Truist Bank charges a $12 monthly maintenance fee on its standard checking accounts, a $36 overdraft fee (up to 3 per day), and $3.00 per out-of-network ATM transaction. The monthly fee is waivable with a $1,500 minimum balance, $500 in monthly direct deposits, or a linked Truist loan or credit card. With approximately 2,000 branches concentrated in the Southeast, Truist is the dominant regional bank from Virginia to Florida.
Truist was formed in 2019 from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks — two institutions with over a century of combined history. Their fee structure is middle-of-the-pack for traditional banks: the same $12 monthly fee as Chase and Bank of America, but a higher $36 overdraft fee that’s a meaningful drawback if your balance runs close to zero. Here’s the complete 2026 fee schedule with everything you need to know before opening or keeping an account.
Truist Fees at a Glance
| Fee Type | Amount | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Maintenance Fee | $12/month | $1,500 balance OR $500 direct deposit OR linked product |
| Overdraft Fee | $36/item | Link savings (free) OR opt out |
| Non-Truist ATM Fee | $3.00/transaction | Use Truist ATMs |
| Wire Transfer (Domestic) | $35 outgoing, $15 incoming | Use Zelle (free) |
| Wire Transfer (International) | $50 outgoing, $15 incoming | Use Wise or similar |
| Stop Payment | $36/request | — |
| Cashier’s Check | $10/check | — |
The two fees that matter most for everyday banking are the monthly maintenance fee and the overdraft fee. The monthly fee is easy to waive with a modest direct deposit — most people with a steady paycheck will qualify automatically. The overdraft fee is where Truist stings: at $36 per incident with a maximum of 3 per day, a customer who overdrafts three times in one day owes $108 before they even know it. If you carry a thin balance or have variable income, that’s a real risk worth planning around.
Truist Monthly Maintenance Fees
Truist Checking Account Fees
| Account | Monthly Fee | How to Waive |
|---|---|---|
| Truist One Checking | $12 | $1,500 minimum balance OR $500+ monthly direct deposit OR linked Truist credit card, mortgage, or loan |
| Truist Basic Checking | $12 | Same as Truist One (but no paper checks) |
| Truist Confidence | $5 | Cannot be waived |
Truist One Checking is the flagship personal account. It includes paper checks, a debit card, online banking, and Zelle access. The three waiver paths give most employed customers a way to avoid the fee: a single $500 direct deposit — even a part-time paycheck — satisfies the requirement each month.
Truist Basic Checking carries the same $12 fee and the same waiver options, but it doesn’t issue paper checks. It’s designed for customers who bank digitally and never write checks — the tradeoff for the simpler product is just the removal of that feature, not a lower fee.
Truist Confidence Account is Truist’s second-chance banking product, intended for customers who have been declined at other banks due to ChexSystems history. The $5 monthly fee cannot be waived, but the account is structured to prevent overdrafts entirely — you can’t spend more than you have. After 12 months of good standing, customers can typically upgrade to a standard checking account.
Truist Savings Account Fees
| Account | Monthly Fee | How to Waive |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Savings | $5 | $300 minimum balance OR linked to Truist checking |
Linking a Truist savings account to checking is one of the better moves you can make — it not only waives the $5 savings fee but also enables free overdraft protection transfers. If your checking account goes negative, Truist automatically pulls funds from savings at no charge, bypassing the $36 overdraft fee entirely.
Worked Example: What Truist Fees Cost Per Year
Consider a customer with a $900 average checking balance who receives a $400 paycheck via direct deposit each month — just below both waiver thresholds. They pay $12/month = $144/year in maintenance fees. If they overdraft twice in the year, add another $72. Total avoidable cost: $216/year.
The fix: split the paycheck so that $500 goes to Truist checking each month. The fee disappears, and linking a $300 savings account eliminates overdraft risk. Same banking relationship, $216 back in pocket annually.
Truist Overdraft Fees
Truist’s $36 overdraft fee is among the highest at any major bank — see how it compares across all institutions in the overdraft fees by bank breakdown.
| Overdraft Detail | Policy |
|---|---|
| Fee per overdraft | $36 |
| Maximum daily fees | 3 ($108 total) |
| Grace period | Until 10 PM same day |
| Overdraft Protection transfer | Fee-free from linked savings |
| NSF fee (returned item) | $36 |
How Truist Overdraft Works
When your balance goes negative, Truist gives you two options — and the one that’s active depends on how you’ve set up your account.
Overdraft Coverage (opt-in): Truist may approve transactions even when your balance is insufficient and charge $36 per item. This keeps your card from declining at the register, but each covered transaction carries the fee. The grace period is important: if you deposit or transfer enough money to cover the negative balance by 10 PM the same day, Truist waives the overdraft fee for that day.
Overdraft Protection (requires linked savings): If you’ve linked a Truist savings account, Truist automatically transfers the exact amount needed from savings to checking — for free. No $36 fee, no grace period calculation required. This is the cleanest solution for anyone who carries a savings buffer.
If you opt out of both programs, transactions simply decline when your balance is insufficient. No fee, but also no coverage at the register when you need it.
Avoiding Truist Overdraft Fees
For strategies that work across any bank, see the full guide to how to avoid overdraft fees.
- Link a savings account — Free automatic transfers whenever checking goes negative
- Set up low balance alerts — Text or email notification before you overdraft
- Use the 10 PM grace window — Deposit or transfer funds the same day to avoid the fee
- Opt out of Overdraft Coverage — Transactions decline rather than trigger a $36 charge
- Use Truist Confidence account — No overdraft capability means no overdraft fees
Truist ATM Fees
| ATM Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Truist ATM | $0 |
| Non-Truist ATM (US) | $3.00 |
| International ATM | $3.00 |
| Foreign currency ATM | $3.00 + 3% foreign transaction fee |
Truist ATM Network
Truist operates approximately 3,500 ATMs. For daily withdrawal limits at those ATMs, see the Truist ATM withdrawal limit guide. The network reflects the bank’s southeastern roots — it’s dense where BB&T and SunTrust had their strongest presence, and thin or nonexistent everywhere else. The network is concentrated in:
- North Carolina (headquarters in Charlotte)
- Virginia
- Georgia
- Florida
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Texas
If you live in the Southeast, you’ll find Truist ATMs at grocery stores, pharmacies, and street corners much like any major bank. If you live in the West Coast, Midwest, or Northeast — or travel there frequently — plan on paying the $3.00 out-of-network fee regularly. For heavy travelers, an online bank with ATM fee reimbursement is a better fit than Truist.
Truist Wire Transfer Fees
| Wire Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Domestic outgoing | $35 |
| Domestic incoming | $15 |
| International outgoing | $50 |
| International incoming | $15 |
Truist’s domestic outgoing wire fee ($35) is higher than most large bank competitors who charge $25–$30, and well above online banks like Ally ($20). For a full comparison see the bank wire transfer fees guide. If you’re sending money domestically, free alternatives almost always make more sense.
Free Alternatives to Wire Transfers
| Method | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Zelle | Free | Instant |
| External ACH transfer | Free | 1–3 business days |
Zelle handles the vast majority of person-to-person transfers — sending money to a landlord, splitting bills, paying a contractor — without any fee. Reserve wires for situations where speed and legal guarantee of funds matter, such as a real estate closing.
Other Truist Fees
Account Service Fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Stop payment | $36 |
| Cashier’s check | $10 |
| Money order | $5 |
| Safe deposit box | Varies by location |
| Paper statements | $3/month |
| Account research | $25/hour |
The $36 stop payment fee is notably high — the same as an overdraft charge. If you need to cancel a check, act quickly: calling the bank costs $36, but sometimes contacting the payee to void the check on their end is free. Paper statements cost $3/month ($36/year) — switching to electronic statements in your online banking settings eliminates this immediately.
Debit Card Fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Debit card replacement | Free |
| Rush replacement | $25 |
| International debit purchases | 3% foreign transaction fee |
Standard debit card replacements are free and typically arrive in 7–10 business days. The $25 rush fee is reasonable if you genuinely need a card within 1–2 days. The 3% foreign transaction fee applies to any purchase processed through a foreign bank — this includes online purchases from international retailers, not just in-person transactions abroad. If you shop internationally online with any regularity, a card with no foreign transaction fee will save you money.
Miscellaneous Fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Returned deposited item | $12 |
| Inactive account fee | $10/month after 18 months |
| Early account closure (within 90 days) | $25 |
The inactive account fee is worth knowing: if you open a Truist account and stop using it — even with a positive balance — Truist charges $10/month starting at 18 months of inactivity. If you’re keeping an account dormant as a backup, set a calendar reminder to make at least one transaction every few months.
Truist Relationship Benefits
Truist offers tiered relationship benefits based on your total balances across checking, savings, and investment accounts combined.
| Tier | Requirements | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Any checking account | Standard features |
| Truist Relationship | $25,000+ balances | Rate discounts on loans |
| Truist Premier | $75,000+ balances | Premium pricing, dedicated support |
| Truist Wealth | $250,000+ | Wealth management services |
For most retail customers, the Base tier covers everything they need. The Relationship tier ($25,000 combined) starts to matter if you’re taking out a Truist mortgage or auto loan — the rate discount can save thousands over the life of a loan, making the banking relationship genuinely valuable. Premier and Wealth tiers serve customers who are also using Truist for investment management or private banking.
If you’re not close to those balance thresholds, the relationship tiers aren’t a reason to stay with Truist over a competitor — the standard fee structure is what matters for most customers.
Truist Fees vs. Competitors
| Fee Type | Truist | Chase | BofA | Capital One | Ally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $12 | $12 | $12 | $0 | $0 |
| Overdraft | $36 | $35 | $10 | $0 | $0 |
| Overdraft protection transfer | Free | Free | Free | N/A | N/A |
| Out-of-network ATM | $3.00 | $3.50 | $2.50 | $0 | $0 |
| Wire (domestic out) | $35 | $30 | $30 | $30 | $20 |
Truist’s monthly fee is in line with the major bank average, but its overdraft fee is the outlier. Bank of America charges just $10 per overdraft — less than a third of Truist’s $36. Capital One and Ally charge nothing. If you’re choosing between traditional banks specifically, Truist’s free overdraft protection transfers are a genuine positive — but only if you maintain a linked savings buffer. For a full picture see Chase bank fees and our online banks vs. traditional banks comparison.
Former BB&T and SunTrust Customers
If you held an account at BB&T or SunTrust before the 2019 merger, your account has already been converted to Truist. The practical impact:
- Account numbers remained the same after conversion
- Routing numbers changed — you need the new Truist routing number, which differs depending on whether your account originated at BB&T or SunTrust
- All former branch locations are now Truist-branded
- Legacy BB&T and SunTrust rewards programs were merged into Truist’s program
The most common post-merger issue is direct deposit or automatic payment failures caused by old routing numbers still being on file with employers or billers. If you’ve had any unexplained payment rejections since 2022, check that your routing number is updated everywhere it appears — payroll systems, utility auto-pay, subscription services, and government benefit deposits.
Is Truist Worth It?
Truist makes the most sense as a primary bank if you live in the Southeast and want in-person branch access. The BB&T and SunTrust branch networks give Truist exceptional physical coverage from Virginia through Florida and across to Texas — comparable to Chase or Bank of America in those markets. The loan relationship waiver is also a real benefit: if you already have a Truist mortgage or auto loan, your checking fee is waived automatically.
The case against Truist is straightforward: the $36 overdraft fee is hard to justify when Bank of America charges $10 and Capital One charges nothing. If you overdraft even twice a year, you’re paying $72 in fees that you wouldn’t pay elsewhere. Customers who live outside the Southeast also get little benefit from Truist’s branch network and will encounter frequent out-of-network ATM fees.
Truist makes sense if you:
- Live in the Southeast (Virginia to Florida to Texas)
- Have existing BB&T or SunTrust relationships you’re continuing
- Can meet the $500 direct deposit waiver threshold
- Already have a Truist mortgage, auto loan, or credit card
- Rarely carry a near-zero balance
Consider alternatives if you:
- Overdraft occasionally — Bank of America ($10) or Ally ($0) are far cheaper
- Want no monthly fees without conditions — Capital One 360 or Ally Checking
- Travel frequently outside the Southeast — no ATM fee reimbursement
- Want a higher savings rate — online banks consistently outpay Truist
For a side-by-side view of how Truist stacks up against every major bank, see the bank fees comparison. If you’re considering switching, our guides to no-fee checking accounts and best online banks cover the top alternatives — especially relevant given Truist’s high overdraft fee. For tips that apply regardless of which bank you choose, see how to avoid bank fees.
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