Chase charges a monthly service fee on most of its checking accounts, ranging from $12 to $35 depending on the account tier. The most common account, Chase Total Checking, carries a $15 monthly fee. Every Chase checking account offers at least one way to waive that fee, and most customers can avoid it entirely with a regular paycheck deposit or by keeping a minimum balance.
Chase Total Checking: $15 Monthly Fee
Chase Total Checking is the bank’s standard everyday account, and it comes with a $15 monthly service fee. You can bring that fee to $0 by meeting just one of the following requirements during each statement period:
- Electronic deposits of $500 or more. This includes direct deposits from an employer, government benefits, or other qualifying electronic transfers. The deposits are totaled across the full statement period, so two $250 deposits would qualify.
- A daily beginning balance of $1,500 or more. Your balance at the start of each day in the statement period needs to stay at or above $1,500. Dipping below on even one day means you won’t meet this requirement.
- An average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more. This can be spread across linked qualifying Chase deposit accounts or qualifying investments, giving you more flexibility than the $1,500 threshold.
- Linking to a qualifying Chase checking account. If you or a household member has a higher-tier Chase account, linking it can waive the fee on your Total Checking.
For most people, the simplest path is the $500 electronic deposit. If you receive a regular paycheck via direct deposit, you likely already qualify without changing anything.
Chase College Checking: $0 for Students
Chase College Checking is designed for students aged 17 to 24 at the time they open the account. If you’re enrolled in a college, vocational, technical, or trade school, the monthly service fee is waived entirely for up to five years or until your expected graduation date, whichever comes first.
After that student waiver expires, the account carries a monthly fee (currently $12, rising to $15 effective August 24, 2025). At that point, you can still avoid the fee by making at least one direct deposit each month or maintaining an average daily balance of at least $5,000. Many graduates who start a new job with direct deposit will meet that requirement automatically.
Chase Secure Banking: Built for No Fees
Chase Secure Banking is the bank’s no-overdraft, no-minimum-balance account. It has no monthly service fee for account holders aged 17 to 24. For older customers, the account does carry a small monthly fee, but it’s positioned as a simpler alternative to Total Checking for people who want predictable costs and no risk of overdraft charges.
Chase Premier Plus Checking: $25 Monthly Fee
Chase Premier Plus Checking is a step up from Total Checking, offering perks like no fees on certain transactions and higher ATM withdrawal limits. The monthly service fee is $25, and newly opened or converted accounts get a grace period with no fee for at least the first two statement periods.
You can waive the $25 fee by meeting one of these conditions each statement period:
- $15,000 or more in average beginning day balance across your Premier Plus account and any linked qualifying Chase deposit accounts or qualifying investments.
- Linking to a qualifying Chase checking account at a higher tier.
- Linking a qualifying Chase first mortgage that’s enrolled in automatic payments from your Chase account.
- Military service. Current servicemembers or veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who open the account in a branch with qualifying military ID pay no monthly fee.
The $15,000 balance threshold is the most common waiver path here. Because it counts linked investment accounts, customers with a Chase brokerage or retirement account can often meet it without keeping $15,000 sitting in checking.
Chase Private Client: $35 Monthly Fee
Chase Private Client is the bank’s top-tier checking account, bundling dedicated banking support, fee waivers on other Chase products, and preferential rates. The monthly service fee is $35, but it’s waived when you maintain $150,000 or more in average beginning day balance across all linked qualifying Chase deposit accounts and qualifying investments.
Balances in savings accounts, CDs, and J.P. Morgan investment accounts all count toward that $150,000 threshold. If your combined relationship with Chase crosses that line, the fee disappears and you gain access to benefits that extend well beyond the checking account itself.
How the Fee Actually Appears
Chase deducts the monthly service fee from your checking balance at the end of each statement period. If you meet a waiver condition at any point during the cycle, the fee won’t be charged. You can check whether you’re on track by logging into the Chase app or website, where your account summary shows your current balance and any pending fees.
If you’re charged a fee you believe should have been waived, calling Chase or visiting a branch can sometimes result in a one-time courtesy reversal, particularly if you narrowly missed a threshold or recently set up direct deposit. This isn’t guaranteed, but it’s worth asking.
Choosing the Right Account
The right Chase account depends on how much money flows through it. If you have a regular paycheck of $500 or more per month hitting your account, Total Checking effectively costs nothing. Students under 25 should start with College Checking and let the free period carry them through school. Premier Plus makes sense if you already keep $15,000 or more across Chase accounts and want the added perks. Private Client is only worth considering if you have $150,000 or more in combined deposits and investments with Chase.
If none of those waiver thresholds fit your situation and you’d rather not worry about minimums, Secure Banking keeps things simple with no overdraft risk and a lower fee structure. Paying $15 a month in bank fees adds up to $180 a year, so picking an account where you naturally qualify for a waiver saves real money over time.