Wells Fargo Everyday Checking

Everyday Checking is Wells Fargo's standard consumer checking account and the one the bank opens by default. It takes $25 to open, pays no interest, and as of the fee summary effective July 28, 2026 it charges a $15 monthly service fee. That $15 is a recent increase. Wells Fargo raised the fee from $10 and, at the same time, lifted the minimum daily balance waiver from $500 to $1,500. If you have held this account for years and never paid a fee on a modest cushion, that cushion may no longer be enough, and the change is easy to miss because nothing about the account looks different. There are five ways to get to $0 in a fee period: $500 or more in total qualifying electronic deposits, a $1,500 minimum daily balance, $5,000 or more in qualifying deposit balances or investment balances or both, a primary account owner aged 17 to 24, or a qualifying non-civilian military direct deposit through the Worldwide Military Banking program. The age based waiver is the most useful one here and gets overlooked. If the primary owner is between 17 and 24, the account is simply free, with no deposit or balance test at all. Overdrafts are the most expensive of the four big bank accounts we looked at: $35 per item with no more than three fees per business day, so $105 at worst. The Extra Day Grace Period is the counterweight. If your available balance covers the prior business day's overdraft items as of midnight Eastern time, Wells Fargo waives the associated fees, which effectively gives you a full extra day to move money in. Early Pay Day releases eligible direct deposits up to two business days early with no enrollment. Out of network ATMs cost $3.00 per withdrawal in the US and $5.00 internationally. This account makes sense for a 17 to 24 year old who wants a branch bank for free, for military households with qualifying direct deposit, and for anyone whose paycheck comfortably clears $500 in electronic deposits. Skip it if you keep a small balance and no direct deposit, because $180 a year buys nothing here: no interest, and an overdraft regime worse than what Bank of America or Citi charge.