The Top 10 Most Common Banking Fees and How to Avoid Them

Almost every common bank fee can be avoided: monthly fees by meeting a waiver, overdraft fees by keeping a buffer and turning off debit overdraft coverage, and ATM fees by staying in your bank's network. The 10 fees below use real amounts from two published fee schedules, a large national bank (Chase) and a credit union (Land of Lincoln Credit Union), so you can see what a typical charge looks like. A worked example shows how they can add up to more than $500 a year.

The 10 Fees at a Glance

Amounts are from each institution's fee schedule as of October 2026 (Chase's took effect June 14, 2026; the credit union's on August 5, 2026). Your bank's numbers may differ, so check its own schedule.

Fee	Example amount	How to avoid it
1. Monthly maintenance	$15 a month (Chase Total Checking)	Meet a waiver, such as $500 in monthly electronic deposits or a $1,500 daily balance, or use a no-fee account
2. Out-of-network ATM	$3 per U.S. withdrawal at Chase, $5 outside the U.S., plus the ATM owner's surcharge	Use your bank's ATMs or get cash back at a store checkout
3. Overdraft	$34 per item at Chase once you're more than $50 overdrawn, up to 3 a day ($102); $32 at the credit union	Don't opt in to debit card overdraft coverage, set low-balance alerts, link savings
4. NSF (returned item)	$0 at Chase; $35 per item at the credit union	Bank where NSF fees are gone, keep a cushion before automatic payments
5. Wire transfer	Chase: $25 domestic online, $35 with a banker, $40–$50 international; $15 incoming in some cases	Send online, or use a cheaper transfer when the recipient is someone you know and trust
6. Paper statement	$2 per statement cycle at the credit union	Switch to e-statements
7. Foreign transaction	3% on Chase debit card purchases abroad	Pay abroad with a card that has no foreign transaction fee
8. Stop payment	$30 with a Chase banker, $25 online; $29 at the credit union	Place it online, or cancel a recurring payment with the merchant first
9. Early account closing	$24 if closed within 90 days of opening (credit union)	Read the closing window before you open an account you might not keep
10. Cashier's check	$10 at Chase; $3 for an official check at the credit union	Some premium accounts waive it; for amounts up to $1,000, a $5 money order may be cheaper

What Changed With Overdraft and NSF Fees

Overdraft and NSF fees have fallen a lot, but they haven't disappeared. The CFPB reported that banks collected about $5.83 billion in overdraft and NSF fees in 2023, down 51% from $11.96 billion in 2019.

NSF fees at big banks are mostly gone. In an October 2023 review, the CFPB found that 81 of 125 banks with more than $10 billion in assets no longer charged NSF fees, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC and Truist. Large credit unions moved more slowly: 16 of the 20 biggest still charged them at the time.

The federal overdraft cap never took effect. In December 2024 the CFPB finalized a rule for banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets that would have limited overdraft fees to $5, to a fee that only covers the bank's costs, or to loans that follow standard lending rules. Congress overturned it under the Congressional Review Act, and the resolution was signed into law on May 9, 2025 (Public Law 119-10). Under that law, the CFPB can't issue a substantially similar rule without new authority from Congress. As of October 2026, overdraft fees are set by each bank's own policy.

One older protection still applies. Under Regulation E, a bank can't charge an overdraft fee on ATM withdrawals or one-time debit card purchases unless you opted in. If you never opt in, those transactions are usually declined instead of costing you a fee. Checks and automatic payments are not covered by that rule.

A Year of Fees: Worked Example

Here is one person who misses the monthly fee waiver, uses another bank's ATM twice a month, overdraws three times and pays for a few services, using the amounts above. The $3 ATM owner surcharge is an assumption; owners set their own.

Fee	How often	Yearly cost
Monthly maintenance at $15	12 months	$180
Out-of-network ATM: $3 bank fee plus $3 owner surcharge	2 a month	$144
Overdraft at $34	3 a year	$102
Paper statements at $2	12 cycles	$24
Stop payment through a banker	Once	$30
Domestic wire through a banker	Once	$35
Cashier's check	Once	$10
Total		$525

Setting up a $500 direct deposit, using in-network ATMs, turning on alerts and switching to e-statements would remove $450 of that $525 without changing banks. One withdrawal of $200 from a foreign ATM would add $11 more: a $5 fee plus 3%.

Example for illustration only. Your bank's fees and waiver rules are in its account agreement and fee schedule.

Five Habits That Prevent Most Fees

• Read your bank's fee schedule once and note the waiver rules for your account.
• Turn on low-balance and large-transaction alerts in your banking app.
• Keep a small cushion, even $50 to $100, above your automatic payments.
• Ask for a refund of a first-time fee. Many banks will consider it, and it costs nothing to ask.
• If fees keep coming back, move to an account with no monthly or overdraft fees.

Traveling soon? Our travel card comparison lists cards without foreign transaction fees.

If a Fee Leaves You Short Before Payday

A fee that pushes you into overdraft can snowball. If you need a small amount to get through, compare cash advance apps first. LendUp is an online loan-matching service for $200 to $5,000 through licensed lenders, and you can learn how emergency cash options compare before you borrow.

Frequently Asked Questions