Banking costs
Overdraft Fee Cost Calculator
A single overdraft fee looks small in the moment. A handful a year is real money. See the annual total next to what opting out of coverage — or a lower-cost alternative — would cost instead.
Interactive tool
Overdraft Fee Cost Calculator
See what your overdraft fees add up to in a year, next to what opting out of coverage or a linked-account transfer would cost instead.
Defaults to Bankrate's 2025 Checking Account & ATM Fee Study national average of $26.77 (published Sept 10, 2025). Check your own bank's fee schedule for the actual number.
A linked-account transfer fee, or $0 if you opt out of overdraft coverage — under Regulation E, a bank can't charge you for an overdrawn debit-card or ATM transaction unless you opted in first; opting out makes it decline instead — or switch to an account that doesn't charge overdraft fees at all.
Annual savings from switching
$107
- Current annual cost
- 4 event(s) x current fee
- $107
- Alternative annual cost
- 4 event(s) x alternative fee
- $0
- Savings per event
- $27
Frequently asked
Is there a federal cap on overdraft fees?
No. A CFPB rule finalized in December 2024 would have capped overdraft fees at large banks, but Congress overturned it under the Congressional Review Act and it was signed into law in May 2025 before it ever took effect. There's currently no federal dollar cap — banks set their own fee, which is why the gap between a bank's actual fee and a lower-cost alternative is worth running through this calculator.
How do I actually opt out of overdraft coverage?
Under Regulation E, a bank can't charge you an overdraft fee on an ATM withdrawal or a one-time debit-card purchase unless you affirmatively opted in first. If you never opted in, those transactions already decline instead of overdrawing. If you did opt in, you can revoke it — contact your bank and ask to remove overdraft coverage on ATM and everyday debit-card transactions; see the full disclosure rules on our answers page.
What's a realistic alternative fee to compare against?
This calculator defaults the alternative to $0 — opting out (the transaction declines) or an account that has dropped overdraft fees entirely. If your bank instead offers a linked-account transfer, that usually charges something, but less than a standard overdraft fee; check your bank's actual fee schedule and swap in the real number.