Chase Business Checking has no monthly minimum balance requirement

Chase does not require you to keep a set amount of money in a Chase Business Checking account at any time. You can open the account, deposit money, spend it, and drop to zero without penalty or monthly fee tied to balance.

However, Chase does charge a monthly service fee on most business checking accounts—currently $15 per month for the standard Chase Business Checking product. That fee applies regardless of your balance. You can avoid it by meeting one of Chase's waiver conditions, which do involve money movement rather than sitting balance.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Business Checking has no minimum balance requirement, but it does charge a $15 monthly service fee unless you meet a waiver condition.
  • The most common way to waive the fee is to maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 in the account during the statement period.
  • You can also waive the fee by setting up direct deposit of payroll or by linking the account to a Chase business savings or money market account with a $2,500 minimum.
  • The fee waiver conditions change occasionally, so confirm the current requirements with Chase before opening or switching accounts.

How to waive the $15 monthly service fee

Chase offers three main paths to avoid the monthly fee on Business Checking. The first is to maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 during your statement period. This means your balance can drop below $2,500 on some days—what matters is the average across the full month. If your balance is $3,000 one day and $2,000 the next, the average is $2,500 and the fee is waived.

The second path is to set up direct deposit of payroll to the account. If your business receives payroll deposits through Chase, the monthly fee is waived automatically. This applies whether you deposit once a month or multiple times.

The third path is to link the account to a Chase business savings account or money market account that holds a $2,500 minimum balance. The savings or money market account must meet its own minimum; if it does, your checking account fee is waived even if checking itself has zero dollars.

What happens if you do not meet a waiver condition

If your average daily balance stays below $2,500, you have no direct deposit, and you do not link a savings account, Chase charges $15 at the end of each statement period. The fee posts to your account and reduces your balance. There is no grace period or warning—the fee simply appears on your statement.

If your account balance is very low or zero when the fee posts, your account can go negative. Chase may then charge an overdraft fee on top of the service fee. Overdraft fees on business accounts vary but typically run $35 per transaction.

Minimum balance requirements for linked savings accounts

If you choose the savings account waiver route, the savings account itself must maintain a $2,500 minimum balance. This is a true minimum—if the balance drops below $2,500 even for one day, the savings account incurs its own monthly fee (usually $5 to $10 depending on the account type). The linked savings account minimum is separate from any checking account minimum.

The benefit of this route is that your checking account can sit at zero while the savings account holds the $2,500. You are essentially using the savings account as a fee shield for checking. The drawback is that you have to maintain two minimums and two accounts to avoid fees on one.

How Chase calculates average daily balance

Chase adds up your account balance at the end of each day during the statement period, then divides by the number of days in that period. For example, if your statement period is 30 days and your balance totals $75,000 across those 30 days, your average daily balance is $2,500. A single day with a very high balance can pull up an average that was otherwise low.

Deposits and withdrawals affect the daily balance immediately. If you deposit $5,000 on day 15, your balance increases that day and counts toward the average. If you withdraw $3,000 on day 20, the balance drops that day and counts as lower in the average. Pending transactions do not count—only posted transactions affect the daily balance.

Other Chase business checking products with different minimums

Chase offers several business checking tiers beyond the standard Business Checking account. Chase Business Checking Plus has a $25 monthly fee and requires a $10,000 average daily balance to waive it. Chase Business Platinum Checking has a $30 monthly fee and requires a $25,000 average daily balance to waive it. These higher-tier accounts offer more transaction limits and additional features, but they also require higher balances to avoid fees.

If you run a very small business or rarely use checking, the standard Business Checking account with its $2,500 waiver threshold is usually the right fit. If you maintain higher balances anyway or need more transactions per month, a higher tier may make sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a business savings account from a different bank to waive the fee?

No. The $2,500 savings account must be a Chase business savings or money market account. Chase does not recognize linked accounts from other banks for fee waiver purposes.

Does the direct deposit have to be my own payroll, or can it be a transfer from another account?

It must be payroll direct deposit—a recurring deposit from an employer or payroll processor. A one-time transfer or ACH deposit from another account does not count as direct deposit and does not waive the fee.

What if my balance is exactly $2,500 every day?

The fee is waived. The requirement is an average daily balance of $2,500 or more. If your average is exactly $2,500, you meet the threshold.

Do I have to choose one waiver method, or can I use multiple?

You only need to meet one condition to waive the fee. If you have direct deposit and also maintain a $2,500 average, the fee is still waived once—Chase does not credit you multiple times or reduce the fee further.

If I close my linked savings account, does the checking fee come back?

Yes. The fee waiver depends on the savings account existing and holding the $2,500 minimum. If you close it or the balance drops below $2,500, the checking account fee resumes on the next statement period unless you meet a different waiver condition.