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Chase Total Checking® account review

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Chase Total Checking®
3.0
★★★★★
Finder score
On Chase's secure site
Fee
$12 per month
APY
N/A
Minimum deposit to open
$0

Our verdict

A no-frills checking account with all of the benefits of banking with Chase and a $300signup bonus.

Chase Total Checking® account keeps things simple: it has no minimum opening deposit requirement and gives you access to more than 15,000 Chase ATMs. Chase also offers a $300 signup bonus after you open your account and set up direct deposits. On the downside, Chase charges a $12 monthly fee, though it's avoidable when you meet certain deposit and balance requirements.

Best for: Those looking for an account backed by an established bank.

Pros

  • $300 bonus offer
  • No opening deposit

Cons

  • $12 monthly fee

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Deal

$300 signup bonus when you open a Chase Total new account with direct deposit

Expires 17 Apr 2024
Offer valid for new Chase Total Checking customers through April 17, 2024, when you set up direct deposit within 90 days of opening your account.

Who is Chase Checking best for?

The Chase Checking best suits consumers looking for a checking account back by one of the four major banks on the market. The caveat? It’s $12 monthly fee. Although the fee is avoidable as long as you meet one of three requirements, there’s a risk that the fee will eat into your hard-earned money if you’re not careful.

What makes Chase Checking shine

The main strengths of Chase’s Total Checking account are simplicity and established support. Open the account with as little as $0, which keeps signup straightforward. Chase also has more than 4,700 branches across the US, meaning its simple to contact a Chase representative near you in the event you need support.

Chase is also one of a few checking accounts on the market to offer a signup bonus for opening an account. Get a $300 bonus when you open this account and set up direct deposit within 90 days. However, you shouldn’t open this account for this reason alone. This is just an extra incentive to throw your hat into the ring with Chase if you like the other aspects of the account.

Also worth noting is Chase’s Overdraft Assist feature, which lets you bypass Chase’s insufficient funds fee if you overdraw on your account by $50 or less. This comes standard on all Chase checking accounts except Chase First Checking, Chase High School Checking and Chase Secure Checking. If you enroll in Overdraft Protection, your Chase savings account gets linked to your checking account and funds are pulled from there to use as backup to cover any larger overdraft transactions.

Where it falls short

Chase’s main drawback is its $12 monthly service fee, which is avoidable when you meet one of the following requirements:

  • Receive direct deposits totaling $500 or more per month;
  • Keep a balance of $1,500 or more at the beginning of each statement period; or
  • Maintain an average balance of $5,000 or more at the beginning of each statement period, including qualifying linked deposits and investments.
  • Chase products also tend to go heavy on fees and the Total Checking account is no different. Depending on what you need to do with your account, you may incur a variety of fees.

    Chase Total Checking fees and access

    Type of feeFee detailsHow to avoid it
    Monthly service$12
    • Receive direct deposits totaling $500 or more each month
    • Have a balance of $1,500 or more at the beginning of each statement period
    • Have an average balance of $5,000 or more at the beginning of each statement period, including qualifying linked accounts
    Opening deposit$0
    ATMs
    • Domestic: $3 for Non-chase ATM
    • International: $5 for withdrawals and $3 for transfers or inquiries
    Debit card fees
    • Cash withdrawals
    • Foreign transactions
    • Card replacement: $5
    Overdraft or nonsufficient funds$34 per transaction, maximum of 3 fees per business day$0 with Chase Overdraft Assist and when you overdraw less than $50
    Wire transfers
    • Incoming
      • Domestic:$15
      • International: $15
    • Outgoing
      • Domestic: $35
      • International: $50
    • Online domestic: $25
    • Online consumer USD international: $40
    • Online consumer FX international: $5 if amount is $5,000 or less
    Incoming wires are $0 if wire was sent with help of a Chase banker or using Chase.com or Chase Mobile

    Chase Checking customer experience

    Chase is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which gives it an A- rating based on its handling of 3,612 complaints in the past three years. However, there are 322 customer reviews for Chase on the BBB’s website, with an average rating of 1.1 out of 5. And among the 551 customer reviews for Chase on Trustpilot, the bank earns a dismal rating of 1.4 out of 5.

    On both Trustpilot and the BBB’s website, customers complain about Chase’s banking, mortgaging and auto financing services. But we didn’t find any reviews specifically about the Total Checking account.

    If you have questions or need help with your account, contact Chase customer service in the following ways.

    • Visit a local Chase branch to speak with a banker in person.
    • Call 800-935-9935 for automated and live support with your account.
    • Send tweets to @ChaseSupport or message the bank via Facebook.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does Chase Total Checking have a minimum balance requirement?

    Technically, no, the account doesn’t have minimum balance requirements. However, if you’re not doing direct deposits of at least $500 per month, or you’re not maintaining an average balance of at least $5,000, or have a balance of $1,500 or more at the beginning of each statement period, you’ll be subject to the monthly service fee of $12 per month.

    What are the withdrawal limits for Chase Total Checking?

    For most consumer accounts, Chase has a daily withdrawal limit of $500 for non-Chase ATMs, in most states. That limit is $1,000 for Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

    The daily withdrawal limit for Chase ATMs is $1,000, a daily $3,000 limit for in-person withdrawals, and a daily limit of $3,000 for debit card purchases.

    Which is better: Chase Total Checking or Chase Secure Banking?

    Chase Total Checking and Secure Banking both have monthly service fees. Total Checking has a monthly fee of $12, but it can be waived with direct deposits or maintaining a certain balance.

    The Chase Secure Banking checking account has a lower $4.95 monthly fee, but the fee can’t be waived at all. So if you can’t waive the $12 monthly fee with Total Checking, Chase Secure Banking is technically the cheaper option.

    Both accounts can also get you a signup bonus. The Chase Total Checking account currently offers $300, and the Chase Secure Banking has a $100 one. So if you can waive the $12 monthly fee with Chase Total Checking and get the higher bonus, it’s the winner.

    Compare Chase Total Checking with other checking accounts

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    See terms and conditions
    Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. The secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your card for its issuing bank.
    To apply for Credit Builder, you must have received a single qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more to your Chime Checking Account. The qualifying direct deposit must be from your employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, or benefits payer by Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposit OR Original Credit Transaction (OCT). Bank ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, verification or trial deposits from financial institutions, peer to peer transfers from services such as PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash loads or deposits, one-time direct deposits, such as tax refunds and other similar transactions, and any deposit to which Chime deems to not be a qualifying direct deposit are not qualifying direct deposits.
    Money added to Credit Builder will be held in a secured account as collateral for your Credit Builder Visa card, which means you can spend up to this amount on your card. This is money you can use to pay off your charges at the end of every month.
    *Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and OTC advance fees may apply. View the Bancorp agreement or Stride agreement for details; see back of card for issuer.

    Fee

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    Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    N/A


    Minimum deposit to open

    $0

    Checking account ratings

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    ★★★★★ — Good

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    ★★★★★ — Subpar

    ★★★★★ — Poor

    We analyze top checking accounts and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include: monthly fees, the ease at which monthly fees can be waived, the breadth of ATM access, ATM and overdraft fees, and customer service.

    Read the full methodology of how we rate checking accounts.

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    Michael Finder

    Staff writer

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    Avatar

    ls1985

    April 24, 2019

    Does chase total checking with the visa debit card offer the rental car coverage?


    Avatar

    nikkiangco

    April 24, 2019

    Hi ls1985,


    Thanks for getting in touch with Finder! Upon checking Chase Total Checking is does not offer rental car coverage. Hope this helps!


    Best,

    Nikki


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