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 never add another dollar without facing a monthly fee for having too little money. This applies to Chase Total Checking, Chase Premier Plus Checking, and Chase Sapphire Checking — the three main personal checking products Chase offers.

What Chase does charge for is not maintaining a minimum balance, but rather not meeting other conditions. The most common fee is the monthly service charge, which ranges from $12 to $25 depending on the account type. You avoid this fee by meeting one of several alternatives: direct deposit, maintaining a certain balance, or keeping a linked savings account above a threshold.

Key Takeaways

  • Chase checking accounts have no minimum balance requirement to open or maintain the account itself.
  • You avoid the monthly service fee by either setting up direct deposit, keeping a linked savings account above $500, or maintaining a checking balance of $500 to $1,500 depending on account type.
  • Chase Total Checking has the lowest monthly fee at $12 if you do not meet any waiver condition.
  • The balance requirement applies to your linked savings account, not your checking account alone, so you can keep checking empty and savings funded.

How Chase waives the monthly service fee

Chase offers four ways to avoid paying the monthly service charge on checking accounts. The easiest for most people is setting up direct deposit — any amount counts, even a small recurring transfer from another bank. You do not need a large paycheck; a $25 monthly transfer from your employer or a gig platform will waive the fee.

The second method is maintaining a minimum balance in a linked savings account. For Chase Total Checking, you need $500 in the linked savings account. For Chase Premier Plus Checking, the requirement is $1,500. The balance sits in savings, not checking, so you can keep your checking account nearly empty and still avoid the fee.

The third method is maintaining a minimum balance in the checking account itself. This ranges from $500 for Total Checking to $1,500 for Premier Plus Checking. The fourth method is having a Chase mortgage or investment account, which waives the fee automatically on certain account tiers.

The difference between opening balance and ongoing balance

Chase does not require an opening deposit to create a checking account. You can open online with $0 and fund it later, or open in a branch with whatever amount you choose. There is no separate "minimum to open" threshold — the only balance rule that matters is the one that waives your monthly fee.

Once the account is open, the ongoing balance requirement kicks in only if you want to avoid the monthly charge. If you do not meet any of the four waiver conditions, Chase charges the monthly fee regardless of how much money sits in the account. A $5 balance does not trigger a higher fee than a $0 balance; the fee is flat.

What happens if you do not meet the minimum

If you do not set up direct deposit, maintain the linked savings balance, keep the checking balance, or hold a may have access to Chase product, you pay the monthly service charge. For Chase Total Checking, this is $12 per month. For Chase Premier Plus Checking, it is $25 per month. For Chase Sapphire Checking, it is $25 per month.

The fee posts on the same day each month and comes out of your checking account balance. If your balance is $0 and the fee posts, your account goes negative. Chase will then charge an overdraft fee if you do not deposit money within a few days to cover the shortfall. The monthly service charge itself does not trigger overdraft fees automatically, but the negative balance does.

Linked savings accounts and the $500 or $1,500 rule

When Chase says you need $500 in a linked savings account, it means a Chase savings account connected to your checking account through the same login. The balance must stay at or above $500 on the day the monthly fee would post. If your linked savings drops to $499, the fee charges that month.

You can move money between checking and savings instantly through the Chase app or website, so many people keep most of their money in checking and move $500 to savings a few days before the fee date. This works as long as you remember to do it. If you forget and the balance dips below the threshold, you pay the fee that month.

The linked savings account must be in your name and at Chase. You cannot link a savings account from another bank or a savings account held jointly with someone else (unless you are both account holders at Chase).

Direct deposit as the easiest waiver

Setting up direct deposit with your employer or a benefits program is the most reliable way to waive the monthly fee because it happens automatically. Chase counts any recurring electronic deposit as direct deposit, including payroll, Social Security, pension payments, and transfers from another bank set to repeat monthly.

The amount does not matter. A $25 monthly transfer counts the same as a $2,500 paycheck. Once direct deposit posts even once, the fee waiver applies to that month. If direct deposit stops, the waiver stops too, and you will owe the monthly fee starting the next month unless you meet another condition.

You set up direct deposit through your employer's payroll system or through the Chase app by providing your Chase account and routing number. Chase's routing number is 021000021 for most regions, but confirm with Chase before submitting to your employer.

Chase Premier Plus and Sapphire checking for higher balances

Chase Premier Plus Checking and Chase Sapphire Checking are designed for people who maintain higher balances or have more complex banking needs. Premier Plus requires $1,500 in a linked savings account or $1,500 in the checking account itself to waive the $25 monthly fee. Sapphire Checking is a premium product aimed at people with significant Chase investments or mortgages.

If you do not maintain high balances and do not have direct deposit, Chase Total Checking is usually the better choice because its $12 monthly fee is lower and its balance requirement is $500 instead of $1,500. The difference in features between Total and Premier Plus is minimal for most people.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open a Chase checking account with no money?

Yes. Chase does not require an opening deposit. You can open the account online or in a branch with $0 and fund it whenever you want. There is no penalty for opening with no money.

What if I keep my checking balance at $0 and my linked savings at $500?

That works. As long as the linked savings account stays at $500 or above, the monthly fee is waived. Your checking account can be empty. Many people use this method because they keep most of their money in checking and move $500 to savings before the fee date.

Does a transfer from another bank count as direct deposit?

Yes, if it is set up as a recurring transfer. A one-time transfer does not count. You need to set it up to repeat monthly through your other bank's system or through Chase's bill pay feature.

What is Chase's routing number for direct deposit?

Chase's routing number is 021000021 for most customers, but routing numbers can vary by region and account type. Confirm with Chase before providing your routing number to your employer, or use the routing number Chase provides in the app or on your checks.

If my account goes negative, do I owe overdraft fees on top of the monthly service charge?

Yes. The monthly service charge itself does not trigger overdraft fees, but if the charge pushes your balance below $0, Chase charges an overdraft fee (typically $35) if you do not deposit money to cover it within a few days. You can avoid this by keeping enough balance to cover the monthly fee.