Chase Minimum Balance to Avoid Fees 2026 — Main Checking Accounts

Chase has about 5,000 branches. Its checking accounts charge monthly fees of $4.95 to $35 — but each of these fees can be waived by meeting a balance, deposit, age, military, mortgage or linked-account requirement, depending on the account. Here is the exact number for each account.

Chase Checking Account Minimums

Every Chase Checking Account Compared

Chase Total Checking

Chase calls Total Checking its most popular checking account. The monthly service fee is $15 (as of September 2026). If you do not waive the fee, you pay it each month, though new accounts are not charged for at least the first two statement periods.

Four ways to waive the $15 fee:

• Have $500 or more in qualifying electronic deposits each statement period — payments from an employer or government, made by ACH and similar networks, count; Zelle, cash, checks and wires do not
• Keep a daily balance of $1,500 or more in the account
• Keep an average beginning-day balance of $5,000 or more in this account, or combined with linked qualifying deposits and investments
• Link the account to a qualifying checking account

Any one of these waives the fee.

Chase Secure Banking

The $4.95 monthly fee can be waived by $250+ in qualifying electronic deposits, by linking a qualifying checking account (such as Premier Plus), or automatically if the account owner is 17–24 years old.

Chase High School Checking

For teens 13 to 17 at account opening, with a parent or guardian as co-owner. At 19 the account converts to Total Checking. There is no monthly service fee.

Chase Premier Plus Checking

The monthly fee is $25, waived with a $15,000 or higher average beginning-day balance in this account or combined with other qualifying deposits and investments, by linking to a qualifying checking account, by linking a qualifying Chase first mortgage enrolled in automatic payments, or by being a current servicemember or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces (proof of service shown to a Chase banker).

Chase Private Client Checking

The monthly fee is $35, waived with an average beginning-day balance of $150,000 or more in this account or combined with other linked qualifying deposits and investments, or by linking to a qualifying checking account.

Chase Savings Account Minimum Balance

Chase Savings requires a $300 balance at the beginning of each day to waive its $5/month service fee. The fee is also waived with $25 or more in repeating automatic transfers from a Chase checking account, for account owners under 25, or when the savings account is linked to a qualifying Chase checking account (the list includes Premier Plus and Sapphire Checking).

Chase Premier Savings requires a $15,000 balance at the beginning of each day — or a linked qualifying checking account such as Premier Plus or Sapphire Checking — to waive its $25/month fee.

For complete details including rates and whether Chase Savings is worth keeping, see the Chase savings account guide.

Bottom Line

The monthly fees continue each statement period until you meet one of the waiver conditions for that account. Fees and waiver thresholds can change — confirm the current terms at chase.com before opening an account.

For a full overview of Chase accounts, fees, limits, and contact information, see the Chase complete guide. To understand debit card eligibility by account and age, see Chase debit card requirements.

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.