You probably know your rent and your car payment to the dollar. But ask what your bank charged you last year and most people have no idea. That's because bank fees rarely arrive as a bill. They show up as a short line on a statement you skim: “MAINT FEE,” “NON-NETWORK ATM,” “PAPER STMT,” “INTL TXN.” A few dollars here, three percent there.
Individually they look too small to bother with. Added up over a year, they can cost about as much as a takeout meal every month, and nearly all of them are avoidable with a change you only have to make once.
The four fees this covers
This article is about the routine fees charged just for having and using an account. Overdraft and late payment fees work differently, since they're triggered by timing problems. If those are your issue, start with building a bill calendar and buffer instead.
- Monthly maintenance fees. A flat charge for keeping the account open unless you meet a waiver condition. In Bankrate's 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study, the average monthly fee on a non-interest checking account was $5.47. Interest-bearing checking accounts averaged $15.65.
- Out-of-network ATM fees. Usually two charges for one withdrawal: a surcharge from the ATM's owner and a fee from your own bank. The same Bankrate study put the average combined cost at $4.86 ($3.22 surcharge plus $1.64 from your bank).
- Paper statement fees. Some banks charge for mailing paper statements. The amount varies by bank, so check your own fee schedule.
- Foreign transaction fees. Charged on purchases processed outside the U.S. or in a foreign currency. They generally range from 1 to 3 percent of each transaction, and they can hit online orders from overseas merchants even if you never leave home.
Find them: search one year of statements
Download the last 12 months of statements for every checking account, savings account, and credit card. In each PDF or transaction export, search for: “fee,” “maint,” “service charge,” “ATM,” “statement,” “foreign,” and “intl.” Some banks list a year-to-date fee total on the December statement or in the account's summary page, which is a useful cross-check.
Then find your bank's fee schedule, usually called a “schedule of fees” or “account disclosures,” on its website or in its app. That document tells you exactly what triggers each fee and how to waive it.
A worked example: what one year of small fees adds up to
Here's a made-up example of someone with a checking account at a large bank. Example figures only, based on the averages above:
- Monthly maintenance fee of $12 that's charged in 7 months when the balance dipped below the minimum: $12 × 7 = $84
- Two out-of-network ATM withdrawals a month at about $4.86 each: $4.86 × 24 = $116.64
- A $2 monthly paper statement fee: $2 × 12 = $24
- A $1,500 vacation abroad on a card with a 3% foreign transaction fee: $1,500 × 0.03 = $45
Total: $84 + $116.64 + $24 + $45 = $269.64 a year, for nothing but access to their own money.
How to get each fee waived or gone
Most of these come down to meeting a condition you already almost meet, or moving to an account that doesn't charge.
- Maintenance fees: meet the waiver or switch accounts. The most common waiver is direct deposit. Bankrate found that 47 percent of non-interest checking accounts don't charge a monthly fee at all, and another 48 percent waive it if you set up direct deposit. Read the waiver rule closely; some require a minimum deposit amount per month, not just any deposit. If you can't meet the condition, ask the bank to move you to its no-fee account. Many have one, they just don't advertise it.
- ATM fees: use the network you're already in. Your bank's app has an ATM locator that shows in-network and partner machines. Getting cash back at a grocery checkout with your debit card is another free option. Some online banks and credit unions refund out-of-network ATM fees up to a monthly limit; if you rely on cash, that feature can be worth switching for.
- Paper statement fees: turn on e-statements. This is usually a single setting under statement or document preferences. Download a PDF each month or quarter if you like having a record.
- Foreign transaction fees: use the right card. Before traveling or ordering from an overseas site, check your card's rate and fee table for a “foreign transaction fee” line. Many travel cards and some debit cards charge none. Use that card for foreign purchases.
- Ask for a refund. If you've been charged a fee recently, call and ask for a courtesy reversal, especially if you're a long-time customer and you've just changed something to prevent repeats. The worst answer is no.
If you're leaving a big bank for an online bank to escape fees, make sure the savings account you move to actually pays a competitive rate, and keep an eye on it. Savings rates can drop without notice, and that cost is easier to miss than a fee.
Mistakes that keep fees on your statement
- Assuming the waiver still applies. Banks change fee schedules and waiver rules. A minimum balance that used to waive the fee may have gone up, or a direct deposit change at work may have broken the waiver without you noticing.
- Counting only the ATM owner's fee. The screen warns you about the surcharge. Your own bank's out-of-network charge often isn't disclosed at the machine, so you pay more than you think.
- Closing an account with a balance or pending autopay. Move every automatic payment and direct deposit first, then close. Otherwise a bill can bounce or the bank can charge fees on an account you thought was gone.
- Letting a dormant account sit. An old account you forgot about can quietly charge a maintenance fee every month. If you don't use it, close it properly.
- Ignoring the credit card side. Foreign transaction fees are a card feature, not a bank account feature. Checking only your bank statements will miss them.
Check that the fee is actually gone
- Next statement: after any change, look at the next statement's fee lines. A waived maintenance fee often appears as a charge followed by a reversal or simply doesn't appear. Either is fine. A charge with no reversal means the waiver didn't take.
- Account settings: confirm e-statements are on and direct deposit shows up as qualifying, if your bank's app lists that.
- Three months out: check the fee totals again. Waiver conditions that depend on monthly balances or deposits can slip in a low month.
Fewer accounts also means fewer fee schedules to watch. If you have more accounts than you can keep track of, a simple account setup makes this check much shorter.