Editor’s Note: Overdraft Apps provides detailed product reviews and recommendations based upon extensive research and our own hands-on testing. We may earn a referral fee when you sign up for or purchase products mentioned in this article.
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 Regions Bank’s overdraft fee? Regions charges a $36 Paid Overdraft Item fee, capped at three fees a day. Regions will not charge that fee if your account is overdrawn by $5 or less after nightly processing, and Regions Overdraft Grace gives you until 8 p.m. Central Time the next business day to fix a larger shortfall before the fee applies. Regions does not charge a returned-item fee.
| Regions overdraft, at a glance | What it means |
|---|---|
| Overdraft fee | $36 per Paid Overdraft Item |
| Daily limit | Up to 3 overdraft fees per day ($108 total) |
| No-fee cushion | No fee if overdrawn $5 or less after nightly processing |
| Regions Overdraft Grace | Until 8 p.m. Central Time the next business day to bring the balance to within $5 of zero |
| Returned-item (NSF) fee | $0. Regions eliminated this fee in 2022 |
| Overdraft protection transfer | Free. Regions eliminated this fee in 2022 |
| ATM and debit card overdrafts | Off unless you opt in to Standard Overdraft Coverage for those transactions |
Fees verified August 12, 2026 from Regions Bank’s Overdraft Grace page and its Standard Overdraft Coverage disclosure.
How much does a Regions Bank overdraft cost?
Regions charges $36 for each Paid Overdraft Item, the fee it assesses when it pays a transaction your available balance cannot cover, up to 3 fees a day. That caps a single day’s cost at $108. Regions will not charge the fee at all if your account is overdrawn by $5 or less once nightly processing finishes.
Regions Overdraft Grace: the extra-day window
If one business day’s transactions leave your account overdrawn by more than $5, Regions Overdraft Grace gives you until 8 p.m. Central Time the next business day to add funds. If your available balance is positive, or overdrawn by no more than $5, after nightly processing that next day, Regions does not charge the overdraft fee for the items that triggered it. Your deposit needs to cover both the original shortfall and anything new that posts on the grace day itself. Overdraft Grace applies automatically to Regions personal and Private Wealth checking accounts, with no enrollment required.
Overdraft Grace does not help with a separate category called an NSF Review item, which Regions can return unpaid regardless of a same-day deposit or transfer.
Does Regions Bank charge a returned-item (NSF) fee?
No. Regions eliminated its non-sufficient-funds fee in 2022. If Regions returns a payment unpaid because you do not have the funds, that return costs nothing.
Overdraft protection transfers
You can link a Regions savings or other account so funds move automatically when checking runs short. Regions eliminated the separate fee for these overdraft protection transfers in 2022, so a linked-account transfer itself is free. Regions’ overdraft line of credit options, where available, still charge their own interest rate on any amount advanced.
Which transactions can overdraw your account?
Regions will decline an ATM withdrawal or an everyday debit card purchase unless you opt in to Standard Overdraft Coverage for those transactions, and a decline costs nothing at Regions. Checks and electronic payments can still be paid into overdraft, or reviewed and returned as NSF, without any opt-in from you.
| Transaction type | What happens if funds are short |
|---|---|
| ATM withdrawal (not opted in) | Declined at the machine, no cash dispensed, no fee |
| Everyday debit card purchase (not opted in) | Declined at checkout, no fee |
| ATM or debit purchase (opted in) | May be paid into overdraft, $36 fee may apply |
| Checks | May be paid into overdraft, or reviewed and returned unpaid; $36 fee may apply if paid |
| Electronic payments | May be paid into overdraft, or reviewed and returned unpaid; $36 fee may apply if paid |
A decline means the purchase does not go through and costs nothing, but a returned bill payment can still trigger a late fee from the company you owed, something Regions has no control over. Paying that bill into overdraft for $36 can beat a larger late charge elsewhere, while a small everyday purchase usually costs less if it simply declines.
How to avoid Regions Bank overdraft fees
- Stay within $5 of zero. Overdrawn by $5 or less after nightly processing means no fee.
- Use Overdraft Grace. If you slip past $5 negative, deposit before 8 p.m. Central the next business day.
- Set up balance alerts. The Regions app can flag a low or negative balance before it grows.
- Link a backup account. The overdraft protection transfer itself is free.
- Skip opting in to ATM and debit overdraft if you would rather have a purchase declined than pay $36.
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How Regions compares to the average US bank
Bankrate’s 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study puts the average bank overdraft fee at $26.77. Regions’ $36 fee runs $9.23, or about 34%, above that average. Regions’ counterweight is Overdraft Grace, a next-day window that many banks with lower headline fees do not offer at all.
| Bank (typical account) | Overdraft fee | No-fee cushion |
|---|---|---|
| Regions (personal checking) | $36, up to 3/day | $5 threshold + Overdraft Grace to 8pm CT |
| 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.
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Regions Bank overdraft FAQ
How much is Regions Bank’s overdraft fee?
$36 per Paid Overdraft Item, capped at 3 fees a day. There is no fee if the account is overdrawn $5 or less after nightly processing.
How does Regions Overdraft Grace work?
If a day’s transactions overdraw the account by more than $5, Regions gives you until 8 p.m. Central Time the next business day to bring the balance back to positive, or to within $5 of zero, and avoid the fee.
Does Regions Bank charge a returned-item or NSF fee?
No. Regions eliminated its non-sufficient-funds fee in 2022.
Can Regions overdraft my debit card or ATM withdrawal?
Only if you opt in to Standard Overdraft Coverage for those transaction types. Otherwise they are declined at no charge.
Is there a fee for Regions overdraft protection transfers?
No. Regions eliminated the separate overdraft protection transfer fee in 2022.
What is an NSF Review item at Regions?
A pending overdraft transaction Regions reviews and may return unpaid. Making an Overdraft Grace deposit does not prevent an NSF Review item from being returned.
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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