How to waive the monthly fee at Santander

The three monthly fees

Opened 17 October 2026. Santander's checking comparison lists Santander Select at $25 a month. The waiver is a minimum combined balance of $25,000 in bank deposits, including consumer and certain business products, and eligible investments held with Santander Investment Services. Select is interest earning. The minimum opening deposit is $25.

Simply Right is $10 a month. The waiver is any one transaction posted during the month: a deposit, a withdrawal, a transfer, or a payment. The fee is also waived if any owner is under 26. It is not interest earning. The opening deposit is $25. Essential Checking is $4 a month, waived if any owner is under 26 or 65 or older. It is not interest earning. The opening deposit is $10. The Simply Right page says the transaction waiver does not count fees, rebates, or adjustments posted by Santander.

Paper, ATMs, and overdraft

The comparison lists free paperless statements as Yes for all three accounts. The Simply Right product page lists paper statements at $3 and paperless at $0. A domestic non-Santander ATM is $0 on Select when you use the Santander Select World Debit Mastercard. Simply Right lists $3, or $2 if any owner is under 26. Essential lists $2.50. The ATM owner can still charge its own fee. Domestic on the Simply Right page means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Simply Right's Safety Net says there is no Insufficient Funds, Item Paid fee if the account is overdrawn by $100 or less. The Insufficient Funds Item Paid fee and the Sustained Overdraft Fee are $15. The sustained fee applies if the account is overdrawn by any amount for 5 consecutive business days when the first day's overdrawn balance is more than $100, and it is assessed on the 6th business day. The paid item fee is not charged more than 3 times per business day. Santander says it lowered overdraft fees from $35 to $15 and eliminated the Item Returned Fee.

The debit card, and a line you do not recognize

The comparison FAQ says a new debit card typically arrives in 5 to 7 business days. The PIN is mailed separately if you request one. Activate in the app, at a Santander ATM, with a teller, or at 877-726-0631. For checks deposited on a business day before the cutoff, the first $275 is available no later than the first business day after the deposit day. The rest is available no later than the second business day.

Upload the statement on Expenvo. The PDF stays on your device. A $10 line on Simply Right can be the monthly fee when no qualifying transaction posted and no owner is under 26. A $15 line can be an overdraft fee, not the monthly fee. A $3 line can be paper statements or a non-Santander ATM. US monthly checking fees and US overdraft fees by bank are the wider pages.

Questions

How do I avoid the $10 Simply Right fee?

Santander waives it if one deposit, withdrawal, transfer, or payment posts during the month, or if any owner is under 26. Fees, rebates, and adjustments posted by Santander do not count as that transaction.

What are the other two Santander checking fees?

The comparison lists Select at $25, waived with a $25,000 combined balance, and Essential at $4, waived if any owner is under 26 or 65 or older.

Is a $15 Santander line the monthly fee?

Not on these three accounts. Simply Right lists the Insufficient Funds Item Paid fee and the Sustained Overdraft Fee at $15. There is no paid-item fee if the account is overdrawn by $100 or less.

Sources

• Santander: checking accounts
• Santander: Simply Right Checking

Related guides

• US bank fees on a statement
• US monthly checking fees
• Read a statement PDF