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Chase Total Checking® Review: Flexible Access to Funds and Great Customer Service

Review Updated
Kailey Hagen
Brittney Myers
By: Kailey Hagen and Brittney Myers

Our Banking Experts

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page. APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APYs are subject to change at any time without notice.

Bottom line: The Chase Total Checking® account is a great option for those who place a premium on customer service and easy access to their funds. It has one of the largest branch networks in the country as well as all the online and mobile tools you need to manage your funds on your own. As long as you keep enough money here to avoid the maintenance fee, you shouldn't have any problems with this account. Read our full Chase Total Checking® review to learn more.

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Ratings Methodology
Rates as of Apr 29, 2024
Member FDIC.
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
APY
0%
Min. To Earn APY
N/A
  • Largest bank in the U.S. in terms of assets 
  • More than 15,000 ATMs and 4,700 physical locations
  • Wide range of financial products
  • User-friendly online and mobile banking tools
  • No minimum deposit to open
  • Chase Overdraft Assist
  • Low APYs on savings accounts and CDs
  • $12 monthly maintenance fee waived only with qualifying activity
  • New Chase checking customers enjoy a $300 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities
  • Access to more than 15,000 Chase ATMs and more than 4,700 branches
  • Chase Mobile® app - Manage your accounts, deposit checks, transfer money and more -- all from your device.
  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC
  • Open your account online now
  • Available online nationwide except in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. For branch locations, visit locator.chase.com.
  • Chase Overdraft Assist℠ – no overdraft fees 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 bring your account balance to overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day*

*With Chase Overdraft Assist℠, we won’t charge an Overdraft 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.

Checking account comparison

We recommend comparing checking account options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout accounts.

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Account APY Promotion Next Steps
0%
Min. to earn: N/A
Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month (see details when you click 'Open Account')
0.50%
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. You can earn the maximum savings APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Min. to earn: $0
Cash bonus up to $300 with direct deposit set up (see details when you click 'Open Account')
0.40% (up to 3.30%)
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. To earn the full APY, account holders must do all of the following: Receive monthly direct deposits totaling more than $1,500; make 10 transactions a month with your Axos debit card, or sign up for Axos's Personal Finance Manager; maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Self Directed Trading Account; and use your Rewards Checking account to make your full monthly Axos Bank consumer mortgage, personal, or auto loan payment.
Min. to earn: Monthly direct deposits totaling at least $1,500
Use promo code AXOS300 and apply by June 30th, to earn up to a $300 bonus!

Full Chase Total Checking® review

Top perks

Large branch network: Chase is one of the largest banks in the country, with over 4,700 branches nationwide and more than 15,000 ATMs. This makes it a great fit for those who prefer to visit their bank's locations for personalized service.

Excellent customer service: Chase earned the second-highest rating in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. National Banking Satisfaction Study. It could be a good fit for you if you put a big emphasis on customer support and talking to a real person when you need assistance.

Flexible access to your funds: Between its huge branch network and online and mobile tools, the Chase Total Checking® account provides customers with a variety of ways to access their cash when they need it. Customers can deposit and withdraw funds electronically, by visiting a branch, or by making a wire transfer. They can also deposit checks from their smartphones with the mobile app and make withdrawals via debit card or check.

Overdraft Assist: Those who enroll in the Chase Total Checking® account's Overdraft Assist program won't pay an overdraft fee if they've overdrawn their account by less than $50 at the end of the day. They also won't owe a fee if they overdraw it by more than $50, but bring the account balance to overdrawn by less than $50 by the end of the next business day.

What could be improved

Maintenance fee: Like many brick-and-mortar checking accounts, the Chase Total Checking® has a monthly maintenance fee. There are multiple ways to waive this fee, but if you don't think you'll be able to do this, you'd be better off seeking an account that doesn't charge you to own it.

APY: You won't earn any interest with the Chase Total Checking® account. This isn't unusual among checking accounts, especially those offered through traditional banks. But there are online checking accounts with this perk for those who want it. Alternatively, you can keep your extra cash in a high-yield savings account to earn interest.

Personal Review from Experts at The Motley Fool

Brittney Myers, Personal Finance Expert for The Motley Fool Ascent

Chase is a great option for folks looking for a national bank with a lot of branches, tons of products, and top-notch digital banking through the website and mobile app. That said, it's not perfect. I've had a few issues with connecting accounts and transferring funds. And while having branches are nice, they're of limited use for resolving problems; when I had an online banking issue, I was told it could only be resolved by calling customer service.

Chase Total Checking® Fees

Chase Total Checking® Monthly Maintenance ATM Withdrawal Overdraft Stop Payment Insufficient Funds
Fees $12 with options to waive $0 at Chase ATMs, $3 to $5 at out-of-network ATMS Up to $34 $30 per request $34 per transaction, maximum three fees per day
Data source: Chase.

How to access your money

Here's a look at how Chase Total Checking® account customers can access their funds.

Deposit options

You can deposit money into your Chase Total Checking® account in the following ways:

  • Electronic transfer
  • Direct deposit
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Wire transfer
  • Visiting a Chase Bank branch
  • Using a Chase Bank ATM

Withdrawal options

Here are your options for withdrawing money from your Chase Total Checking® account:

  • Electronic transfer
  • Check withdrawal
  • Wire transfer
  • Making a point-of-sale withdrawal
  • Visiting a Chase Bank branch
  • Using a Chase Bank ATM

Chase Total Checking® is right for you if:

The Chase Total Checking® account could be a great choice for you if:

  • You prefer to bank in person.
  • You like having a lot of options when it comes to accessing your money.
  • You don't want to be penalized for small overdrafts.

If this isn't right for you, check out our full list of the best checking accounts.

Keep reading about Chase Bank

Our checking account methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate checking accounts on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). We evaluate all checking accounts across four main criteria: brand and reputation, APY and rewards, fees and minimum requirements, and perks.

Our scores are weighted as:

  • Brand and reputation: 30%
  • APY and rewards: 30%
  • Fees and minimums: 15%
  • Other perks: 15%

Learn more about how The Motley Fool Ascent rates bank accounts.

Our Banking Experts