Chase checking accounts have no monthly minimum balance requirement
Chase does not require you to keep a minimum balance in any of its personal checking accounts. You can open an account, deposit $1, and leave it there without penalty. There is no monthly fee tied to falling below a certain balance, and you will not be charged for having a low balance at any point during the month.
This applies to Chase's main checking products: Chase Total Checking, Chase Premier Plus Checking, and Chase Sapphire Checking. The absence of a minimum balance requirement is one of the few things that stays consistent across all three accounts. What differs between them is the monthly service fee structure and what you need to do to waive it.
Key Takeaways
- Chase checking accounts have no minimum balance requirement, so you will not be penalized for keeping a low or zero balance.
- Monthly service fees exist on some Chase checking products, but they can be waived by meeting one of several conditions—not by maintaining a minimum balance.
- Chase Total Checking has a $12 monthly fee that waives if you maintain a $500 direct deposit, keep $1,500 in linked savings, or set up a $25 automatic transfer.
- Chase Premier Plus Checking charges $25 per month and requires either a $15,000 balance in linked accounts or $5,000 in a linked savings account to waive the fee.
- Chase Sapphire Checking has no monthly fee at all, making it the only Chase checking account with no balance requirement and no service charge.
How Chase Total Checking waives its monthly fee
Chase Total Checking carries a $12 monthly service fee, but you can avoid it in three ways. The first is to set up a direct deposit of any amount—even $1 counts. The second is to maintain a combined balance of at least $1,500 across any linked Chase savings account. The third is to set up an automatic transfer of at least $25 per month from a linked account.
You only need to meet one of these conditions. If you have a direct deposit coming in, the fee waives automatically and you do not have to do anything else. If you do not have direct deposit, the $1,500 linked savings balance is the most straightforward path for most people, because it is a one-time setup rather than an ongoing action.
How Chase Premier Plus Checking waives its monthly fee
Chase Premier Plus Checking charges $25 per month. The fee waives if you maintain a combined balance of at least $15,000 across any linked Chase accounts, or if you keep at least $5,000 in a linked Chase savings account alone. Unlike Total Checking, Premier Plus does not offer a direct deposit or automatic transfer waiver.
The $15,000 combined balance is the more common path because it spreads the requirement across multiple accounts—checking, savings, money market, or CDs. If you are already banking with Chase and have savings elsewhere, moving that money into a Chase savings account might be the fastest way to hit the $5,000 threshold and waive the fee.
Chase Sapphire Checking has no fee and no balance requirement
Chase Sapphire Checking is the only Chase personal checking account with no monthly service fee and no minimum balance requirement. It is designed for customers who want straightforward checking without conditions. You pay nothing per month regardless of how much or how little you keep in the account.
Sapphire Checking does come with a higher interest rate on balances than Chase Total Checking, though the rate remains modest compared to online banks. If you want to avoid any balance juggling or fee-waiver conditions, Sapphire is the simplest option.
What happens if you do not meet the waiver conditions
If you have Chase Total Checking and do not set up direct deposit, maintain the linked savings balance, or arrange the automatic transfer, you will be charged $12 at the end of each month. The fee comes out of your checking account automatically. You can dispute it by calling Chase, but the charge will recur the following month unless you meet one of the waiver conditions.
For Premier Plus Checking, the $25 monthly fee will post if your linked account balance falls below the required threshold. Chase does not send a warning before charging the fee, so if your balance drops mid-month, you may not realize the fee has posted until you check your statement.
Linked accounts and how they count toward balance requirements
When Chase refers to a "linked" account, it means any Chase savings, money market, or CD account in your name at the same branch or online. The balance in these accounts counts toward the minimum requirement even if you never touch the money. You do not have to keep the funds in checking itself.
Accounts at other banks do not count. If you have $10,000 in a savings account at Bank of America, it will not help you meet Chase's balance requirement. Only Chase accounts linked to your profile count toward the threshold.
How to check your current account type and fee status
Log into your Chase online account or mobile app and go to your account details. The account type will be listed there, along with any monthly fees and the conditions to waive them. If you see a $12 or $25 charge on your statement, you can click on it to see which waiver condition you missed.
You can also call Chase customer service at the number on the back of your debit card. They can tell you which account you have, what the current fee is, and exactly what you need to do to waive it. If you want to switch to a different Chase checking product—such as moving from Total Checking to Sapphire—you can do that through your online account or by calling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a Chase checking account with zero dollars in it?
Yes. Chase will not close your account or charge you for having a zero balance. You can keep the account open indefinitely with no money in it, though if you have Total or Premier Plus Checking, you will still owe the monthly service fee unless you meet one of the waiver conditions.
Does the minimum balance requirement change if I have a Chase credit card?
No. Having a Chase credit card does not affect checking account minimum balance requirements or monthly fees. The two products are separate, and fee waivers for checking are based only on the conditions tied to that specific checking account.
What if my linked savings account balance drops below the requirement mid-month?
If you are using a linked savings balance to waive your checking fee and that balance falls below the threshold at any point during the month, you will be charged the monthly fee. Chase does not prorate or give partial credit. The fee posts at the end of the month if the balance was below the requirement at that time.
Can I move money between my Chase accounts to meet the balance requirement?
Yes. You can transfer money from checking to savings or vice versa to meet the requirement. Chase counts the combined balance across all linked accounts, so moving $1,000 from checking to savings counts the same as keeping it in savings to begin with.
Is there a penalty for closing a Chase checking account?
No. Chase does not charge a fee to close a checking account. If you close the account within 90 days of opening it, Chase may flag you in its internal system, but there is no direct penalty. You can close the account online, through the app, or by calling customer service.