Chase does not charge a low balance fee on any of its checking accounts
Chase has no minimum balance requirement and no fee for keeping a low balance in any of its personal checking accounts. You can maintain $1, $50, or $500 in your account without penalty. The bank does not monitor your balance and does not charge you for having less money than some threshold.
What Chase does charge for checking accounts are monthly maintenance fees on certain account types, and those fees apply regardless of your balance. Whether you pay that fee depends on which Chase checking account you have and whether you meet the bank's waiver conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Chase checking accounts have no minimum balance requirement and no low balance fee at any balance level.
- Some Chase checking accounts charge a monthly maintenance fee, but this is separate from your balance and applies the same way whether you have $10 or $10,000.
- You can waive the monthly maintenance fee on most Chase checking accounts by setting up direct deposit or maintaining a linked savings account with a certain balance.
- The Chase Total Checking account charges $12 per month unless you meet one of the waiver conditions.
- The Chase Secure Checking account has no monthly fee and is designed for people building or rebuilding credit.
Which Chase checking accounts charge a monthly fee
Chase Total Checking is the most common personal checking account at Chase. It charges $12 per month, but you can waive this fee by meeting one of these conditions: setting up direct deposit of any amount, maintaining an average daily balance of $500 or more in the account, or maintaining an average daily balance of $5,000 or more in a linked Chase savings account.
Chase Secure Checking has no monthly maintenance fee. This account is designed for people who are new to banking or rebuilding their credit history. It requires a linked savings account with a $300 minimum deposit, but that deposit stays in your savings account and earns interest—it is not a fee.
Chase Premier Plus Checking is a premium account that charges $25 per month. The fee waiver requires either direct deposit or a $15,000 average daily balance in the account itself, or a $75,000 combined balance across your Chase deposit accounts.
How the monthly fee works and when it posts
If you have Chase Total Checking and do not meet any waiver condition, the $12 fee posts to your account on the last business day of each month. This happens automatically—you do not receive a warning or invoice. The fee is deducted from your balance just like any other withdrawal.
The waiver conditions are checked on a monthly basis. If you set up direct deposit in the middle of a month, the fee for that month may still post, but it will not post the following month. If you let your balance drop below $500 after meeting the threshold earlier in the month, Chase looks at your average daily balance for the entire month, so a single day of low balance does not trigger the fee.
If the fee posts and you believe it should have been waived, you can contact Chase to request a reversal. Chase sometimes reverses one or two fees as a courtesy, but this is not may provide and depends on your account history and how long you have been a customer.
What happens if your account goes negative
If your balance falls below zero—meaning you overdrew your account—Chase charges an overdraft fee, which is separate from any monthly maintenance fee. The overdraft fee is $35 per transaction that overdraws your account. This is not a low balance fee; it is a fee for spending money you do not have.
You can opt out of overdraft protection, which means Chase will decline transactions that would overdraw your account rather than charging you the fee. To do this, contact Chase directly or change your settings in the Chase mobile app or online banking portal.
How to avoid any Chase checking account fees
The simplest way to avoid fees is to use Chase Secure Checking, which has no monthly maintenance fee. You will need to open a linked savings account and deposit $300 into it, but that money is yours and earns interest at Chase's current savings rate.
If you prefer Chase Total Checking, set up direct deposit from your employer or another source. Even a single direct deposit per month waives the $12 fee. If direct deposit is not available to you, maintain an average daily balance of $500 in the checking account itself, or $5,000 in a linked savings account.
To check which waiver conditions you are currently meeting, log into your Chase account online or in the mobile app and look at your account details. Chase displays whether your account is fee-waived and which condition is protecting you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get the monthly fee refunded if I did not know about it?
Chase may reverse one or two monthly fees as a courtesy if you contact them and explain that you were unaware of the fee. This is not may provide. If you have been charged multiple times, ask to speak with a supervisor. Reversals are more likely if you are a new customer or have a long account history with no prior fee reversals.
Does the $500 balance requirement mean I have to keep exactly $500?
No. Chase looks at your average daily balance for the month. If your balance is $600 some days and $400 other days, and the average comes to $500 or higher, the fee is waived. You do not have to maintain $500 every single day.
What if I have direct deposit but the bank still charged me the fee?
Wait one full billing cycle. If you set up direct deposit late in the month, the fee for that month may still post. The waiver takes effect the following month. If you are charged again after a full month has passed since setting up direct deposit, contact Chase to report the error.
Is there a Chase checking account with no fees and no requirements?
Chase Secure Checking has no monthly fee, but it requires a linked savings account with a $300 deposit. Chase Total Checking has a $12 monthly fee unless you meet a waiver condition. There is no Chase personal checking account that is completely free with zero requirements.
Do I lose money if my account balance is low?
No. A low balance itself costs you nothing at Chase. You only pay a monthly fee if your account type charges one and you do not meet the waiver conditions. A low balance does not trigger any separate charge.