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Updated September 2026.
How much do US banks charge for an overdraft? Most charge close to $27. Bankrate’s 2025 study of 245 banks put the average at $26.77. About 6 in 10 of those banks still charge a returned-item fee too, averaging $16.82, when they bounce a payment. Two-thirds of accounts give you a little room first, like a small cushion or an extra day to fix it. Credit unions were not in that study, so that average is for banks.
Overdraft fees by bank, compared
Click a bank name for the full breakdown. If a bank has more than one checking product, both are in that one row.
| Bank | Overdraft fee | Room before the fee | Bounce fee | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Bank | Up to $20 paid item; up to $20 returned item; $100 combined daily max | No OD fee when paid transaction is $5 or less. Linked transfers free | Up to $20 returned-item fee (same-day combined cap with OD fees) | Personal checking. Safe Spending Account avoids OD fees by design |
| Alliant Credit Union | $0 (Courtesy Pay Free) | No fee charged | $0 (NSF Item Free) | High-Rate Checking and Jumbo High-Rate Checking |
| Ally Bank | $0 | CoverDraft covers up to $100, or $250 with qualifying deposits. Linked Ally savings transfers are free | $0 | Spending Account |
| America First Credit Union | $25 Overdraft Service Fee per presentment | Not listed on public fee schedule | $25 Overdraft EFT Fee per presentment | Classic and Regular Checking (Utah America First, americafirst.com) |
| Arvest | $17, up to 4 a day | None stated. No grace period | $0 if Arvest returns the item unpaid | Personal checking (Basic/Extended Overdraft Coverage) |
| Associated Bank | $32 (most accounts), up to 2/day; $40 analyzed (up to 4/day) | $50 most; $100 Platinum Choice; $250 Emerald Choice; no OD fees Emerald Private Choice | $0 (returned item, no charge) | Personal checking (Access/Choice tiers). Analyzed commercial is $40 |
| Axos Bank | $0 on Axos Checking | Shortfalls declined; no paid-overdraft fee on Axos Checking | Separate NSF fee not listed on Axos Checking product page | Axos Checking (other Axos products: confirm each product page) |
| Bank of America | $10 on Advantage Plus, up to 2 a day. $0 on SafeBalance | On Advantage Plus, no fee if you are overdrawn by $1 or less, or if the item is $1 or less. SafeBalance turns the payment down instead | $0 | Advantage Plus and SafeBalance |
| BMO | $20 on Smart Advantage (up to 3/day); $0 on Smart Money | $20 end-of-day cushion on Smart Advantage (checked twice). Smart Money has $0 OD fees | $0 when item returned unpaid | Smart Advantage Checking and Smart Money Checking (Bank On) |
| Capital One | $0 | No overdraft fee. If you qualify, Capital One may still pay some shortfalls for free | $0 | All consumer checking |
| Chase | $34, up to 3 a day | No fee if you end the day overdrawn by $50 or less, or if the item is $5 or less. Overdraft Assist gives you until 11pm Eastern the next business day | Not listed | Total Checking |
| Citibank | $0 | No overdraft fee. Access Checking usually turns the payment down instead | $0 | All personal checking |
| Citizens | $35, up to 5 a day | No fee on items of $5 or less, or if you end the day overdrawn by $5 or less. Peace of Mind rebates the fee if you cover the shortfall by 10pm Eastern the next business day | $0 | One Deposit Checking |
| Commerce Bank | $36 Overdraft/Insufficient Funds (paid or returned) | None at $1+ negative. Grace Period: fix by 7pm on 2nd business day | $36 combined (same fee whether paid or returned) | Commerce Free, Interest, and Relationship Checking |
| Discover Bank | $0 (part of Capital One as of May 18, 2025) | No-fee overdraft if $250 deposits in 2 of prior 3 months; Free Savings Transfer; Auto-Decline | $0 when declined | Discover / Capital One checking messaging post-acquisition |
| East West Bank | $30, one a day max | ATM and one-time debit decline unless you opt in. Linked savings overdraft transfers are free | $30, same $30-a-day cap | Value Checking |
| Fifth Third | $35, up to 3 a day on Momentum Checking | No fee if overdrawn $5 or less, or on items of $5 or less. Extra Time until midnight ET next business day on Momentum and Preferred Checking | $0 returned-item fee on current consumer schedule | Momentum and Preferred Checking. Extra Time on both. Express Banking has no overdraft coverage |
| First Citizens Bank | $25, up to 3 per business day | No fee for overdrafts caused by transactions of $5 or less. Free savings transfer (rounds to $100) | $0 (items returned unpaid) | Primary, Premier, and Prestige checking (Sure Advantage and Together Card ineligible) |
| First Convenience Bank | $34 per paid item, up to 2 a day / 10 a month. Separate $34 Negative Balance Fee after 7 days | No OD fee if item is $5 or less, or if paid items leave you $12 or less overdrawn including fees | $17 per returned item | Power Checking. eAccount and Power Stash excluded from this schedule |
| First Horizon | $35, up to 3 a day on FirstView, SmartView, and TotalView. $0 on Access Checking | On FirstView, SmartView, and TotalView, no fee if you end the day overdrawn by $5 or less. Access Checking typically does not pay overdrafts | $0 | FirstView, SmartView, TotalView, and Access Checking |
| Flagstar Bank | $30 Overdraft Protection Coverage, up to 3/day ($90 max) | No fee if overdrawn $10 or less after the transaction posts. Linked-account transfers free | $0 (declined or returned unpaid) | Standard checking with Overdraft Protection Coverage. Flagstar One Checking has $0 OD fees |
| FourLeaf FCU (formerly Bethpage) | $30 checks/account-number; $10 recurring or opted-in debit | No fee on covered transactions $20 or less; $70/day combined cap | Included in Courtesy Pay / Insufficient Funds structure | Personal checking (after 6 months for standard Courtesy Pay) |
| Frost Bank | $35 when overdrawn more than $100; max $105/day | $100 grace on Personal/Plus; no fee on paid items $5 or less | $0 when ACH/check returned unpaid | Frost Personal and Frost Plus checking |
| Golden 1 Credit Union | $14 Courtesy Pay, up to 4 a day | No fee if Courtesy Pay use is $5 or less. Everyday debit needs opt-in | Not listed as a separate NSF dollar amount on Courtesy Pay notice | Personal checking (Free, MarketRate, Premium) and Business Checking |
| Huntington | $15, up to 3 a day | $50 Safety Zone. 24-Hour Grace until midnight the next business day | $0 | Asterisk-Free Checking |
| KeyBank | $20, up to 3 a day | Key Coverage Zone. No fee if you end the day overdrawn by $20 or less | $0 | Key Smart Checking |
| M&T Bank | $15 a day on EZChoice, one fee max. $0 on MyWay | On EZChoice, no fee on items under $5. MyWay usually turns the payment down | $0 | EZChoice and MyWay |
| Navy Federal | $20, one a day per account | No fee on items of $20 or less, or if overdrawn by less than $50 after posting. At $50 even, the fee can apply | $0 | All personal checking |
| Old National Bank | $36 Paid NSF/Overdraft Item, up to 2/day | No fee unless overdrawn by more than $25. Free personal OD Protection transfers | $0 when item declined or returned unpaid | Most personal checking (Overdraft Courtesy). Business analysis OD transfer $5 |
| PenFed | $0 on debit/ATM (declined). No paid-overdraft fee listed | N/A for debit/ATM. Use free savings transfer or LOC | $30 returned ACH/check/preauthorized debit | Free Checking and Access America Checking |
| PNC | $36, one a day on Standard, Performance, Performance Select, and Virtual Wallet. $0 on Simple Checking | Auto-refund if overdrawn by $5.00 or less after posting. Virtual Wallet Spend Extra Time until 10pm ET next business day | $0 | Standard, Performance, Performance Select, Virtual Wallet, Simple Checking |
| Popular Bank | $34 paid overdraft over $50, up to 3/day (Everyday and Prestige) | No fee if overdrawn $50 or less. Easy Access Checking declines only | $0 for declined or returned overdraft items | Everyday and Prestige Checking. Easy Access has no OD coverage |
| Regions | $36, up to 3 a day | No fee if you are overdrawn by $5 or less after nightly processing. Overdraft Grace until 8pm Central the next business day | $0 | Personal checking |
| Santander Bank | $15 per item, up to 3 a day. Separate $15 sustained fee on day 6 | $100 Safety Net. No fee if the paid item leaves you $100 or less overdrawn. Linked transfers free | $0 | Personal checking (Simply Right Checking representative) |
| SchoolsFirst FCU | $22 paid or returned, up to 3/day | No fee unless transaction >$10 and account negative >$10 | $22 (same fee whether paid or returned) | Personal checking (federally chartered CU) |
| Schwab Bank | $0 | No overdraft fee. Shortfalls can be covered from linked Schwab One brokerage cash | $0 | Investor Checking |
| SECU (North Carolina) | $0 overdraft fee | No paid-overdraft fee. Free Overdraft Transfer Service from up to two protecting accounts | $12 after NSF Fee Free Day (first NSF day each year waived); re-presentments excluded | SECU Checking Account (ncsecu.org; not Maryland SECU) |
| SoFi | $0 | Overdraft Coverage up to $50 on debit card purchases if you have $1,000 in eligible direct deposits in 31 days | $0 | Checking and Savings |
| Synovus | $36, up to 3 a day. $29 on Military Checking | No fee if you are overdrawn by $5 or less, or $50 or less if enrolled in Overdraft Privilege. Budget Checking typically turns the payment down | Not listed | Personal checking. Military Checking is $29. Budget Checking has no standard overdraft coverage |
| TD Bank | $35 on most checking, up to 3 a day. $0 on Essential Banking | No fee if you are overdrawn by $50 or less. Grace Period refunds the fee if you get back to $0 by 11pm Eastern the next business day | $0 | Most personal checking. Essential Banking has no overdraft fee |
| Truist | $0 on One Checking and Marquee Checking | $100 Balance Buffer on One Checking only (qualifying direct deposits) | $0 on One and Marquee | Truist One Checking and Truist Marquee Checking |
| U.S. Bank | $36, up to 3 a day | No fee if you end the day overdrawn by $50 or less, or if the item is $5 or less. Fee Forgiven if your available balance is $0 or more by 11pm Eastern the day you are charged | Not listed | Smartly Checking |
| UMB Bank | $36, up to 4/day (checks/ACH/in-person/electronic; not debit) | No Overdraft Charge unless overdrawn by more than $5. Free A2A protection | $0 Insufficient Funds Charge | Personal checking. Check-Free Banking marketed without OD charges |
| USAA | $29, 1/day max (eligible items over $5) | $100 end-of-day cushion. Refund window if balance reaches -$100 by next business day | $0 (declined or returned unpaid) | Classic and Performance Checking (Standard Overdraft / USAA Safety Net) |
| Varo Bank | $0 | None. No overdraft coverage program to opt into. Transactions are declined instead | $0 | Varo Bank Account (only personal checking product) |
| Webster Bank | $35, up to 4 a day. $0 on Webster Connect Checking | No fee if you end the day overdrawn by $5 or less. ATM and everyday debit decline unless you opt in. Connect Checking does not charge overdraft fees | $0 | Personal checking. Webster Connect Checking has no overdraft fee |
| Wells Fargo | $35 on Everyday Checking, up to 3 a day. $0 on Clear Access | On Everyday Checking, no fee on items of $10 or less, or if you end the day overdrawn by $10 or less. Extra Day Grace until 11:59pm Eastern the next business day. Clear Access has no overdraft fees | $0 | Everyday Checking and Clear Access Banking |
| Woodforest | $32, up to 3 a day | No fee if an item overdraws by $1.00 or less. Linked sweep transfer $5/day | $0 for NSF items returned unpaid | Consumer checking including Second Chance |
| Zions Bank | $29, up to 5 per business day | No fee if overdrawn $30 or less after end-of-day posting | $0 (returned/declined items) | Personal checking under standard overdraft practices |
Fees checked August 2026 on each bank’s own site.
If the bank turns you down, you still don’t get the money
Sometimes a bank will not pay when your balance is too low. That often means no overdraft fee. It does not mean the purchase worked.
The ATM gives you no cash. The store can refuse your card. A rent or utility payment can bounce, and that company can add its own late fee. The bank will not take that extra fee off for you.
So a “no fee” decline can still cost you, just not at the bank.
Where these numbers come from
We read each bank’s current fee page and overdraft rules. If the bank does not publish a number, we say “Not listed” instead of guessing $0.
Need cash before payday? A small advance can cost less than repeat overdraft fees when you qualify and repay on time.
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.
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.
Overdraft fees by bank FAQ
What is the average US overdraft fee?
$26.77. That is from Bankrate’s 2025 study of 245 banks. Credit unions were not included.
Which banks charge $0 for an overdraft?
Alliant Credit Union charges $0 on high-Rate Checking and Jumbo High-Rate Checking. Ally Bank charges $0 on spending Account. Axos Bank charges $0 on axos Checking (other Axos products: confirm each product page). Capital One charges $0 on consumer checking. Citibank charges $0 on personal checking. Discover Bank charges $0 on discover / Capital One checking messaging post-acquisition. Schwab Bank charges $0 on investor Checking. SECU (North Carolina) charges $0 on sECU Checking Account (ncsecu.org; not Maryland SECU). SoFi charges $0 on checking and Savings. Truist charges $0 on truist One Checking and Truist Marquee Checking. Varo Bank charges $0 on varo Bank Account (only personal checking product). Associated Bank Emerald Private Choice (no OD fees), Bank of America SafeBalance, BMO Smart Money Checking, Fifth Third Express Banking, First Convenience Bank eAccount, First Convenience Bank Power Stash, First Horizon Access Checking, Flagstar Bank Flagstar One Checking, M&T Bank MyWay, PNC Simple Checking, Popular Bank Easy Access Checking, TD Bank Essential Banking, Truist Truist One Checking, Truist Truist Marquee Checking, UMB Bank Check-Free Banking, Webster Bank Webster Connect Checking, and Wells Fargo Clear Access also have no overdraft fee. Other accounts at those same banks can still charge one, which is why the table lists both.
If my card is declined, do I still owe a fee?
Usually not to your bank, if they no longer charge a returned-item fee. You also do not get the thing you were trying to pay for. The store, landlord, or utility can still charge their own late or returned-payment fee because they never got your money.
What is a bounce fee, or NSF fee?
NSF means non-sufficient funds. It is a fee some banks charge when they bounce a payment instead of covering it. Many banks in this table dropped that fee. The company you were paying can still charge you on their side.
