Citi’s checking fee structure, per its Consumer Deposit Account Agreement, is two-tiered: Regular Checking costs $15/month and Access Checking costs $5/month, and both are waived each month you receive $250 or more in Enhanced Direct Deposits (payroll, government benefits, and similar electronic credits) or other qualifying transactions — there’s no requirement to also make a bill payment. Combined with access to a large fee-free ATM network through Allpoint, Citi can be cost-effective with the right setup, though its Non-Citi ATM fee is not waivable through deposit activity alone.

See the full Citi banking guide for ATM limits, routing numbers, and minimum balance requirements.

Citi Fees at a Glance

Fee Type Amount How to Avoid
Regular Checking Monthly Service Fee $15/month $250+ in Enhanced Direct Deposits/qualifying transactions per month, or Relationship Tier
Access Checking Monthly Service Fee $5/month Same as above, or account owner age 23 or younger (from July 18, 2026)
Non-Citi ATM Fee $2.50/transaction Use Citi-branded or Allpoint ATMs; otherwise only waivable via Relationship Tier
Wire Transfer — Incoming (domestic/international) $15 —
Wire Transfer — Outgoing Online Domestic $25 standard, $17.50 Citi Priority, waived Citigold+ Use Zelle for smaller amounts (free)
Wire Transfer — Outgoing Online International (USD) $35 standard, $25 Citi Priority, waived Citigold+ —
Stop Payment $30/request Be careful with checks
Official Check $10/check Waived at Citi Priority and above
Money Order $5 Waived at Citi Priority and above

Figures above are drawn from Citi’s Consumer Deposit Account Agreement fee schedule. Fees can vary by market and change over time — confirm current amounts at citibank.com before relying on them.

Citi Monthly Checking Fees

Citi offers two checking products, each with a single, consistent waiver mechanism.

Citi Checking Account Fees

Account Monthly Fee How to Waive
Regular Checking $15 $250+ in Enhanced Direct Deposits/qualifying transactions per month, or Relationship Tier status
Access Checking $5 Same as above, or account owner age 23 or younger (from July 18, 2026)
Citi Priority (Relationship Tier) $0 $30,000–$199,999.99 combined average monthly balance
Citigold (Relationship Tier) $0 $200,000–$999,999.99 combined average monthly balance (to attain)
Citigold Private Client (Relationship Tier) $0 $1,000,000+ combined average monthly balance (to attain)

Regular Checking’s $250 Enhanced Direct Deposit threshold applies uniformly — there’s no separate bill-payment condition. This is a comparatively accessible waiver relative to a pure balance requirement, though it’s not the same as “any direct deposit amount.”

Access Checking is Citi’s lower-cost checking option, which does not offer check writing and generally does not support overdraft protection linkage.

Citi Savings Account Fees

Account Monthly Fee How to Waive
Citi Savings $4.50 $500+ average monthly balance, or owning a Citi checking account, or Relationship Tier
Citi Accelerate Savings $4.50 Same as Citi Savings
Citi Miles Ahead Savings $0 No fee — available only to select cardholders invited by Citi
Court Ordered Money Market (COMMA) $0 No fee — available only in limited court-order circumstances

Contrary to some older guidance, Citi Accelerate Savings carries the same $4.50 monthly fee as standard Citi Savings — it is not a fee-free account. Both are waived under the same conditions. For current APYs on any Citi savings product, see the Citi savings account guide.

Citi Non-Citi ATM Fees

ATM Type Citi Fee
Citi-branded ATM $0
Allpoint network ATM $0
Other (Non-Citi) ATM $2.50

The $2.50 Non-Citi ATM fee applies at any ATM outside Citi’s proprietary and Allpoint network, regardless of your deposit activity — it is explicitly not waivable through Enhanced Direct Deposits, per Citi’s account agreement. It is waived only for customers in a Relationship Tier (Citi Priority, Citigold, Citigold Private Client). At Citigold and Citigold Private Client, Citi also reimburses fees charged by the ATM operator itself.

See Citi ATM limits by account tier for the full breakdown.

Citi Wire Transfer Fees

Wire Type Standard Fee Citi Priority Citigold / Citigold Private Client
Incoming (domestic or international) $15 Waived Waived
Outgoing online domestic $25 $17.50 Waived
Outgoing domestic, other channels (branch/banker-assisted) $35 $35 Waived
Outgoing online international (US dollars) $35 $25 Waived
Outgoing international, other channels $45 $45 Waived

Source: Citi’s Consumer Deposit Account Agreement Wire/Intra Citi Transfer Fee Chart. Citi Priority and higher-tier customers receive reduced or fully waived wire fees.

Free Alternatives

Method Cost Speed
Zelle Free Instant
External ACH Free 1-3 business days

Other Citi Fees

Service Standard Fee
Stop payment $30
Official check $10 (waived Citi Priority+)
Money order $5 (waived Citi Priority+)
Collection of checks drawn on foreign bank $30 (waived Citi Priority+)
Legal process per service $125
Foreign exchange fee (international debit purchases/ATM) 3% (waived Citi Priority+)
Foreign currency exchange fee, under $1,000 $5 (waived Citi Priority+)

Source: Citi’s Consumer Deposit Account Agreement Fee Schedule (Appendix 1).

Citi Relationship Benefits

Tier Combined Balance (to attain) Key Benefits
Standard (Regular/Access Checking) N/A Monthly fee applies unless deposit-activity waiver met
Citi Priority $30,000–$199,999.99 No checking fee, no Non-Citi ATM fee, reduced wire fees
Citigold $200,000–$999,999.99 All Citi Priority benefits, plus unlimited ATM fee reimbursement worldwide, dedicated wealth management team
Citigold Private Client $1,000,000+ All Citigold benefits, plus higher transaction limits and waived wire fees

How to Avoid Citi Fees

For the Typical Customer

  1. Set up Enhanced Direct Deposit of $250+/month — payroll, government benefits, or similar ACH credits
  2. Use Citi or Allpoint ATMs to avoid the $2.50 Non-Citi ATM fee, since it isn’t waivable through deposits alone
  3. Use Zelle for transfers — free and instant

For High-Balance Customers

  1. Consider Citi Priority at $30,000+ combined balance — waives checking and Non-Citi ATM fees, reduces wire fees
  2. Track total relationship balance — includes checking, savings, CDs, and qualifying investment accounts

Is Citi Worth It?

Citi makes sense if you:

  • Receive $250+/month in qualifying direct deposits (checking fee waived)
  • Need access to a large network of fee-free ATMs (Citi + Allpoint)
  • Want a traditional bank with relatively low online-wire fees
  • Plan to grow into a Relationship Tier

Consider alternatives if you:

  • Frequently use non-Citi, non-Allpoint ATMs — the $2.50 fee isn’t waivable through deposits
  • Want a bank with zero fees under any condition (Capital One, Ally)
  • Need extensive branch access — Citi’s branch network is smaller than several major competitors
  • Want a savings account with no monthly fee — Citi Savings and Citi Accelerate Savings both carry a $4.50 fee unless waived

WealthVieu
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.

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