Overdrafts: What You Need to Know

Woman on laptop holding her dog
Woman on laptop holding her dog

Woman on laptop holding her dogWe’re here to help you avoid overdrafts. So, when you bank with us…

You’ll never be charged a fee for a returned item.

You can make free overdraft protection transfers¹ using any one of the options below.

You have an overdraft grace zone¹ of up to $50 with most checking accounts.

You can set up account alerts within digital banking² to always keep you in-the-know.

Overdraft protection—transfer funds at no charge!

Protect yourself from overdrawing your account by having funds automatically transferred when your balance goes negative.

  • Another deposit account – Link your checking account with any of your other Associated Bank accounts, including another checking account, savings account or a money market account.
  • Associated Bank Visa® credit card³ – Cover the overdraft with your credit card and pay it off when you’re ready.
  • Associated Bank line of credit – Use an existing line of credit to avoid the hassles of a declined transaction.

You can also make a one-time deposit or transfer using instant transfer tools, like Zelle®⁴ or internal account transfers, to get the funds you need into your account the same day.

Debit/ATM Card Overdraft Service

Which option is right for you?

Opt-in

What’s the advantage? If you need to overdraft, this service will cover the payment, helping you avoid additional fees or late charges from other companies.

What’s the disadvantage? You’ll be charged an overdraft fee for each transaction the service covers—up to two per day.

Opt-out

What’s the advantage? You'll never be charged an overdraft fee from everyday debit or ATM⁵ card transactions.

What’s the disadvantage? If you don’t have enough money to cover a debit or ATM card transaction, it'll be declined.

Let’s review Associated Bank’s overdraft and returned item fees.

 Fee AmountDoes a grace zone apply?
Non-sufficient funds (NSF) returned item fee$0N/A

Overdraft fee
Personal or business checking accounts

$32 per item—with a maximum of two per day

Yes! For up to $50 on all checking accounts. 

For Platinum Choice Checking, the grace zone is up to $100. 

Overdraft fee
Commercial analyzed account

$40 per item—with a maximum of four per dayN/A

Overdraft terminology

What’s an overdraft?

An overdraft happens when you don’t have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, and Associated Bank pays it anyway. If this happens, you’ll be charged a fee for each overdraft, up to two per day. You’ll also need to bring your account balance back positive to cover the amount of the payment.

What’s a return?

A return happens when you don’t have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, and Associated Bank doesn't pay it for you. If this happens, you won’t be charged a returned item fee, but the transaction is marked as a non-sufficient funds (NSF) returned item.

What’s a grace zone?

We provide a grace zone on all checking accounts up to $50. For unlocked Platinum Choice benefits, the grace zone is up to $100.

What’s overdraft service?

Debit/ATM card overdraft service is an optional feature you can add to your checking account to allow you to make a purchase or cash withdrawal even when you don’t have sufficient funds.

Still have questions about overdrafts?

An overdraft can be created by checks, in-person withdrawals, ATM withdrawals, debit card transactions or other electronic transactions.

We do pay most overdraft transactions with overdraft service, but we can't guarantee that every transaction is authorized and paid. We have the discretion to deny the transaction and reserve the right not to pay. Example situations of where we may not pay an overdraft include: your account isn’t in good standing, you don’t make regular deposits or you have a history of having many overdrafts.

Definitely! We’re providing customers with this information so they can make an informed choice. And if you ever want to change your preferences, simply give us a call at 800-236-8866, or stop in at any of our Associated Bank locations.

If you’re not sure whether you’ve opted into our overdraft service, simply give us a call at 800-236-8866, or stop in at any of our Associated Bank locations.

If you don’t have sufficient money in your transfer account, or you’ve exceeded your credit card/line of credit, your debit or ATM transaction could still be denied. By also adding overdraft service, you’ll be provided with an additional cushion to help protect you in emergency situations.

Let us help! Schedule an appointment to talk to a banker about your options. And remember—whether you choose to use the service or not, you can always reverse that decision.

Not necessarily—but you’ll never be charged an overdraft fee if your account were to be overdrawn from a debit card transaction. Merchants often request authorization of a transaction and in that scenario, we wouldn’t pay or authorize a transaction if it will overdraw your account. However, there are a growing number of merchants that automatically process small-dollar transactions (typically under $25) without requesting authorization from the bank. When that happens, we don’t have the opportunity to deny the transaction and it could overdraw your account. You’ll be responsible for bringing your account balance back positive, but you won’t be charged a fee.
 

Recurring payments won't be declined if you choose to opt out of overdraft service.  You’ll be responsible for bringing your account balance back positive, but you won’t be charged a fee.



Call 800-236-8866

Customer Care Center

  1. Overdraft grace zone – An Overdraft Fee will not be charged if account is overdrawn up to $100 for Associated Bank Platinum Choice benefit eligible customers or up to $50 for all other personal checking accounts. If an overdraft is paid by Associated Bank, a deposit must be made to bring the account back to a positive balance. Regular account requirements and fees for overdrafts will otherwise apply. Overdraft Protection Transfer service links your checking account with your other accounts at Associated Bank, including another checking account, savings account, money market account, Consumer Credit Card, Checking Reserve Line of Credit or Premier Line of Credit. There is no fee for this service. For more details on transaction limits and terms and conditions of these products, please refer to the Consumer Deposit Account Fee Schedule, applicable Checking Product Disclosure, What You Need to Know About Overdrafts and Overdraft Fees, Understanding Overdrafts and Your Options to Manage Fees or the Deposit Account Agreement.

  2. Associated Bank does not charge a fee to download our digital applications; however, transactional fees may apply. Carrier message and data rates may apply, check your carrier’s plan for details. Visit AssociatedBank.com/disclosures for Terms and Conditions for your service.

  3. Subject to credit approval. The creditor and issuer of these cards is Elan Financial Services, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

  4. U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes.

  5. Associated Bank and MoneyPass® ATM use is free for Associated Bank customers. ATM owners outside of the Associated and MoneyPass networks may charge a fee. Associated Bank may charge a fee for using an out-of-network ATM. Balance inquiry and international fees may apply. Review your account disclosure and fee schedule for more details. MoneyPass is a registered trademark of Fiserv Solutions, LLC or its affiliates. 

  • Visa and the Visa logo are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association.

  • Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.