Santander Bank Minimum Balance 2026 — Checking and Savings Accounts

Santander Bank’s checking accounts charge monthly fees between $4 and $25 depending on the account. Simply Right Checking, the primary consumer checking account, does not use a minimum-balance waiver at all — its $10 fee is waived by posting any single transaction during the month, or if any account owner is under 26. Santander Select Checking, a premium tier, does use a combined-balance waiver ($25,000). Confirm current fees and waiver terms directly with Santander, as these can change.

Santander Account Minimums at a Glance

How Santander’s Checking Waivers Work

Unlike many regional banks, Santander’s flagship Simply Right Checking does not use a minimum daily balance waiver. Instead, the fee is waived by any account activity — a single deposit, withdrawal, transfer, or payment posted during the statement period — or automatically if any account owner is under 26. This makes Simply Right one of the easier monthly fees to avoid among regional banks, since it doesn’t require maintaining any specific balance.

Santander Select Checking is the account that uses a balance-based waiver: a $25,000 combined balance across deposit accounts and eligible investments held with Santander.

Santander Essential Checking

Essential Checking charges $4 per month, waived if the account owner is under 26 or 65 or older. It is a lower-fee tier aimed at younger and older customers rather than a no-waiver product.

Santander Simply Right Checking

Simply Right Checking charges $10 per month. The fee is waived when either condition is met: posting at least one transaction to the account during the statement period, or having any account owner under 26. Confirm exactly which transaction types qualify directly with Santander, as this can change.

Santander Savings Account Minimums

Simply Right Savings charges $1 per month, waived by linking the savings account to a Santander checking account. Confirm whether a minimum-balance alternative is currently available directly with Santander.

For current Santander savings rates, see the Santander savings account guide.

How to Avoid Santander Monthly Fees

For Simply Right Checking, making any single transaction each month — even a small debit purchase — waives the $10 fee. This is simpler than balance-based waivers used at some other regional banks.

For a full overview of Santander accounts and services, see the Santander Bank complete guide.

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.