative by accident and overdraft protection is off?
The transaction is declined at the point of sale. You will not be charged a fee, but the purchase or withdrawal will not go through. You will need to use a different payment method or wait until your balance is positive again.
Does Chase charge a fee to close my checking account?
No. Chase does not charge a closing fee. You can close your account anytime through the app, online, or at a branch. If you have an outstanding balance, you must pay it before closing.
Are there any hidden fees Chase does not advertise?
No. All Chase checking fees are disclosed in the account terms and fee schedule, which you can view online or request at a branch. The fees listed here are the complete set; there are no surprise charges beyond overdrafts, wire transfers, stop payments, returned deposits, and out-of-network ATM use.
If I link my savings account to avoid the checking fee, do I pay two monthly fees?
Your savings account has its own $5 monthly fee unless you keep $300 in it. If you maintain $300 in savings and $500 in checking, you pay zero fees on both accounts. The total tied-up balance is $800, which is the cost of avoiding fees this way.