Chase Business Checking has no monthly minimum balance requirement

Chase does not require you to keep a set amount of money in your Chase Business Checking account at any time. You can open the account, deposit money, spend it, and drop to zero without triggering fees or account closure. This applies to all Chase Business Checking products: the standard Chase Business Checking, Chase Business Checking with Positive Pay, and Chase Business Complete Banking.

What Chase does charge for is monthly maintenance. The monthly service fee is $15, but you can waive it by meeting one of three conditions: maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 or more, process at least 10 debit card transactions per month, or link the account to a Chase Business Savings account that holds an average daily balance of $2,500 or more.

The distinction matters. No minimum balance means you will not be penalized for having $0 in the account. But if you want to avoid the $15 monthly fee without meeting the transaction threshold, you do need to keep money there—either in the checking account itself or in a linked savings account.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Business Checking has no minimum balance requirement, so your account will not close or incur penalties if your balance drops to zero.
  • A $15 monthly maintenance fee applies unless you maintain an average daily balance of $2,500, process 10 or more debit card transactions per month, or link a savings account with $2,500 average daily balance.
  • The $2,500 threshold is an average daily balance over the statement period, not a single-day snapshot, so temporary dips below $2,500 do not trigger the fee.
  • Linking a Chase Business Savings account to waive the fee requires that savings account to also maintain the $2,500 average daily balance.

How the average daily balance calculation works

Chase calculates your average daily balance by adding up your balance at the end of each day in the statement period and dividing by the number of days. If you have $5,000 on day one and $0 on day two through thirty, your average daily balance is roughly $167, which does not meet the $2,500 threshold.

This means you can dip below $2,500 on some days without losing the fee waiver, as long as your total across the month averages to $2,500 or higher. If you know you will have a large deposit coming mid-month, you can plan around it. If you run payroll and your balance swings wildly, the average smooths out those swings.

Chase provides your average daily balance on your monthly statement, so you can see whether you met the threshold. If you are close, you can adjust your deposits or spending in the next month to cross it.

The debit card transaction alternative

Processing 10 or more debit card transactions per month also waives the $15 fee, regardless of your balance. A debit card transaction means swiping or inserting your Chase business debit card at a merchant, or using it online. ATM withdrawals and transfers do not count.

This route works well for businesses that already use their debit card regularly—retail shops, service providers, or any business that pays for supplies or expenses with the card. If you process payroll, pay vendors by ACH, or rarely use the card, this threshold will be harder to hit.

Chase counts transactions posted to your account during the statement period, not transactions you initiate. A transaction may take one or two days to post, so timing matters if you are close to 10 near the end of the month.

Linking a savings account to avoid the fee

You can open a Chase Business Savings account and link it to your checking account. If the savings account maintains an average daily balance of $2,500 or higher, your checking account's $15 monthly fee is waived. You do not need to transfer money between them—the savings account just needs to exist and hold the balance.

This option makes sense if you want to keep operating cash in checking (where you can spend it freely) and reserve funds in savings (where they earn interest). Chase Business Savings currently earns a variable interest rate that changes with market conditions; check the current rate on Chase's website.

The linked savings account must be in the same business name and ownership structure as the checking account. You cannot link a personal savings account or a savings account under a different business entity.

What happens if you do not meet any waiver condition

If your average daily balance stays below $2,500, you process fewer than 10 debit card transactions, and you do not have a linked savings account with $2,500, Chase charges $15 per month. This fee posts on the last day of your statement period and is deducted from your checking balance.

The fee does not close your account or damage your credit. It simply reduces your balance each month. Over a year, $15 per month adds up to $180, so if you are running a very small operation or keeping minimal cash in the account, you may want to explore other banks or adjust your account structure.

Chase does not charge overdraft fees on business checking accounts—if you spend more than your balance, the transaction is declined rather than approved. This is different from personal checking, where overdraft fees can apply. You can request overdraft protection, which links your checking to a savings account and allows transfers to cover shortfalls, but this is optional.

Comparing Chase Business Checking to other account types

Chase offers other business checking products with different fee structures. Chase Business Checking with Positive Pay includes fraud detection tools and has the same $15 monthly fee with the same waiver options. Chase Business Complete Banking bundles checking, savings, and credit products and has different fee requirements.

If you are comparing Chase to other banks, note that some regional banks and online banks offer business checking with no monthly fee and no minimum balance. However, they may charge per-transaction fees for wire transfers, ACH payments, or check deposits, or offer fewer branches and ATMs. The total cost depends on how you use the account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my Chase Business Checking account open with zero dollars in it?

Yes. Chase will not close the account or charge you for having a zero balance. However, if you do not meet one of the three fee-waiver conditions, you will pay $15 per month. An inactive account with no deposits or withdrawals for an extended period may eventually be closed, but having zero balance alone does not trigger closure.

Does the $2,500 average daily balance include money in a linked savings account?

No. The $2,500 threshold for the checking account is based only on the checking account balance. If you want to use a linked savings account to waive the checking fee, that savings account must separately maintain a $2,500 average daily balance. The two balances do not combine.

If I meet the $2,500 balance one month but not the next, do I pay the fee?

Yes. The fee waiver is determined each statement period. If you fall below $2,500 average daily balance in a given month and do not meet the other two conditions, you pay $15 that month. The next month is evaluated separately, so you can waive the fee again if you meet a condition.

Do ACH transfers or wire transfers count toward the 10 debit card transactions?

No. Only debit card transactions—swiped, inserted, or used online—count. ACH transfers, wire transfers, check deposits, and ATM withdrawals do not count toward the 10-transaction threshold.

What if I have multiple Chase business accounts?

Each account is evaluated separately for fee waivers. A linked savings account waives the fee only for the checking account it is linked to. Debit card transactions and balance thresholds are tracked per account. You cannot combine balances or transactions across multiple accounts to meet a single account's waiver condition.