Chase Total Checking

Chase Total Checking is the consumer checking account at JPMorgan Chase Bank, sold through more than 5,000 branches and over 14,000 ATMs. It is a branch and app convenience account rather than a rate product. Chase's Additional Banking Services and Fees document, effective June 14, 2026 and still the version served on October 14, 2026, lists the account as one that "does not earn interest." The headline number is a $15 monthly service fee. Chase waives it in any statement period where you meet one of four tests: $500 or more in qualifying electronic deposits, a balance of $1,500 or more at the beginning of each day, $5,000 or more in average beginning day balance in this account or with linked qualifying personal deposits or investments, or a link to a qualifying checking account. The fine print decides whether you actually pay. Chase defines qualifying electronic deposits narrowly: payroll and government payments sent over ACH, RTP, FedNow, or pushed to your debit card count, while Zelle transfers, cash, checks, wire transfers, and interest payments do not. That excludes freelancers paid by check and anyone who funds the account by Zelle from another bank. The $1,500 test is measured on the balance at the beginning of each day. Overdrafts are where this account gets expensive. Chase charges a $34 Overdraft Fee per transaction beginning with the first transaction that overdraws the balance by more than $50, up to three fees per business day, so one bad day costs up to $102. Overdraft Assist softens that: no fee if you end the business day overdrawn by $50 or less, or if you bring the balance back to within $50 overdrawn by the end of the next business day. Out of network ATMs cost $3 in the US and $5 abroad, on top of whatever the machine's owner charges. Chase is running a $400 bonus for new customers who open Total Checking and make direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 90 days of offer enrollment, with the offer expiring January 27, 2027 and payment within 15 days of qualifying. That is worth more than two years of the $15 fee, but you collect it once. Open this if you want branches, a large ATM footprint, and a paycheck that clears the $500 test automatically. Skip it if your income arrives by Zelle, check, or cash, if you run a low balance, or if you want your checking money to earn something, since this account does not earn interest.