Citi Regular Checking

Regular Checking is the standard consumer checking account in Citi's Simplified Banking lineup, which includes Regular Checking, Access Checking and a set of relationship tiers. The account comparison page on Citi's site, read October 14, 2026, is the source for the fee, waiver and ATM figures below. Regular Checking carries a $15 monthly service fee. It goes to $0 in any month with $250 or more in direct deposits or other qualifying transactions, which Citi describes as ACH credits including Zelle and payment apps processed as ACH, or if you hold Citi Priority or Citigold relationship tier status. Citi Priority starts at a combined average monthly balance of $30,000. Mobile check deposits, branch or ATM deposits, transfers between Citibank accounts and wires do not count toward the $250. Citi's Simplified Banking Fact Sheet dated July 9, 2026 lists no minimum opening deposit, though it says accounts left at a zero balance are subject to closure after 90 days; we did not re-read that sheet on October 14, 2026. The standout feature is overdrafts, or rather the absence of a charge for them. Citi's comparison page lists no overdraft or returned item fees on Regular Checking, and notes that the ability to overdraw may be limited. The catch sits at the ATM. Citi charges $2.50 per withdrawal at non-Citi ATMs on Regular Checking, and lists no such fee in the relationship tiers. Citi's page lists 65,000+ fee-free ATMs, so frequent withdrawals outside that network add up. The comparison page lists no APY for Regular Checking (an APY row appears only for Citi Accelerate Savings), so it should not be treated as a place to hold savings. This account suits someone with a steady $250 monthly direct deposit who occasionally overdraws and will mostly use fee-free ATMs. Skip it if you withdraw cash often outside the network, if you are chasing yield, or if your deposits are irregular or arrive by mobile check, since the $15 fee comes to $180 a year when the $250 test is missed.