Chase Total Checking: $300 Cash Bonus, Easy-to-Waive Monthly Fee

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Chase Total Checking® Account

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• Intro Bonus $300Expires January 22, 2025 More Info

  New Chase checking customers enjoy a $300 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities

Chase Total Checking® is among the best entry-level accounts. It typically offers new customers a sign-up bonus, and it’s fairly simple to waive the $12 monthly fee. However, it's worth noting that it doesn’t offer many valuable features or benefits and it’s not an interest-bearing checking account.

A Quality Entry-Level Account With an Easy-to-Waive Monthly Fee

Chase Total Checking® is a solid beginner’s checking account for those who don’t need more than the most basic banking features. While you may not get the special perks of premium accounts, you can benefit from overdraft protection in case you accidentally overdraw and Chase’s wide network of fee-free ATMs. There is no minimum deposit to get your account set up and the monthly maintenance fee of $12 is easy to waive. New customers can also earn a $300 bonus when they open a new account and receive qualifying direct deposits. 

$300 Sign-Up Bonus

The main reason to consider getting a new Chase Total Checking account is its $300 welcome bonus, which is quite generous when compared with other bank bonuses. Bank account bonuses aren't exactly rare, but some of them require you to jump through a lot of hoops. Chase Total Checking, on the other hand, is refreshingly straightforward.

Here’s what you need to do to get the Chase Total Checking account bonus: 

1. Open an account as a new Chase checking customer by January 22, 2025.
2. Be sure to apply through the welcome bonus landing page to have the promotion added to your account or to request a coupon via email.
3. Receive at least $500 in direct deposits (which could include a paycheck, pension or government-issued benefit) within 90 days of coupon enrollment. 
4. Once you've done that, you'll earn the bonus within 15 days.

While historically we've seen this account offer a slightly lower bonus with no minimum direct deposit requirement, this $300 offer is still relatively accessible. To earn the bonus within the specified timeline, you only need to receive about $167 in direct deposits a month; if you receive biweekly paychecks, that could be just $83.50.

The bonus promotion expires on January 22, 2025 but don't worry if you miss out on this run. The bank has done several versions of the deal in the past. We'll keep you updated on any bonus changes.

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Benefits and Features

The Chase Total Checking account offers a lot of features, especially for a fairly basic account: 

• Overdraft protection: No overdraft fees if you overdraw by $50 or less at the end of the business day, or if you overdraw more than $50 and can bring your account balance to overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day.
• Convenient locations: When you bank with one of the largest banks in the U.S., you get quick access to your cash from just about any location nationwide—Chase offers 15,000 ATMs and over 4,700 branches. Chase Total Checking is available online nationwide with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
• User-friendly mobile tools: While Chase is a brick-and-mortar bank, it does have highly rated and user-friendly apps for both iOS and Android. You can use the Chase mobile app to manage your accounts, deposit checks remotely, find branches and ATMs and transfer money. Customers can also send and request funds via Zelle, use online bill pay tools, and receive paperless statements.
• Chip and cardless technology: In addition to being able to use a debit card for purchases, customers can add their Chase debit card to their digital wallets for cardless transactions.

Increase Your Checking Bonus With a Chase Credit Card Bonus

If you’re a credit card enthusiast, Chase offers some of the best credit card bonuses across all categories. If you're interested in earning a solid bonus, here are several you may want to consider.

Credit Card	Intro Bonus	Annual Fee	Rewards Rate	Learn More
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	Apply Now
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Now	1.5%Extra Cash Back More Info Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.	$0	1.5% - 5%Cashback More Info Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases	Apply Now
United℠ Explorer Card Apply Now	60,000United MileagePlus Miles More Info Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Dollar Equivalent: $840 (60,000 United MileagePlus Miles * 0.014 base)	$95 More info $0 Intro for the First Year, then $95	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases	Apply Now
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$550	1x - 10xPoints More Info Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.	Apply Now

Fees

Here’s a quick look at some of the common fees you might encounter with this account:

• Monthly maintenance: $12 (waivable with qualifying activities)
• Non-Chase ATM transaction: $3
• International ATM withdrawal: $5
• International transfers and inquiries: $3
• International exchange fee: 3%
• Overdraft fee: $0-$34^‡
• Incoming wire transfer: $15
• Outgoing domestic wire: $25-$35
• Outgoing international wire: $0-$50

‡ With Chase Overdraft Assist^SM, Chase won’t charge an Insufficient Funds Fee if you’re overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the business day OR if you’re overdrawn by more than $50 and you bring your account balance to overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day (you have until 11 PM ET (8 PM PT) to make a deposit or transfer). Chase Overdraft Assist does not require enrollment and comes with eligible Chase checking accounts.

If you’re looking for lower checking account fees, you can take a look at online banks, which have less overhead and therefore less fees usually. But note that they don’t offer the in-person services that come with brick-and-mortar banks like Chase.

How to Waive the $12 Monthly Fee

This Chase account comes with a $12 monthly service fee but you can get that fee waived in one of three ways:

1. Monthly direct deposit: Have direct deposits totaling $500 or more in new money each monthly statement period
2. Maintain daily balance: Have a daily balance of at least $1,500 at the beginning of each day
3. Average balance from linked Accounts: Have an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of linked qualifying Chase checking, savings and other accounts

Qualifying personal balances include Chase First Banking℠ accounts, personal Chase savings accounts (excluding Chase Premier Savings℠ and Chase Private Client Savings℠), CDs, certain Chase Retirement CDs and certain Chase Retirement Money Market Accounts.

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Drawbacks

A Chase Total Checking account isn't right for everyone. Consider both the advantages and disadvantages of getting one. Here are some important considerations when deciding whether to open an account:

• Has a monthly fee: The $12 fee is relatively easy to waive, especially if you have regular direct deposit, but some accounts don’t have a monthly service fee to navigate at all.
• Doesn’t earn interest: Many checking accounts don’t earn interest, but more do these days, so if you want that feature, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
• Non-Chase ATM fee: Chase has around 15,000 ATMs you can use for free, but if they aren’t convenient to your location and you use an out-of-network machine, you will have to pay for it.
• Overdraft fees: The overdraft fees are a bit high compared to some accounts, so it’s something to know if you’re worried about managing your account balance. However, Chase won’t charge the fee if you’re overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the business day or overdrawn by more than $50 but you bring your balance to overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day.

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Alternatives to Chase Total Checking

If you're not quite sure that a Chase Total Checking account is right for you, there are plenty of great alternatives to consider.

Bank Account	Monthly maintenance fee	Intro Bonus	Learn More
SoFi Checking and Savings Open Account Member FDIC Member FDIC	$0	$50-$300Expires January 31, 2026 More Info New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. SoFi members with Direct Deposit can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.00% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Direct Deposit will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.	Open Account
Chase Secure Banking℠ Checking Account Open Account	$4.95 with options to waive More Info $4.95 or $0; Avoid the monthly service fee when you have electronic deposits made into the account totaling $250 or more during each monthly statement period.	$100Expires January 22, 2025 More Info New Chase checking customers enjoy a $100 checking account bonus when you open a Chase Secure BankingSM account with qualifying transactions. Qualifying transactions include debit card purchases, Zelle®, ACH credits, Chase QuickDepositSM or online bill payments. Your bonus will appear in your account within 15 days after completing the qualifying transactions.	Open Account
Axos Rewards Checking Account	$0	Up to $500Expires July 31, 2024 More Info Cash in on up to a $500 bonus† and up to 3.30% APY* with a new Rewards Checking account. Just use promo code RC500 before July 31.	This product is currently not available via Slickdeals. All information about this product was collected by Slickdeals and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
CIT Bank Money Market Account Open Account	$0	N/A	Open Account

Is Chase Total Checking Right for You?

The Chase Total Checking account could be right for you if you’re able to waive the monthly fee without effort and can qualify for the $300 Chase bonus. And if you prefer in-person service that’s available across most of the U.S., Chase should be on your list of contenders.

But if you don’t want to jump through hoops to get the monthly fee waived or are looking for an account with fewer fees or even one that earns interest, you could be better off looking at the best online banks, like Axos or SoFi, for a better fit. Take time to consider all of your options and check out our list of the safest banks in the U.S., especially if you prefer the big brick-and-mortar banks.

Ready to open a Chase Total Checking Account? Start here.

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FAQs

• Is Chase Total Checking free?

  No, Total Checking is not free. Chase charges a $12 monthly maintenance fee to use this account, but it can be waived by meeting one of several requirements.

• How do you waive Chase Total Checking's monthly fee?

  To waive the monthly fee, you can either keep a daily minimum of $1,500 in the account or receive $500 in direct deposits to the account. You can also avoid paying the fee with a combined daily average of $5,000 across all your Chase accounts.

• Does Chase Total Checking have daily withdrawal limits or spending limits?

  You can find your specific withdrawal limits for ATMs and debit purchases in the documents Chase provides when you set up your account, but generally speaking, the ATM limit is around $500-$3,000. Some banks allow you to increase your limits based on your account status, deposit history and more, so it’s worth asking if you need a higher limit.

• What's the difference between Chase Total Checking and Chase Premier Plus Checking?

  Chase Premier Plus Checking is best suited for people who want multiple accounts with one bank and have the money or the mortgage relationship to be able to waive the account’s $25 monthly service fee.

  While Premier Plus Checking offers features and benefits that aren't available with Total Checking, it does charge higher monthly service fee and also requires a higher minimum daily balance in order to waive its monthly service fee.

• Does Chase Bank pay interest on the Chase Total Checking account?

  No, the Chase Total Checking is not an interest-bearing account, so any balance on the account will not earn interest.

• Can you open a second checking account with Chase?

  Yes, you can have multiple Chase checking accounts. There is no set limit on the number of accounts you can open, but to qualify for the bonus offer, you must be a new Chase checking customer.