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.
5 top bank accounts with no overdraft fees
Plenty of accounts give you multiple overdraft options, including Capital One, Chime and SoFi®.
- Capital One’s 360 Checking Account
- SoFi Checking and Savings
- Varo Bank Account
- Ally Bank Spending Account
- Chime® Checking Account
Why do banks charge overdraft fees?
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.
Can I overdraft and not be charged a fee?
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.
Compare top checking accounts
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.
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How we picked theseWhat is the Finder Score?
The 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.
Bottom line
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.
- Earn a $250 bonus with fee-free 360 Checking
- 70,000+ fee-free ATMs
- 24/7 mobile banking with Capital One app
Earn a $250 bonus with 360 Checking. Open a new account on or after August 22nd, 2024 using the promo code CHECKING250 then set up and receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits of $500 or more within 75 days of account opening. Terms Apply.
- Earn $50 or $400 when you sign up and set up eligible direct deposit
- 0.50% APY on checking balance
- Up to 3.10% APY on savings
- $0 account or overdraft fees
- No credit check required to apply
- No monthly fees or minimum deposit
- Build credit plus earn up to 4% bonus
Frequently asked questions
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