Citizens Bank checking accounts charge monthly fees that can be waived without maintaining any minimum balance. One Deposit Checking, the primary consumer account, waives its $9.99 monthly fee with any single qualifying direct deposit received during the statement period, regardless of the dollar amount. This is unusual among major banks, where the direct deposit waiver typically requires a minimum of $500 or more per month. At Citizens, a paycheck of any size satisfies the condition.
Citizens Bank Account Minimums at a Glance
| Account | Monthly Fee | Minimum to Waive | Balance Method | Other Waivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Deposit Checking | $9.99 | No balance option | N/A | Any qualifying direct deposit |
| Premier Checking | $25.00 | $25,000 combined | Average daily combined | N/A |
| Citizens Savings | $4.99 | $200 | Average daily | Linked Citizens checking |
| Goal Savings | $0 | No fee | N/A | Available to all customers |
How Citizens Bank Calculates Fees
Citizens One Deposit Checking has no minimum balance waiver. The only way to avoid the $9.99 monthly fee is to receive at least one qualifying direct deposit during the statement period. Because there is no minimum dollar amount, even a small payroll deposit of $50 satisfies the condition. This structure benefits part-time workers, gig economy workers, and retirees whose income deposits are irregular or modest.
Premier Checking uses combined average daily balance across all Citizens accounts, including checking, savings, and money market accounts. A customer with $15,000 in savings and $10,000 in checking holds $25,000 combined and qualifies for the fee waiver on Premier Checking.
One Deposit Checking
One Deposit Checking charges $9.99 per month. The fee is waived in any month when at least one qualifying direct deposit posts to the account. Qualifying sources include employer payroll, government benefit payments, Social Security, and pension deposits. Cash deposits, check deposits, and transfers from other banks or payment apps do not qualify. There is no minimum balance waiver option on this account.
For customers who do not have a regular direct deposit, the $9.99 fee applies every month without exception. In this case, Citizens is not competitive with Huntington, KeyBank, or Fifth Third, which offer permanently free checking without a direct deposit requirement.
Citizens Premier Checking
Premier Checking charges $25 per month, waived by maintaining $25,000 or more in combined average daily balances across all Citizens Bank checking, savings, and money market accounts. This threshold is comparable to Chase Private Client and Wells Fargo Platinum accounts, which also require $25,000 in combined balances.
Citizens Savings Account Minimums
Citizens Savings charges $4.99 per month, waived by maintaining a $200 average daily balance or by linking the savings account to a Citizens Bank checking account. For customers who already hold One Deposit Checking, the linked-account waiver means no specific savings balance is required to avoid the $4.99 fee.
For current Citizens savings rates, see the Citizens Bank savings account guide.
How to Avoid Citizens Bank Monthly Fees
For One Deposit Checking, setting up any recurring payroll direct deposit automatically waives the monthly fee. Because no minimum dollar amount is required, this condition is easier to satisfy than at Chase, Wells Fargo, or Bank of America, where the direct deposit must typically be $500 or more.
For customers without direct deposit, Citizens Bank is not a cost-effective option for checking. Huntington’s Asterisk-Free Checking, KeyBank’s Key Smart Checking, and Fifth Third’s Momentum Checking all provide permanently free checking without any direct deposit requirement.
For a complete overview of Citizens Bank accounts and services, see the Citizens Bank complete guide.
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