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Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
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Updated August 2026.
How much is Citizens Bank’s overdraft fee? Citizens charges $35 per item on its One Deposit Checking account, with no fee on any item of $5 or less. Citizens Peace of Mind gives you until 10 p.m. Eastern the next business day to fix a negative balance, and if you do, Citizens rebates the fee rather than waiving it upfront. Citizens does not charge a returned-item fee.
| Citizens overdraft, at a glance | What it means |
|---|---|
| Overdraft fee | $35 per item |
| Daily limit | Up to 5 overdraft fees per day ($175 total) |
| $5 Overdraft Pass | No fee on any single item of $5 or less |
| Citizens Peace of Mind | Deposit enough by 10 p.m. ET the next business day and Citizens rebates the fee the day after |
| Citizens Fee Relief | One automatic pass on the first overdraft fee of each calendar year, on Citizens Quest and Citizens Wealth Checking |
| Returned-item (NSF) fee | $0. Citizens eliminated this fee in 2022 |
| Overdraft protection transfer | Free from a linked Citizens savings account |
| Account | Figures describe One Deposit Checking, Citizens’ most-opened everyday account |
Fees verified August 15, 2026 from Citizens Bank’s checking overdraft coverage disclosure and its overdraft fees and protection page.
How much does a Citizens Bank overdraft cost?
Citizens charges $35 for each transaction it pays that your available balance cannot cover, with no fee on any single item of $5 or less. Citizens can charge up to 5 of these fees in one day, so the most a single day can cost is $175, one of the higher daily caps among large regional banks.
Citizens Peace of Mind: getting the fee rebated
Citizens Peace of Mind works differently from a same-day waiver. The fee posts first, then Citizens gives you until 10 p.m. Eastern Time the next business day to bring your available balance back to $0 or more, counting the fee itself. If you do, Citizens rebates the overdraft fee the following day. Citizens also sends a text or email alert the morning your account overdraws, so you have most of the day to act. Your deposit needs to cover the transactions that caused the overdraft plus anything new that posts the same day, and a check from another bank may not count toward the deadline even if you deposit it by 10 p.m.
Customers with Citizens Quest Checking or Citizens Wealth Checking also get Citizens Fee Relief, which automatically waives the first overdraft fee of each calendar year with no action required.
Does Citizens Bank charge a returned-item (NSF) fee?
No. Citizens Financial Group eliminated non-sufficient-funds fees across all customer accounts in September 2022. If Citizens returns a transaction unpaid because you do not have the funds, that return costs nothing.
Overdraft protection transfers
You can link a Citizens savings account to automatically cover a shortfall in checking. Citizens Peace of Mind rebates overdraft fees, not any transfer fee tied to a linked overdraft plan, so check your specific plan’s terms. An Overdraft Line of Credit, where available, is used before Peace of Mind kicks in and charges its own interest rate on what it advances.
Which transactions can overdraw your account?
By default, Citizens declines ATM withdrawals and everyday debit card purchases that would overdraw your account, and that decline costs nothing. You can call Citizens to request authorization for those transaction types instead, which allows them to go through but can trigger the $35 fee. Checks and automatic bill payments can be paid into overdraft without any opt-in.
| Transaction type | What happens if funds are short |
|---|---|
| ATM withdrawal (default) | Declined at the machine, no cash dispensed, no fee |
| Everyday debit card purchase (default) | Declined at checkout, no fee |
| ATM or debit purchase (authorized on request) | May be paid into overdraft, $35 fee may apply |
| Checks | May be paid into overdraft automatically, $35 fee may apply |
| Automatic bill payments | May be paid into overdraft automatically, $35 fee may apply |
A declined debit card purchase means the register turns it down on the spot, at no cost. A missed bill payment can bring its own late fee from whoever you owed, a cost Citizens does not control. Paying that bill into overdraft for $35 can beat a larger late fee, while letting a small purchase decline usually costs less overall.
How to avoid Citizens Bank overdraft fees
- Use the $5 Overdraft Pass. Any single item of $5 or less never triggers a fee.
- Act on the morning alert. Citizens flags an overdraft by text or email, giving you most of the day to use Peace of Mind.
- Deposit by 10 p.m. ET the next business day. That is the Peace of Mind deadline for getting the fee rebated.
- Link a savings account. A linked transfer can cover a shortfall before it turns into a fee at all.
- Leave ATM and debit overdraft turned off if you would rather have a purchase declined than pay $35.
Short before payday? If the alternative is stacking bank fees, a small advance can be cheaper when you qualify and repay on time.
See how to borrow $50 instantly, or compare every option side by side below.
How Citizens compares to the average US bank
Bankrate’s 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study puts the average bank overdraft fee at $26.77. Citizens’ $35 fee runs $8.23, or about 31%, above that average. Citizens’ counterweight is Peace of Mind, a rebate window longer than many banks’ upfront grace periods, plus the automatic Fee Relief pass on Quest and Wealth Checking.
| Bank (typical account) | Overdraft fee | No-fee cushion |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens (One Deposit Checking) | $35, up to 5/day | $5 item pass + Peace of Mind rebate to 10pm ET |
| Average US bank (Bankrate 2025) | $26.77 | 66% of accounts give some leeway |
| Huntington (Asterisk-Free) | $15, up to 3/day | $50 Safety Zone + 24-Hour Grace |
| Chase (Total Checking) | $34, up to 3/day | $50 buffer + Overdraft Assist |
Source: Bankrate 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study, published September 10, 2025, https://www.bankrate.com/press-releases/atm-fees-hit-record-high-for-third-consecutive-year/
Banking somewhere else too? See what overdraft fees by bank look like across the biggest US banks.
Compare cash advance apps that can cover a shortfall. If you keep landing in overdraft, an app that fronts you a small amount until payday may cost less than repeat bank fees.
Top cash advance apps right now:
| App | Score | Max | |
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 Tilt |
9.5 | Up to $400 | Get Tilt |
 MoneyLion |
9.1 | Up to $500 | Get MoneyLion |
 Brigit |
9.1 | Up to $500 | Get Brigit |
 Chime |
9.0 | Up to $500 | Get Chime |
 Grant |
8.9 | Up to $500 | Get Grant |
Need more than a few hundred dollars?
- Bigger loans, not tiny advances. Cash advance apps top out fast — PockBox helps you search personal loan offers that often start above $500.
- Any credit score welcome. Compare options from lenders that work with excellent, fair, and poor credit (approval and terms always depend on the lender).
- Free to shop around. Checking rates does not lock you into a loan — compare side by side, then decide.
Citizens Bank overdraft FAQ
How much is Citizens Bank’s overdraft fee?
$35 per item, capped at 5 fees a day. There is no fee on a single item of $5 or less.
How does Citizens Peace of Mind work?
The fee posts when you overdraw, then Citizens gives you until 10 p.m. Eastern the next business day to bring your available balance to $0 or more. If you do, Citizens rebates the fee the following day rather than waiving it upfront.
What is the $5 Overdraft Pass?
Citizens does not charge an overdraft fee on any single transaction of $5 or less, on all checking and money market accounts.
Does Citizens Bank charge a returned-item or NSF fee?
No. Citizens eliminated NSF fees across all customer accounts in September 2022.
Can Citizens overdraft my debit card or ATM withdrawal?
Only if you request authorization for those transaction types. By default, Citizens declines them at no charge.
What is Citizens Fee Relief?
An automatic, no-questions-asked waiver of the first overdraft fee each calendar year, available on Citizens Quest Checking and Citizens Wealth Checking.
Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
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