| APY | Up to 3.60% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| APY | Up to 3.60% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
Overdraft fees are charged when you spend more than what’s in your account balance — talk about getting kicked when you’re down. The good news is that more banks are ditching overdraft fees or offering some sort of overdraft protection. Compare top bank accounts without overdraft fees and accounts that offer overdraft protection programs.
Plenty of accounts give you multiple overdraft options, including Capital One, Chime, Discover and SoFi®.
| APY | Up to 3.60% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| APY | Up to 3.60% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
|---|
| APY | 0.10% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| APY | 0.10% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| APY | Up to 0.25% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| APY | Up to 0.25% |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
If you were to perform a transaction that would create a negative balance on your checking account, and the bank allows that transaction to go through, they’re essentially helping you pay for that transaction. And for this “service,” they charge you a fee, typically around $30 to $35 per transaction.
Having a bank account without overdraft fees typically means you’re not allowed to overdraft, and if you can’t overdraft, there are no overdraft fees. If you were to attempt a transaction that would put your account in the red, your bank would simply deny that transaction.
Typically, no, being allowed to overdraft usually means having to pay a fee.
An exception would be that you’ve set up some sort of overdraft protection that withdraws money from another linked account, commonly a savings account at the same bank. Money from the linked account would be moved to your checking account to cover the transaction. For banks with overdraft protection that works like this, there usually isn’t a fee, since you’re using your own money to cover the overdraft.
Narrow down top checking accounts by monthly fees, APYs and features. For a better comparison, tick the Compare box on multiple accounts to see them side by side.
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked theseThe Finder Score crunches over 300 checking accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's monthly fees, overdraft fees, opening deposit, customer support options, ATM network and features — this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of checking accounts against what we consider is the best option: no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, a large ATM network of 50,000 or more, additional features outside of typical banking services, and the optional perk of earning interest. Accounts that are nearly free to maintain and use are scored the highest, while accounts with costly fees and few features are scored the lowest.
Overdraft fees are a pain, and they can be expensive, often around $35 per incident. If you’d rather avoid overdrafting altogether, choose a checking account that doesn’t allow overdrafts so you never have to pay a fee. However, if you like the ability to overdraft, consider an account that offers overdraft protection services with no fees.
For more options, compare the best free checking accounts for no-fee and stress-free banking.
Online banks can be just as safe as a brick-and-mortar bank, but make sure they have industry-standard protections and deposit insurance.
Most banks now let you open a joint account online, and the process is pretty straightforward.
Most bank accounts have the same features, but there are a few that stand out.
SoFi, OnePay, Current, GreenFi and Axos have some of the best savings and checking combo accounts out there. Take a look why.
SoFi Plus is a membership option for SoFi customers that comes with no monthly fees, offering higher APYs and more perks.
Chime is a fintech company and not a true bank, so it can’t integrate with Zelle. But you can use Chime’s Pay Anyone for P2P payments.
SoFi, Capital One, Chase, Discover and Revolut have some of the best student bank accounts for savings, checking and building credit.
Charlie, Chase and SoFi are some of the best free bank accounts for seniors and retirees, with competitive APYs and low deposit requirements.
Chime offers a competitive $100 referral bonus and a $100 direct deposit bonus when you meet certain requirements. See details here.
SoFi®is better for earning stronger savings rewards, while Chime is better for credit-building. Compared head-to-head, SoFi® wins.