Bank of America charges the fee when it pays a check, recurring card charge or scheduled payment your balance cannot cover. When it declines or returns one instead, Bank of America charges nothing.
Best way to avoid it Link a savings account through Balance Connect. Bank of America moves the money over automatically when a payment would overdraw you, and the transfer is free.
Done with overdraft fees? See accounts that charge $0
Here is what an overdraft costs at Bank of America, how Balance Connect and the Decline All setting work, how to ask for a refund, and where to bank if you are done with overdraft fees.
MoreWhat overdraft fees are and how to avoid them
Bank of America overdraft fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | When it applies | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overdraft item fee | $10, twice a day at most | Bank of America pays a check, recurring card charge or scheduled payment your available balance cannot cover | Link a backup account with Balance Connect |
| Small overdraft | $0 | The item is $1 or less, or it overdraws you by $1 or less | Automatic. No fee is charged |
| ATM and one-time debit card | $0 | You are short at an ATM or at checkout, and the transaction is declined | Automatic. These cannot overdraw the account |
| Returned item (NSF) fee | $0 | Bank of America returns a payment unpaid | The company you were paying may still charge you |
| Balance Connect transfer | $0 | Bank of America pulls from a linked backup account | A credit card or line of credit transfer accrues interest |
| Advantage SafeBalance Banking | $0 | This account charges no Overdraft Item Fees | Bank of America declines or returns the payment instead |
From Bank of America’s Personal Schedule of Fees effective August 7, 2026, read at this update. The schedule applies in all states. Check Bank of America’s fee schedule for your own account.
How Bank of America overdrafts work
Bank of America decides item by item whether to pay a transaction you cannot cover. It may pay checks, recurring debit card charges such as a gym membership, Bill Pay payments and scheduled electronic payments. ATM withdrawals and one-time debit card purchases are declined.
When Bank of America pays, the fee is $10, twice a day at most. When it does not pay, the transaction is declined or returned and the bank charges nothing. It also skips the fee on an item it approved while you still had enough money, and on an electronic payment that a merchant resubmits and labels as a retry.
The number that matters is your available balance, not the balance on your statement. Pending card purchases and deposit holds lower it before they post. Bank of America gives this example: you start the day with $50 and buy $20 of gas, then a $40 check arrives. Only $30 is available, so the check overdraws you by $10 and costs a $10 fee.
The fee has come down a long way. Bank of America cut it from $35 to $10 in 2022 and ended its returned item (NSF) fee the same year. Its extended overdraft charge ended in 2017, so staying negative does not add a daily fee. Members in the Premier tier of BofA Rewards, which takes $1 million or more in combined balances, have every overdraft fee waived.
Is there a Bank of America overdraft limit?
Bank of America does not publish a dollar limit on how far you can overdraw. It pays overdrafts at its discretion, based on things like the transaction amount and your account history, and guarantees nothing. It typically will not pay if your account is not in good standing. The limit it does publish is on fees: two $10 charges per day. If you need a set amount you can count on, compare banks that let you overdraft.
Do not let a negative balance sit. Bank of America expects it back right away and applies your next deposit to it first. If the account stays overdrawn, the bank can close it, report it to consumer reporting agencies and start collections.
- $10 fee, down from $35
- Two fees a day at most
- No returned item (NSF) fee
- Fee-free cushion is only $1
- No next-day grace period
- Bank of America decides what gets paid
Balance Connect, explained
Balance Connect is Bank of America’s overdraft protection. You link your checking account to backup accounts, and the bank moves available money over when a payment would overdraw you. It is optional, and it has four parts worth knowing.
Link a savings account, a second checking account, a credit card, a line of credit or certain Merrill accounts, and set the order they are used in.
There is no setup cost and no transfer fee. The old $12 transfer fee ended in May 2022.
Bank of America makes one transfer from each backup account, even when it covers several payments, and only if the money covers at least one item.
A transfer from a credit card or line of credit is an advance, and it accrues interest under that account’s terms. Savings is the cheap backup.
If your backup accounts come up short, the payment can still overdraw you and cost $10. Set Balance Connect up in the mobile app, in Online Banking or by calling the number on your statement. Bank of America’s overdraft services page walks through enrollment. If you need a savings account to link, check the current Bank of America promotions before you open one.
Bank of America overdraft settings and SafeBalance
Two choices decide what happens when the money is not there: the overdraft setting on your account, and whether that account is SafeBalance.
Standard and Decline All: your two settings
Every personal checking account except SafeBalance starts on the Standard setting. On Standard, Bank of America may pay a check, a recurring card charge or a scheduled payment and charge you $10. On Decline All, it declines or returns those payments and charges nothing, even if a late-posting charge leaves the account negative.
ATM withdrawals and one-time debit card purchases are declined under both settings. To switch to Decline All, call the number on your statement or visit a financial center.
The trade-off is the bounced payment. Bank of America will not charge you, but your landlord, lender or utility can add a late or returned payment fee, and that can be more than $10.
Advantage SafeBalance Banking: no overdraft fees
SafeBalance is the Bank of America account with no Overdraft Item Fees. It is locked to Decline All, has no paper checks and cannot use Balance Connect. The monthly fee is $4.95, or $0 if an owner is under 25, if you keep a minimum daily balance of $500 or more, or if you are in the Preferred Plus tier of BofA Rewards or higher. The minimum to open is $25.
If you already bank there, you can switch to SafeBalance at no cost and keep the same account number and debit card. Checks you have already written keep clearing for 60 days. After that they are returned unpaid, even if the money is there. The account can still dip negative in rare cases, such as a tip added after a card was approved, and Bank of America does not charge a fee when that happens.
MoreATMs that let you overdraft
How to get a Bank of America overdraft fee refunded
Bank of America’s fee schedule spells out when the fee is skipped. It does not promise refunds. Any other refund is a courtesy you have to ask for.
- Check whether it should have been charged. Bank of America skips the fee on an item of $1 or less, on an overdraft of $1 or less, on a one-time debit card purchase or ATM withdrawal, on an item approved while you had enough money, and on a third overdraft in one day.
- Bring the account positive first. A request lands better when the balance is already fixed.
- Call the number on your statement or 800-432-1000, or visit a financial center. Have the date and amount of the fee ready, and check Bank of America hours before you go.
- Ask plainly. Try: “I was charged a $10 Overdraft Item Fee on [date]. My balance is positive again and I rarely overdraw. Can you refund it as a courtesy?”
- If the answer is no, ask for a second look. Ask whether a supervisor can review it. For a fee you believe was a mistake, you can also submit a complaint to the CFPB, which says most companies respond within 15 days.
While you have someone on the line, fix the cause. Ask the representative to link Balance Connect or switch you to Decline All.
How to stop Bank of America overdrafts for good
- Turn on balance alerts. The app can send your available balance every day and tell you when a scheduled payment lowers it. Bank of America does not charge for alerts.
- Use Balance Watch. It is part of the Erica assistant in the app, and it tells you when your balance is trending toward $0.
- Link a savings account. Balance Connect transfers are free and automatic.
- Move your bill dates. If the same bill lands before payday every month, ask the company to shift the due date.
- Ask for Decline All. A returned payment costs nothing at Bank of America. A paid overdraft is $10.
- Switch to Advantage SafeBalance Banking. It charges no Overdraft Item Fees. The monthly fee is $4.95, or $0 if you are under 25 or keep at least $500 in the account every day.
Short today with payday close? Bank of America’s own option is Balance Assist: borrow $300, $400 or $500 for a flat $15 fee and repay it in four equal monthly payments. You need a checking account that has been open at least a year, a positive balance and a credit check, so it works before you overdraw, not after. Otherwise, compare the best cash advance apps before you borrow. Fees and speed vary a lot by app.
Bank accounts with no overdraft fees
Two of these accounts charge no overdraft fee at all. The third, Chase, charges $34 per overdraft, up to three a day, which is more than Bank of America’s $10. Its edge is the cushion: Chase waives the fee when you are overdrawn by $50 or less, where Bank of America’s cutoff is $1.
SoFi Checking and Savings
Current
Chase Total CheckingOverdraft terms verified on each company’s site at this update. Terms apply.
| Account | Overdraft fee | Most fees in a day | Cushion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For comparison, Bank of America: $10 per overdraft, 2 fees a day at most, no fee at $1 or less overdrawn | ||||
| SoFi Checking and Savings | $0 | None | Up to $50 on debit card purchases with $1,000+ in monthly direct deposits | See SoFi’s offer |
| Current | $0 | None | An amount Current sets, with $200+ in direct deposits over 35 days | Join Current |
| Chase Total Checking | $34 | 3 | $50, plus until 11 p.m. ET the next business day to get back under it | Get $400 |
Chase Total Checking: $400 bonus with $1,000 in direct deposits within 90 days. Offer expires 01/27/2027. Not available to existing Chase checking customers, those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years. One new checking account opening bonus every two years. $0 Monthly Service Fee with any one of: $500+ in qualifying electronic deposits, a $1,500 balance at the beginning of each day, a $5,000 average beginning day balance across linked qualifying accounts, or a linked qualifying checking account. Otherwise a $15 Monthly Service Fee applies. Account subject to approval. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
SoFi: Overdraft Coverage applies to SoFi Bank debit card purchases only, not transfers, bill payments or checks. It requires $1,000 or more in eligible direct deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period, and SoFi decides eligibility. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
Current: The fee-free overdraft amount may vary and is set at Current’s discretion. It requires $200 or more in eligible direct deposits over the preceding 35 days, and negative balances must be repaid within 60 days. The $75 bonus requires code WELCOME75 and $1,500 in payroll deposits within 35 days. Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC, and/or Cross River Bank, Member FDIC.
Other big banks set their own rules. See Chase overdraft limits and fees, PNC overdraft fees, U.S. Bank overdraft fees and the Capital One overdraft limit.
Bank of America overdraft fee FAQs
SoFi Checking and Savings charges no overdraft fees and covers up to $50 on debit card purchases when you receive at least $1,000 in eligible direct deposits every 31 days. Current offers fee-free overdraft once you qualify with eligible direct deposits, in an amount Current sets. If you would rather stay with Bank of America, its Advantage SafeBalance Banking account does not charge overdraft fees either.
Bank of America charges $10 each time it pays a check, recurring debit card charge or scheduled payment you cannot cover, with a limit of two fees per day. There is no fee on an item of $1 or less or an overdraft of $1 or less, and Advantage SafeBalance Banking charges no overdraft fee at all.
Bank of America does not publish a dollar limit. It decides whether to pay each overdraft at its discretion, based on things like the transaction amount and your account history, and it can decline. The limit it does publish is on fees: two $10 overdraft fees per day.
Bank of America’s fee schedule lists no next-day grace period. The bank decides during end-of-day processing, and it posts deposits before payments, so a deposit that is available before that day’s cutoff can still cover the payment.
Bank of America skips the fee automatically on overdrafts of $1 or less. Any other refund is a courtesy. Bring your balance positive, call the number on your statement or 800-432-1000, and ask for a one-time refund.
No. Bank of America ended its non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee in 2022. If it returns a payment unpaid, the company you were paying may still charge its own late or returned payment fee.
No. ATM withdrawals and one-time debit card purchases are declined when you do not have enough available money, and there is no fee. Only checks, recurring card charges and scheduled payments can be paid into overdraft. If you want a cushion with no fee, Current offers fee-free overdraft once you qualify.
Bank of America’s deposit agreement does not give a number of days. It says an overdraft must be repaid immediately, and that the bank may close an account that stays overdrawn, report it to consumer reporting agencies and start collections. There is no extended overdraft fee while you are negative.
Not right now. A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule aimed at overdraft fees at very large banks never took effect. The CFPB says the President signed a resolution disapproving the rule on May 12, 2025 and that it has no force or effect, so Bank of America sets its own fee.
