Overdraft Fees by Bank in 2026: What One Item and a Bad Day Cost

As of 20 Oct 2026, 4 of 10 large US banks priced print no overdraft fee at all (Capital One 360, Ally, Truist One, Citi Regular), so a $75 purchase on a $10 balance costs no fee there; Bank of America declines it. The highest per-item fee is $36 (PNC, U.S. Bank). The fee follows the account, not the bank.

Financeradar data: 12 of the 17 checking accounts with a published monthly fee (71%) charge no monthly maintenance fee (checking account statistics, read between Aug 11 and Oct 19, 2026), but that counts monthly fees, not overdraft. Our arithmetic: at the 3.21% average APY of the 50 high-yield savings accounts we track with a published rate (savings statistics, read between Aug 11 and Oct 17, 2026), $1,000 earns about $32.10 in a year if that average held, less than one fee at Chase, TD, Wells Fargo, PNC or U.S. Bank.

The scenario is our arithmetic on printed fees: one item is a single $75 debit card purchase, which leaves the account $65 overdrawn, and a bad day is three $25 debit card purchases in one business day, ending at the same overdraft. Where a bank needs an opt in for debit card purchases, the table prices the opted-in case. No deposit is made before a cutoff, and monthly fees are not counted. Rows are sorted by bad-day cost, then by whether the account prints any overdraft fee, then by monthly fee.

Chase and U.S. Bank also waive the fee on items of $5 or less. Chase and TD charge from the transaction that takes the balance past the cushion, here the third purchase; Chase prints a matching example and TD prints none. U.S. Bank says a fee "may be assessed for each item", so its total is a ceiling, and PNC's cap makes the bad day cost one fee. Bank of America charges no item fee on everyday debit card purchases and says it will not authorize them when money is short, so both scenarios end in a decline, which costs no fee but leaves the payment unmade. Our guide to checking accounts with no overdraft fees ranks accounts that charge none; this page prices the fee where it exists.

How overdraft fees work

An overdraft is a transaction a bank pays although your balance cannot cover it, and the bank may charge a fee for paying it. For ATM and one-time debit card transactions, the CFPB says a bank cannot charge an overdraft fee unless you opt in, while checks and recurring electronic payments can carry a fee even without an opt in. Under Regulation E, section 1005.17, the bank must give notice and obtain consent first, and customers who do not consent receive the same account terms otherwise.

1. Capital One 360 Checking: no overdraft fee, with a deposit test for coverage

Capital One's page says 360 Checking has no overdraft fees and no monthly fees. Its options are auto-decline, a savings transfer, and no-fee overdraft, which charges nothing on approved transactions that take the balance below zero. The catch is access: no-fee overdraft needs regular deposits of at least $250 in two of the previous three calendar months, and a new account does not get it until that test is met. Where coverage is unavailable the purchase is declined, so the cost is a failed payment, not a fee.

2. Ally Spending Account: no fee on overdraft items, and a CoverDraft ceiling

Ally's page lists overdraft items and monthly maintenance at $0. Its optional CoverDraft service covers you at no charge on checks, transfers, debit card purchases and bill payments, up to a limit that rises after qualifying direct deposits for two months in a row. Ally says most customers qualify 30 days after depositing a total of $100, and anything over the limit is declined with no overdraft fee. The weakness: a shortfall above the limit is declined, and a new account waits 30 days. Our site lists it as Ally Interest Checking.

3. Truist One Checking: no overdraft fees, a buffer to qualify for, and a monthly fee

Truist's disclosure page says it does not charge overdraft related fees on Truist One Checking. The Balance Buffer is automatic once you qualify. To qualify, the account must be open at least 35 days, funded with a positive balance, and have received a single direct deposit of at least $100 in the last 35 days, repeated every 35 days. Past the buffer, transactions are typically declined or returned. The monthly maintenance fee is $12, waived by, for example, $500 or more in qualifying direct deposits in a statement cycle.

4. Citi Regular Checking: no overdraft fee, with Citi's discretion and a monthly fee

Citi's account comparison page lists "No Overdraft or Returned Item Fees" as an everyday benefit. Its footnote adds that the ability to overdraw may be limited, that Citi may return or pay an item in its sole discretion, and that it may stop permitting overdrafts without cause or notice. Regular Checking carries a $15 monthly service fee, waived with qualifying direct deposits. A $0 fee is not a promise that every purchase goes through.

5. Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking: a fee on checks and bill payments, none on debit card purchases

Bank of America's schedule of fees, effective August 7, 2026, charges its Overdraft Item Fee on items such as checks, recurring debit card payments, ACH submissions and bill payments, at most 2 a day, and excludes everyday non-recurring debit card and ATM transactions. The Advantage Plus Clarity Statement adds that the bank will not authorize those when your money is short. The weakness is the monthly fee: Advantage Plus charges $12 unless a waiver is met, and two item fees on one day come to $20.

6. Chase Total Checking: a per-item fee that starts above a cushion

Chase charges $34 per transaction, starting with the first transaction that takes the balance more than $50 overdrawn, to a maximum of 3 fees a business day, which Chase totals as $102. Under Overdraft Assist, a balance inside the cushion at day end costs nothing, and a larger overdraft can be cured by 11 PM ET (8 PM PT) the next business day if the deposit brings it back inside. The weakness: our $65 overdraft sits past the cushion, and Total Checking's monthly fee is $15 unless a waiver is met.

7. TD Complete Checking: a per-item fee past a threshold, with a next-day refund

TD charges its per-item fee on each transaction that overdraws your available balance by more than the threshold, up to 3 fees a day per account, and nothing while the account stays inside it. Its Grace Period runs until 11 PM ET the next business day, and TD refunds the fee if the available balance is at least zero by then. The weakness is the refund test, which asks for the whole $65 back. Complete Checking lists a $15 monthly maintenance fee, waivable with direct deposits or balances.

8. PNC Virtual Wallet: the highest fee tied, a cap of one a day, and a small cushion

PNC's fee schedule, effective May 31, 2026, lists an Overdraft Item Fee with a maximum of one per day. If the account ends the day inside the threshold, the fee is refunded, and PNC charges no returned item fee. PNC says Overdraft Coverage, its opt in for ATM and everyday debit card transactions, is not offered on PNC Simple Checking or on the Reserve and Growth accounts of Virtual Wallet. Low Cash Mode, on the Spend account, gives at least 24 hours to bring the available balance to at least zero. The weakness is the cushion, the smallest of the five accounts that charge on debit card purchases, as the table shows. Our PNC review covers the account itself.

9. Wells Fargo Everyday Checking: three fees a day and a small-item cushion

Wells Fargo charges $35 per item paid into overdraft, with no more than three fees per business day. Its fee summary, effective 7/28/2026, adds a cushion for small items and for an account whose ending daily and available balances are both slightly overdrawn. ATM and everyday debit card transactions can be paid into overdraft after you enroll in Debit Card Overdraft Service; checks and recurring debit card payments can be paid without it. Extra Day Grace Period waives fees if the available balance is zero or positive at 11:59 PM ET the extra business day; one FAQ on the same page words the cutoff as midnight ET. The weakness is the bad day: three $25 purchases cost $105. Monthly service fee is $15. See our review.

10. U.S. Bank Smartly Checking: the highest bad-day ceiling in the table

U.S. Bank's pricing information, effective August 10, 2026, lists an Overdraft Paid Fee per item, with no charge on small items. When the end-of-day available balance is or would be overdrawn past the cushion, a fee may be assessed for each item, to a daily maximum of three. With qualifying deposits, Overdraft Fee Forgiven reverses the fees if the available balance, excluding them, is at least zero at 11 PM ET on the day they are charged. Everyday debit card and ATM coverage is an opt in, per its overdraft page. The weakness: the bad day ceiling is $108, and forgiveness needs the whole overdraft back the same day. Smartly Checking's monthly fee is $12, waived for the first two statement periods and later by qualifying deposits or balances.

The no-overdraft-fee siblings at banks that charge

Six of the ten banks sell a separate account without overdraft fees, and each carries a monthly fee of its own. Each bank's pages, read on October 20, 2026:

• Chase Secure Banking: no overdraft fees; Chase declines or returns a transaction when money is short. Its monthly service fee is $4.95, waived with qualifying electronic deposits or for an owner aged 17 to 24.
• Wells Fargo Clear Access Banking: a checkless account with no overdraft fees and no optional overdraft services, with a $5 monthly service fee that has waivers.
• Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking: no Overdraft Item Fees and no paper checks, with a $4.95 monthly maintenance fee that has waivers.
• U.S. Bank Safe Debit account: no overdraft fees and no checks, with a $4.95 monthly fee that cannot be waived.
• PNC Simple Checking: no overdraft fees; PNC declines the charge when money is short. Its monthly service charge is $5.00, waived with a qualifying direct deposit or for an account holder under 25 or aged 62 and older.
• TD Essential Banking: no overdraft fees or services, with a $4.95 monthly maintenance fee.

Cash advance apps are another way people cover a shortfall, with fees of their own: see cash advance apps compared and Cleo vs Brigit. More on accounts: checking accounts with no monthly fee, checking account rankings, the checking directory, joint accounts, checking vs savings and our checking account report.

How we compared

We read each bank's overdraft page and, where one is published, its dated fee schedule on October 20, 2026: Wells Fargo (effective 7/28/2026), Bank of America (August 7, 2026), U.S. Bank (August 10, 2026), PNC (May 31, 2026) and Truist (fee schedule, 09/28/2026). Chase, TD, Capital One, Ally and Citi print no effective date for their overdraft terms on the pages we read. We did not open accounts. Scenario totals are our arithmetic on printed rules, not figures any bank prints. This is general information, not personalized financial advice. Confirm the terms with the bank before opening an account. Financeradar may earn a commission from some links; it never affects rankings (how we make money).

FAQ

How much is an overdraft fee at Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other big banks?

As of October 20, 2026, Chase charges $34 per transaction, Wells Fargo and TD $35, and PNC and U.S. Bank $36. Bank of America charges $10 on items such as checks, bill payments and recurring card payments, and nothing on everyday debit card purchases. Capital One 360, Ally, Truist One and Citi Regular print no overdraft fee. These are each account's standard terms; a bank's no-overdraft-fee sibling is priced separately.

Which banks have no overdraft fees?

Capital One 360, Ally, Truist One and Citi Regular print no overdraft fee on the account we priced. Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, TD and PNC each sell a separate account without overdraft fees, with its own monthly fee. "No overdraft fee" does not mean every purchase is approved: those four describe conditions, limits or discretion.

How many overdraft fees can a bank charge in one day?

Chase, Wells Fargo, TD and U.S. Bank cap it at 3 a day, Bank of America at 2 and PNC at 1. The cap limits the count, not the fee: three fees at Wells Fargo come to $105 and at U.S. Bank to $108. Chase and TD charge once the balance passes the cushion, so they charged once on the bad day here.

Is there a grace period to avoid an overdraft fee?

Several banks print one. Chase and TD allow until 11 PM ET the next business day, Wells Fargo gives one extra business day, U.S. Bank reverses fees if the balance is back to zero or above by 11 PM ET the same day, and PNC's Low Cash Mode gives at least 24 hours. Bank of America prints no cure window on its fee schedule. Each has conditions, so confirm them with the bank.

What is the difference between an overdraft fee and an NSF fee?

An overdraft fee is charged when a bank pays a transaction your balance cannot cover. An NSF, or returned item, fee is charged when it returns the item unpaid. Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase and PNC say they charge no fee for items returned unpaid, though a payee may charge its own, as Bank of America notes.

Cite this: Financeradar, "Overdraft Fees by Bank in 2026: What One Item and a Bad Day Cost", October 2026.