Chase Bank is one of the most recognizable names in banking. Their presence – both branch and ATM – is as vast as their customer base with 16,000 ATMs and 4,900 branches nationwide. On top of this tremendous reach, they also sit on roughly $2.69 trillion (yes, with a T) in assets.

While a bank of this size has much to offer in terms of accessibility, it is no secret that the institution’s most popular bank accounts and products typically come with fees.

These fees generally include:

• overdraft charges,
• monthly maintenance fees,
• checking account fees,
• wire transfer fees and
• ATM fees for using a non-Chase machine (not to mention what that ATM owner charges)

While the monthly maintenance fees can be waived on most accounts, some of the other fees may be inevitable.

Below is a complete breakdown of all the fees you can expect to pay with Chase Bank’s most popular accounts as well as how to waive them (if possible).

Chase Total Checking Account Fees & How to Avoid Them

The Chase Total Checking account is the most basic checking account option. It comes with a minimum deposit requirement of $25 and a hefty monthly fee of $12 that can be waived by doing any of following:

• Direct deposit totaling $500 or more made to this account
• OR a balance at the beginning of each day of $1,500 or more in this account
• OR an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying deposits or investments.

Below is a complete list of fees to look out for if opening a Chase Total Checking account.

Chase Total Checking Fees

Type	Fee
Monthly Maintenance	$12 (can be waived)
Minimum Deposit	$25
Overdraft	$35
Card Replacement	$5
Foreign Transaction	3%
ATM (out of network, domestic)	$2.50 (plus whatever the ATM owner charges)
ATM (out of network, international)	$5
Wire (incoming, domestic)	$15
Wire (outgoing, domestic)	$25
Wire (incoming, international)	$15
Wire (outgoing, international)	$5 if sent in foreign currency, $40 if sent in USD
Stop Payment	$30
Online or Automated Phone Stop Payment	$25
Returned Item or Check	$12
Money Order	$5
Cashier’s Check	$8

Of course, you’ll also have to pay for things like paper checks or paper statements ($6 per statement copy) should you wish to obtain them, but Chase Bank has a robust online banking platform and native apps on IOS and Android that will give you plenty of access to all your account information free of charge.

Chase Secure Banking Checking Account Fees & How to Avoid Them

The Chase Secure Banking account is considered the middle tier in terms of Chase checking account options. The big difference with this account is that it has a flat $4.95/month service fee that can not be waived. In exchange for this, the account comes with no overdraft fees. If you overdraft your account, they will simply decline or return the transaction.

Chase Secure Banking Fees

Type	Fee
Monthly Maintenance	$4.95 (can not be waived)
Minimum Deposit	$25
Overdraft	None
Card Replacement	$5
Foreign Transaction	3%
ATM (out of network, domestic)	$2.50 (plus whatever the ATM owner charges)
ATM (out of network, international)	$5
Wire (incoming, domestic)	$15
Wire (outgoing, domestic)	$25
Wire (incoming, international)	$15
Wire (outgoing, international)	$5 if sent in foreign currency, $40 if sent in USD
Stop Payment	$30
Online or Automated Phone Stop Payment	$25
Returned Item or Check	$12
Money Order	$5
Cashier’s Check	$8

Chase Premier Plus Checking Account Fees & How to Avoid Them

The Chase Premier Plus Checking account is the top tier in terms of Chase checking account options. It comes with an interest rate (although the standard rate sits at just 0.01% APY at the moment) and they waive fees for counter checks, money orders and cashier’s checks.

It comes with an even heftier monthly maintenance fee of $25 that can be waived by doing any of following:

• An average beginning day balance of $15,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying deposits or investments
• OR have a linked qualifying Chase first mortgage enrolled in automatic payments from your Chase account

If you cannot meet the two qualifications above, Chase will also let you waive the $25 monthly fee by linking:

• Up to two additional personal Chase checking accounts (excluding Chase Sapphire, Checking and Chase Private Client Checking)
• Chase personal savings account(s), excluding Chase Private Client Savings
• Chase Liquid Card(s)

Below is a complete list of fees to look out for if opening a Chase Premier Plus Checking account.

Chase Premier Plus Checking Fees

Type	Fee
Monthly Maintenance	$25 (can be waived)
Beginning Day Balance	$15,000 to avoid $25 fee
Overdraft	$35
Card Replacement	$5
Foreign Transaction	3%
ATM (out of network, domestic)	$2.50 (plus whatever the ATM owner charges)
ATM (out of network, international)	$5
Wire (incoming, domestic)	$15
Wire (outgoing, domestic)	$25
Wire (incoming, international)	$15
Wire (outgoing, international)	$5 if sent in foreign currency, $40 if sent in USD
Stop Payment	$30
Online or Automated Phone Stop Payment	$25
Returned Item or Check	$12
Money Order	free
Cashier’s Check	free

Chase Bank Savings Account Fees and Rates

Chase Bank currently offers two different savings accounts – The Chase Savings and the Chase Premier Savings. Both of these accounts come with monthly fees that can be waived.

The Chase Savings account comes with a $5 monthly maintenance fee unless one of the following conditions apply:

• you’re under the age of 18
• you maintain at least a $300 minimum daily balance
• you set up at least one recurring automatic transfer of $25 from a Chase checking account
• you link your savings to a Chase Premier Plus Checking, Chase Premier Platinum Checking, or Chase Private Client Checking account

The Chase Premier Savings account comes with a $25 monthly maintenance fee unless one of the following conditions apply:

• maintain a minimum daily balance of $15,000
• link up a Chase Premier Plus Checking or Chase Sapphire Checking account

All of the additional miscellaneous fees from the table(s) above apply to both of the chase savings accounts.

You won’t earn much in the way of interest on either savings account offered by Chase Bank currently. Current rates vary between just 0.01% and 0.05% APY depending on your relationship standing with the bank (ie how many accounts you hold with them) and your balance amount(s).

If you’re a new Chase customer opening a College, Total, or Premier Plus checking account, you qualify for a welcome bonus offer of $100, $200, or even $300, respectively. Yes, up to $300. This offer is valid until July 20, 2020.

While we are going to focus on the Chase Bank checking account bonuses for this article, please note that it is also possible to lock in up to $600 from Chase Bank by doing the following:

1. Open a new Chase Total Checking account + set up direct deposit
2. Open a Chase Savings account with $15,000 in new money within 20 days + maintain this avg balance for 90 days.

The savings account only pays an APY of 0.02% and comes with some steep deposit requirements to capture this bonus.

To read more about this opportunity click here.

Now back to the checking account bonuses…

The checking account bonuses that pay up to $300 are far more attainable and don’t require you to lock up funds in a low paying savings account.

There are pros and cons to each of these accounts, so you’ll want to learn more about the options before you decide.

Read more about these offers, account terms, potential fees and how to avoid them.

Chase College Checking account + $100 Sign-Up Bonus

A Chase College Checking account is perfect for students ages 17 to 24 years old.

They’re fairly basic and don’t come with many bells and whistles. They do, however, offer a safe place to stash cash while in school and with great accessibility.

This account does not require a minimum opening deposit to open and a $6 monthly maintenance fee can be waived quite easily.

To open one of these, you’ll need to prove that you’re a student at a college or university with a transcript or acceptance letter. You’ll also need to have a Social Security number (if you don’t, visit a branch to discuss your options). This account can be opened online or in person.

How to waive the $6 monthly fee?

The $6 monthly maintenance fee associated with this account can be waived by doing just one of the following:

1. prove that you are a college student (for up to 5 years),
2. set up a direct deposit into this account, or
3. maintain an average daily balance of at least $5,000.

This account (and all other Chase checking accounts) offer Overdraft Protection through standard overdraft practice.

If you choose to opt into this, you must link your checking account to your Chase savings account. Then Chase will make payments for you from the savings account when you overdraw your checking account. Note that this is done at their discretion and there is no guarantee it will happen every time.

In the event of an overdraft, you will incur a $34 fee. You will also incur a $34 fee every time a check or automatic payment is returned due to insufficient funds.

Chase also offers Debit Card Coverage, which, when activated, will decline transactions—without charging a fee—that would cause your account balance to go negative. Sign up for account alerts when your balance gets low and opt into this Debit Card Coverage if you’d like to avoid declined payments or overdrafts and the fees that come with them.

Other fees associated with this account include:

• $15 per incoming wire transfer,
• $25 per outgoing domestic wire transfer,
• $12 returned check fee,
• $6 paper statement fee (see this ​deposit account agreement​ for a complete list of fees for all accounts).
• $2 for each page of printed personal checks. 3 per page.
• $2.50 charge for out-of-network ATM usage.

How to qualify for the $100 bonus:

To qualify for the $100 bonus, make sure you make 10 qualifying transactions—such as purchases with your debit card, QuickDeposits, online bill payments, etc.—within 60 days of opening the account. Use this link to access the offer.

Chase Total Checking account + $200 Sign-Up Bonus

The Chase Total Checking account is one of the bank’s more popular deposit products. And from now until July 20, 2020 this account features a $200 sign-up bonus for new customers.

How to qualify for the $200 bonus:

Anyone can open this account with a minimum deposit of just $25. To earn the $200 bonus you will need to set up a direct deposit to this account within 90 days of opening it. This direct deposit must come from an employer, government agency in the form of benefits (social security) or pensions. Person to person payments are not considered direct deposits.

The direct deposit requirement to earn the cash bonus is often the largest ‘catch’ for offers like these. Early this week we covered the $400 Wells Fargo checking account bonus which had similar requirements.

Use this link to access the Chase Total Checking bonus offer.

Fees and how to avoid them:

This account has a $12 monthly service fee that you can avoid by meeting one of the following criteria:

1. setting up direct deposits totaling $500 or more,
2. maintaining an average daily balance of at least $1,500 in just this account, or
3. maintaining an average daily balance of at least $5,000 across all linked deposit and investment accounts.

The insufficient funds and returned item overdraft fees of $34 each apply to all Chase checking accounts, and so does Debit Card Coverage, if you choose to use it. Overdraft protection options are also the same on all accounts.

This is a standard checking account, which doesn’t earn interest.

Chase Premier Plus Checking Account + $300 Bonus

The Chase checking account that will give you the highest signup bonus—$300—is the Premier Plus checking account, which requires a minimum opening deposit of just $25 and comes with many features that the others do not.

How to qualify for the $300 bonus:

The same direct deposit requirements to earn the bonus on the Chase Total Checking account (mentioned above) also apply to the Chase Premier Checking account.

You’ll need to set up a direct deposit from your employer or government agency (social security benefits, pension payments, etc) within 90 days of opening the account to qualify. Peer to peer payments of any kind do not apply.

Once this direct deposit requirement is met, the $300 bonus will be directly deposited into your account within business 10 days.

Use this link to access the offer.

Fees and how to avoid them:

This account’s high $25 monthly maintenance fee can be avoided by:

1. either maintaining a combined average daily balance of $15,000 across all linked Chase accounts or
2. by having a linked qualifying Chase first mortgage that you are paying in automatic installments.
3. These qualifications must be met every statement period. 

Although this account is technically interest-bearing, the payoffs you’ll get from this feature are next to nothing. Right now, these checking accounts are earning just 0.01% APY across all balance tiers, in every state, so the interest-bearing part doesn’t count for much.

However, the perks on this account go beyond a meager interest rate. If you are the owner of a Chase Premier Plus checking account, you’ll have:

1. monthly service fees automatically waived on up to 2 other Chase Premier Plus checking accounts,
2. you’ll get checks and money orders for free,
3. you can have out-of-network ATMs fees waived up to 4 times per period,
4. your service fees will be waived on any and all linked Chase savings accounts, and more.

Though not quite the most elite account Chase has to offer (that title belongs to the Sapphire checking account), this one will reward you much more than your average checking account.

About Chase Bank Checking Accounts + Customer Sentiment

The Chase checking account options range from the very basic but less rewarding College checking account, to a benefits-packed Premier Plus account. All three options have their advantages. The majority of customers opt for a Total checking account, but Chase has an account that’ll work for nearly anyone.

Please note that there are even more Chase checking accounts to choose from, but these are the most popular accounts and the ones that most frequently offer signup bonuses.

This bank is very good at meeting its clients’ needs according to review agencies.

According to a study conducted by J.D. Power in 2019, Chase scored 846 on a 1,000 point scale in customer satisfaction and was tied for 2nd in a ranking of banks with the highest overall satisfaction score (the national average is 838).

Per this press release:

“Customers of Chase recognize the bank for providing innovative technology, having the lowest incidence of problems, and high satisfaction associated with credit cards and ATMs.”

As one of the largest and highest-asset banks in the U.S., it should come as no surprise that Chase has thousands of ATM and branch locations across the country. As of June 2020, there are over 16,000 ATMs and almost 4,900 Chase branches.

It’s also worth noting that the Chase mobile banking app is superb. It is easy to navigate and allows you to do anything you may need to do, from account management to getting help with a question. Across the millions of Apple and Android customers that use this app the vast majority are happy with it – scoring a 5 star and 4.5 star rating, respectively. This cannot be overstated, as many banking apps receive lower ratings.

Final Thoughts

Chase Bank offers far-reaching access through their branches and ATM networks, comprehensive online banking and mobile app features, and cold hard cash for new accounts.

Just remember, these three bonus offers are not available to existing Chase customers. But if you are new to Chase and in need of a checking account, you likely find a home with one of these accounts.