Chase charges a monthly service fee on most checking accounts, but you can avoid it

Chase's standard checking account is called the Chase Total Checking account, and it carries a $12 monthly service fee. However, you can waive this fee by meeting one of three conditions: maintain a minimum daily balance of $500, set up a direct deposit of at least $500 per month, or link a Chase savings account with a $300 minimum balance. If you do none of these, you pay $12 every month.

Chase also offers the Chase Secure Banking account, which has no monthly fee but requires a ChexSystems report and offers limited features. This account is designed for people rebuilding credit or banking history. If you want a full-featured account without fees, you need to meet one of the three waiver conditions above.

The fee structure matters because $12 per month adds up to $144 per year if you do not waive it. Many people do not realize they are paying this fee because it comes out automatically, and Chase does not send a separate bill for it.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase Total Checking costs $12 per month unless you maintain a $500 daily balance, set up a $500 monthly direct deposit, or link a Chase savings account with $300 in it.
  • Chase Secure Banking has no monthly fee but offers fewer features and is intended for people with limited banking history.
  • The fee comes out of your account automatically each month, so check your statements to see if you are being charged.
  • If you meet one waiver condition, the fee disappears entirely — you do not pay a reduced amount.

How the $500 balance waiver works

The balance requirement is a daily minimum, not an average. This means your account must hold at least $500 every single day of the month. If your balance drops to $499 on even one day, you do not may have access to for the waiver that month, and the $12 fee posts to your account.

This is the strictest waiver condition because it requires you to keep money sitting in the account at all times. For people who live paycheck to paycheck or make irregular income, this is often not realistic. The direct deposit option is usually easier to meet.

How the direct deposit waiver works

If you set up a recurring direct deposit of at least $500 per month, the monthly fee is waived. This is the most common way people avoid the fee because it requires no balance threshold — the money can come in and go right back out, and you still may have access to.

The direct deposit must be set up through your employer, government agency, or other income source. It cannot be a transfer you make yourself from another account. Chase verifies the direct deposit in the system, and once it is set up, the waiver applies automatically each month as long as the deposit continues.

How the linked savings account waiver works

If you open a Chase savings account and keep a minimum balance of $300 in it, your checking account fee is waived. The savings account itself has no monthly fee, so this is a low-cost way to avoid the checking fee if you have $300 available to set aside.

The $300 must remain in the savings account at all times, just like the $500 balance requirement for checking. If your savings balance drops below $300 on any day, the checking fee posts that month. This option works well if you are already planning to save money or have an emergency fund you can link to your checking account.

What happens if you do not meet a waiver condition

The $12 fee posts to your account on the same day each month, usually around the first or the date you opened the account. There is no warning or notification before it happens — it simply appears as a debit in your transaction history.

If your account balance is low when the fee posts, you could end up overdrawn. Chase will charge an overdraft fee on top of the monthly service fee if your balance goes negative. This can create a cycle where fees pile up and your balance gets worse.

You can call Chase or visit a branch to ask them to reverse a single monthly fee if you believe it was charged in error, but they will not reverse it as a regular practice. The best approach is to set up one of the three waivers so the fee never posts in the first place.

Comparing Chase checking to other banks

Many online banks and credit unions offer checking accounts with no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement. Banks like Ally, Charles Schwab, and most credit unions do not charge a monthly service fee at all. If you cannot meet Chase's waiver conditions, switching to a no-fee account elsewhere could save you $144 per year.

Chase's advantage is its branch network — there are thousands of Chase branches across the country, which matters if you deposit cash frequently or need in-person banking. If you rarely visit a branch and can meet one of the waiver conditions, Chase Total Checking is competitive. If you cannot meet any waiver condition and do not need branch access, a no-fee bank is a better choice.

How to check if you are being charged the fee

Log into your Chase account online or through the mobile app and look at your recent transactions. The monthly service fee appears as a debit labeled "Monthly Service Fee" or "Service Charge." If you see this charge, you are not meeting one of the three waiver conditions.

You can also call Chase customer service at the number on the back of your debit card and ask them which waiver condition you need to meet. They can tell you your current balance, whether a direct deposit is set up, and whether you have a linked savings account. If you are close to meeting a condition, they can help you set it up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I waive the fee by keeping money in a different bank's savings account?

No. The $300 savings account must be a Chase savings account. Money in savings accounts at other banks does not count toward the waiver. However, you can open a Chase savings account just to hold the $300 and link it to your checking account.

Does the direct deposit have to come from my job?

Direct deposits can come from an employer, Social Security, a pension, unemployment benefits, or other government payments. They cannot be transfers you initiate yourself from another account. The deposit must be set up through the paying organization's system, not through Chase.

What if my direct deposit stops coming in?

If your direct deposit stops, the waiver stops too, and the monthly fee will post the next month. You will need to set up one of the other two waivers or restart the direct deposit to avoid future fees. Chase does not give advance notice when a waiver ends.

Is there a way to get the monthly fee refunded?

Chase may reverse a single monthly fee if you call and ask, especially if you have been a customer for a long time or if the fee was charged in error. They will not reverse it as a regular practice or for multiple months. Your best option is to set up a waiver so the fee never posts.

Do all Chase checking accounts have this fee?

Chase Total Checking has the $12 fee. Chase Secure Banking has no monthly fee but is designed for people rebuilding credit. Chase also offers business checking accounts, which have different fee structures. If you have a different type of Chase account, the fee may be different or not apply at all.