Bank of America checking accounts

BofA offers these checking accounts:

Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of March 2026 and may vary by region for some products.

The Advantage SafeBalance Banking checking account has safeguards to help you stay within the bounds of your account balance. Instead of allowing an overdraft to occur, BofA will decline your transactions if the funds aren’t available in your account, avoiding an overdraft fee.

Checks are not offered with this account. Instead, transactions are made with a debit card, Zelle and digital banking.

Minimum opening deposit: $25

Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking Fees

The SafeBalance Banking account has a monthly maintenance fee of $4.95. You can avoid this fee if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Maintain a minimum daily balance of $500 or more
• An account owner is under age 25
• Enroll in the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program (becoming BofA Rewards in May 2026)

BofA charges no ATM fees for withdrawals from one of its more than 16,000 ATMs. Using an ATM outside of Bank of America’s network in the U.S. results in a $2.50 charge for each ATM withdrawal, plus any fees charged by the ATM owner. International ATM withdrawals cost $5 per transaction, plus a 3 percent international transaction fee.

The Advantage Plus checking account includes more standard features than the SafeBalance Banking account. Purchases can be paid by debit card, Zelle, mobile and online banking or checks.

In addition, you can add Balance Connect for overdraft protection, which automatically transfers funds from a linked savings account, checking account or eligible brokerage account to cover purchases. Balance Connect lets you link up to five accounts as backups for your checking account, and there’s no transfer fee.

Minimum opening deposit: $100

Bank of America Advantage Plus Fees

A $12 monthly fee applies to the Advantage Plus account, but it can be waived if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Maintain a $1,500 minimum daily balance
• Have at least one eligible direct deposit of $250 or more during the statement cycle
• Enroll in and qualify for BofA’s Preferred Rewards program (becoming BofA Rewards in May 2026)

Cash withdrawals are free at Bank of America ATMs, but you’ll have to pay a $2.50 fee for using an out-of-network ATM in the U.S. or $5 for an international ATM, plus any fees charged by the ATM operator and a 3 percent international transaction fee.

The account has a $10 overdraft fee, with a maximum of two overdraft fees per day. The fee only applies when an item overdraws the account by more than $1. There’s no insufficient funds fee.

The Advantage Relationship checking account is an interest-bearing account that offers tiered rates on all balances, though the APYs offered are relatively low. You’ll earn 0.01 percent APY on balances under $50,000 and up to 0.02 percent APY on balances of $50,000 or more.

The account allows you to pay for purchases with a debit card, Zelle, check, or mobile and online banking. Like the Advantage Plus account, there’s a $10 overdraft fee per item, with a maximum of two fees per day. The fee applies only when an item overdraws your account by more than $1.

Minimum opening deposit: $100

Bank of America Advantage Relationship Banking Fees

The Advantage Relationship account is an interest-bearing checking account, but several fees could easily eat away at any earnings.

The monthly maintenance fee is $25. You can avoid this fee if you:

• Maintain a combined daily balance of $20,000 or more across all linked, eligible Bank of America accounts each statement cycle
• Enroll in BofA’s Preferred Rewards program (becoming BofA Rewards in May 2026)

If you sign up for Balance Connect overdraft protection, BofA will transfer funds from a linked account to cover overdrafts. You can link up to five accounts, and there isn’t a transfer fee.

Many of the other fees imposed by Bank of America are waived on the Advantage Relationship account, including card replacement and stop payment fees. But you will still have to contend with fees for cashier’s checks, outgoing domestic wire transfers and international wire transfers sent in U.S. dollars.

Cashier’s check fees are waived for customers enrolled in any tier of Preferred Rewards. Outgoing domestic wire transfer fees are waived for Diamond Honors (unlimited) Preferred Rewards clients. Incoming foreign wire transfer fees are waived for Platinum, Platinum Honors and Diamond Honors Preferred Rewards clients. Outgoing foreign wire transfer fees are waived for Diamond Honors (unlimited) Preferred Rewards clients.

Cash withdrawals are free at Bank of America ATMs. Out-of-network ATM fees are $2.50 per withdrawal in the U.S. and $5 for international ATMs, plus any fees from the ATM operator and a 3 percent international transaction fee.

Bank of America offers its customers a rewards program that includes benefits such as additional cash back and reduced and waived fees.

Preferred Rewards program (transitioning to BofA Rewards in May 2026)

Preferred Rewards is a tiered balance program that allows Bank of America customers to earn additional rewards as their account balances grow. Perks include higher APYs on savings, credit card rewards bonuses, reduced mortgage origination fees, interest rate discounts on home equity and auto loans and more.

Important: On May 27, 2026, the Preferred Rewards program will become BofA Rewards. The new program removes the $20,000 minimum balance requirement to join, meaning all Bank of America customers with a personal checking account will be eligible for enrollment. Current Preferred Rewards members will be automatically enrolled in BofA Rewards.

Current Preferred Rewards balance tiers, based on a three-month combined average daily balance at Bank of America:

• Gold: $20,000 to $49,999
• Platinum: $50,000 to $99,999
• Platinum Honors: $100,000 to less than $1 million
• Diamond: $1 million to $9,999,999

Under the new BofA Rewards program launching May 27, 2026, the tiers will be restructured:

• Member: Under $30,000 (no minimum balance required)
• Preferred Plus: $30,000 to $100,000
• Preferred Honors: $100,000 to $1,000,000
• Premier: $1,000,000 or more

New benefits under BofA Rewards will include cash-back deals from more than 15,000 brands, enhanced fraud and identity monitoring and subscription credits for higher-tier members.

BankAmeriDeals

BankAmeriDeals are special offers that allow you to earn cash back for eligible purchases made with a BofA credit or debit card. Cash-back deals can be found in the mobile and online banking portals and are credited to your account within 30 days after purchase.

New customers may qualify for a sign-up bonus

Bank of America currently offers a tiered cash bonus of up to $500 for new checking account customers. The offer is available online only through BofA’s promotional page and expires May 31, 2026.

To qualify, open a new eligible Bank of America Advantage Banking checking account (SafeBalance, Advantage Plus or Advantage Relationship) and receive qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening. The bonus amount is based on your total qualifying direct deposits:

• $100 bonus: $2,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits
• $300 bonus: $5,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits
• $500 bonus: $10,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits

A qualifying direct deposit is a direct deposit of regular monthly income, such as your salary, pension or Social Security benefits, made by your employer or other payer using your account and routing numbers. Transfers, ATM deposits and mobile deposits do not qualify. You must not have owned or co-owned a Bank of America personal checking account within the last 12 months.

Although you can enjoy the standard features of a checking account with a multitude of branches, these checking accounts fall short in other areas. The cost of fees associated with these accounts can add up quickly if minimum requirements aren’t met.

If branch banking isn’t a priority, you might want to explore other banking options. A few alternatives include products from NBKC Bank, Capital One and LendingClub Bank. Each of these banks offer features that might be a better fit for your finances, if branch banking isn’t a necessity.