Bank Fees: What Banks Charge and How to Handle Them

You've spotted a fee on your bank statement, or your balance just dipped below zero. You don't know which fee made it happen, or if you can reverse it.

Your statement lists the fees charged that period. Your bank's fee schedule and its account opening disclosure may tell you more details about what triggered a fee so you can avoid getting it again. If you get a fee, consider asking your bank to reverse it.

What are typical bank fees?

Common bank fees include the monthly maintenance fee and ATM fees. Your bank's fee schedule and account opening disclosure list its fees, what they cost, and when they apply. The bank must give you these disclosures whenever you ask. For more about how accounts work, read our banking basics.

The table shows five common fees at various banks. If a fee on your statement isn't here, you should be able to find it in your bank’s fee schedule.

An ATM's owner must tell you that it’s charging a fee before you commit to paying it. Some banks refund out-of-network ATM fees for a set number of transactions per year, so ask yours. For a detailed example of ATM charges, you can read about Chase bank ATM fees.

Banks may also charge for services such as issuing a cashier’s check or stopping payment on a check. As of October 2026, Chase charges $10 for a cashier's check. To stop a payment, it charges $30 in-person or $25 online.

Some banks also charge for paper statements and check orders. Consider switching to paperless statements. For checks, compare your bank's price with a check printing company's, which may be lower.

Overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees

Overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees happen when you make a payment that drops your balance below zero. If your bank pays the charge anyway, your account is overdrawn, and the bank charges an overdraft fee. If the bank refuses the payment, it may still charge you a nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee.

On a one-time debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal, a bank can charge an overdraft fee only if you opted in to overdraft coverage. Overdraft coverage is your green light for the bank to cover the transaction when your balance is short. On checks and recurring electronic payments, a bank can charge an overdraft fee without your opt-in.

Here's how the two compare. Your fee schedule should give your bank’s amounts.

Because the fee is charged per overdraft, you can get several in one day, though some banks set a daily limit. No federal law caps the overdraft fee, so your bank sets the amount. Check your fee schedule for that amount and any daily limit.

In April of 2026, the federal government removed previous regulations governing NSF fees, so if a charge is presented more than once after an initial failure, banks can charge more than one NSF fee for a single transaction.

How to avoid bank fees

Two main things keep bank fees low: 

• An account whose fees fit how you use the account
• Close tracking of your balance

Some banks offer low-cost student, senior, or basic checking. Compare accounts at a few banks, and pick the one that covers the services you tend to use at the lowest cost.

Read your statements, and use online banking to track transactions. Keep in mind the amount and date of regular electronic payments, like mortgage or utility bills, to help you be certain the money is there when it's needed.

Debit overdraft coverage is your choice. Without it, a debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal you can't cover is generally declined, so you pay no overdraft fee.

If you opt in to overdraft coverage, you can cancel at any time. If you're not sure whether you opted in, look for a confirmation: your bank can't charge an overdraft fee on a debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal unless it has sent you a confirmation, in writing or, if you’ve agreed, electronically.

To help avoid overdraft fees, you can usually ask your bank to link a savings account or an overdraft line of credit (which covers a shortfall), to your checking. Either of these options usually costs less than an overdraft fee, and involves a transfer fee for savings, or a fee plus interest for a credit line. Low-balance alerts, if your bank offers them, can tell you when you risk overdrawing.

How can you avoid a monthly maintenance fee?

You avoid a monthly maintenance fee by meeting one of your bank's waiver conditions, or by moving to an account without one. The fee is a flat monthly charge for having a checking, savings, or money market account.

Your account opening disclosure gives any minimum balance that waives an account fee. Your bank can raise the fee or change the waiver terms after you open the account. If the change could affect you negatively, the bank must send notice at least 30 calendar days in advance.

What is a free checking account?

A free checking account has no monthly maintenance fee, no fee for falling below a minimum balance, and no fees for deposits, withdrawals, or transfers. A free account may still charge overdraft fees, NSF fees on checks, and inactivity fees. The bank can also charge for services the account doesn't require, such as ATM use, stop payments, and check printing.

You may see Bank On certified accounts at some institutions. These accounts meet national standards set by the nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, and charge no overdraft or NSF fees. Any monthly fee the bank can't waive is currently capped at $5. A fee the bank can waive may be up to $10. To find a Bank On account, check the list of certified accounts at joinbankon.org, then contact the bank or credit union.

Low-risk accounts, sometimes called "safe" checking, decline a payment you can't cover instead of overdrawing. They may not have check-writing or online bill pay, and they may charge a monthly fee. These may not be widely advertised, so ask your bank whether it has one.

Bills Action Plan

1. Get your fee schedule. Ask your bank for the account opening disclosure and fee schedule. Look for each fee you've paid, what triggers it, and what conditions waive the monthly fee.
2. Ask about any fee you've already paid. Call your bank and ask whether it can waive the fee, especially if you haven't had many fees before. For a debit card overdraft fee you don't believe you opted in to, you can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
3. Turn on low-balance alerts. Ask whether your bank offers them. Set the alert above any minimum required balance, so it warns you before you fall below that or below zero.
4. Check your monthly fee waiver. Compare the waiver conditions with your direct deposit, usual balance, and number of monthly transactions. If you’re unlikely to meet the conditions, switch to an account with no monthly fee.

Key Terms

Overdraft fee: What your bank charges when it pays a transaction your balance can't cover. You then owe the shortfall plus the fee.

Nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee: What your bank may charge when it refuses a payment your balance can't cover.

Monthly maintenance fee: A flat monthly charge for having the account. Some banks call it a monthly service fee or a service charge.

Fee schedule: Your bank's list of what its services cost. Together with the account opening disclosure, it must name every deposit-related fee the bank can charge.