How To Avoid PNC’s Monthly Service Charge
Written by
Joshua Rodriguez
Edited by
Elizabeth Constantineau
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As with most banks, PNC Bank charges a monthly maintenance fee for checking and savings account services. Have you ever wondered, “Why is PNC charging me $7 a month?” It’s likely the bank’s maintenance fee.
The good news is that you don’t have to pay it. PNC Bank offers multiple ways for you to avoid paying monthly service charges. All you need to do is understand how the bank’s products work.
What Is the PNC Monthly Service Charge?
PNC Bank’s monthly service charge for its checking accounts ranges from $5 to $25, depending on the type of account you have. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of PNC bank accounts and the fees they come with.
PNC Bank Checking Account Fees
| Account Type | Monthly Maintenance Fee |
|---|---|
| Virtual Wallet | $7 |
| Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend | $15 |
| Virtual Wallet with Performance Select | $25 |
| Virtual Wallet Student | $0 |
| Foundation Checking | $5 |
| Interest Checking | $13 |
PNC Bank Savings Account Fees
| Account Type | Monthly Maintenance Fee |
|---|---|
| S is for Savings | $5 |
| Standard Savings | $5 |
| PNC High Yield Savings® | $0 |
| Premiere Money Market | $12 |
How To Avoid the PNC Maintenance Fee
There are several ways to avoid the monthly service charge.
1. Maintain a Minimum Checking Account Balance
You can avoid maintenance fees on your checking account by maintaining a minimum balance. Here are the minimum balances that qualify you for free checking based on types:
- Virtual Wallet: $500 in direct deposits to your Spend account, or the equivalent balance amount in all combined checking accounts
- Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend: $2,000 in direct deposit transactions to your Spend account, or the equivalent balance amount in all combined checking accounts
- Virtual Wallet with Performance Select: $5,000 in direct deposit transactions to your Spend account, or the equivalent balance amount in all combined checking accounts
- Foundation Checking: $0
- Interest Checking: $2,000
2. Maintain a Minimum Savings Account Balance
You can also avoid savings account maintenance fees by maintaining a minimum balance. Here are the minimum balance requirements for savings accounts:
- S is for Saving: $300
- Standard Savings: $300
- PNC High Yield Savings®: $0
- Premier Money Market: $5,000
3. Link Your Bank Accounts
If you have a Performance Select account, you can avoid fees on Interest Checking and Standard Checking accounts by linking your checking and/or savings accounts to the Performance Select account as benefit accounts.
4. Set Up Direct Deposit
If you have a Virtual Wallet account with PNC, you can avoid the $7 monthly maintenance fee by signing up for direct deposit. You won’t pay a fee as long as the account receives at least $500 per month in direct deposits.
Thanks!
5. Take Advantage of PNC’s Age-Based Waiver
If you’re at least 62 years old, you can take advantage of PNC Bank’s age-based waiver on select accounts.
6. Become a PNC Bank Employee
Although this may not be practical for everyone, you should consider PNC if you’re looking for a new career opportunity in banking and a new bank account at the same time. The bank waives maintenance fees for its employees.
How To Avoid PNC Bank Overdraft Fees
PNC Bank offers several features to help you avoid overdraft fees with Low Cash Mode. These include:
- Extra time: Bring your account balance up to $0 within 24 hours of the overdraft, and you won’t pay a fee.
- Payment control: Choose which checks to pay and which checks to return to avoid overdrafts.
- Alerts: You’ll always be in the know and able to take action before PNC charges an overdraft fee.
- Overdraft protection accounts: Link up to two other PNC accounts for overdraft protection.
How To Avoid PNC Bank ATM Fees
You can avoid ATM fees when you use one of approximately 60,000 PNC and Partner ATMs across the country. If you have PNC’s Virtual Wallet®, you can also take advantage of up to two fee reimbursements per payment cycle for non-PNC ATM transactions. PNC limits these reimbursements to $5 per occurrence.
How PNC Bank Fees Compare to Other Banks’ Fees
Take a look below at how PNC Bank compares to other major banks.
PNC vs. Wells Fargo
| Fee | PNC Bank | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Up to $25 | Up to $35 |
| Out-of-network ATM withdrawal | -In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
-In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
| Overdraft (nonsufficient funds) | $36 | $35 |
| Wire transfer | $15-$50 | Fees vary based on multiple factors |
| International debit purchase | 3% of transaction | 3% of transaction |
PNC vs. Chase
| Fee | PNC Bank | Chase |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Up to $25 | Up to $25 |
| Out-of-network ATM withdrawal | -In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
-In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
| Overdraft (nonsufficient funds) | $36 | $34* |
| Wire transfer | $15-$50 | $15-$50 |
| International debit purchase | 3% of transaction | 3% of transaction |
PNC vs. Bank of America, Member FDIC
| Fee | PNC Bank | Bank of America, Member FDIC |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Up to $25 | Up to $25 |
| Out-of-network ATM withdrawal | -In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
-In U.S.: $2.50 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
| Overdraft (nonsufficient funds) | $36 | $10 |
| Wire transfer | $15-$50 | $0-$45 depending on account and transfer type |
| International debit purchase | 3% of transaction | 3% of transaction |
PNC vs. Citi®
| Fee | PNC Bank | Citi® |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Up to $25 | See website for details on monthly fees; but could be between $0 and up to $30 |
| Out-of-network ATM withdrawal | -In U.S.: $3 -Outside U.S.: $5 |
$2.50 |
| Overdraft (nonsufficient funds) | $36 | $0 |
| Wire transfer | $15-$50 | $0-$45 |
| International debit purchase | 3% of transaction | Up to 3% of transaction |
Final Take
If you have an account with PNC Bank, consider taking advantage of the options above to avoid maintenance fees. You might want to explore other available accounts as well, to find the best CD rates or money market accounts.
FAQ
- What is the monthly fee for PNC Bank?
- The monthly fee for a PNC Bank checking account ranges from $7 to $25, depending on the type of account you open.
- Why do I have a monthly maintenance fee Bank of America?
- Bank of America charges monthly maintenance fees if you don't have direct deposits or maintain minimum balances in accordance with the fee schedule for your account type.
Cynthia Bowman contributed to the reporting for this article.
Data is accurate as of Oct. 22, 2024, and is subject to change.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
*With Chase Overdraft AssistSM, 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 p.m. ET, or 8 p.m. PT, to make a deposit or transfer). Chase Overdraft Assist does not require enrollment and comes with eligible Chase checking accounts.
The information related to the Chase products above was collected by GOBankingRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see the issuer’s website for current information. GOBankingRates does not receive commission for these products.
