Overdraft Fee Statistics 2026: Who Pays and How Much

Quick answer: Banks and credit unions collected an estimated $12.4 billion in overdraft and NSF fees in 2025, up from $12.1 billion in 2024. About 12% of adults with a bank account paid at least one overdraft fee in the past year, and the average fee is $26.77. A small group pays most of it: roughly 9% of accounts pay about 79% of all fees.

We collected the most recent figures from primary sources: the Federal Reserve's annual household survey, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Bankrate's checking account study, and bank regulatory filings analyzed by the National Consumer Law Center and others. Every number links to where it came from. Last verified October 25, 2026.

Key overdraft statistics at a glance

$12.4 billion: estimated overdraft and NSF fees paid to banks and credit unions in 2025 (NCLC).
$12.1 billion: the same total for 2024 (Financial Health Network).
12%: share of adults with a bank account who paid an overdraft fee in the prior 12 months (Federal Reserve, 2025 SHED).
$26.77: average overdraft fee; the average NSF fee is $16.82 (Bankrate).
94%: share of checking accounts that still charge an overdraft fee (Bankrate).
9% of accounts pay about 79% of all overdraft and NSF fees (Congressional Research Service, using CFPB data).
$24: median debit card purchase that triggered an overdraft fee in CFPB's account-level study (CFPB).
$5 billion a year: what the CFPB's overturned $5 overdraft cap was expected to save consumers (NCLC).

How much do Americans pay in overdraft fees each year?

The best estimate for 2025 is $12.4 billion in combined overdraft and NSF fees across banks and credit unions. The National Consumer Law Center calculated it by applying the growth rate of the 20 largest overdraft-earning banks to the 2024 industry total, so treat it as an estimate rather than an official count (NCLC).

That 2024 total, $12.1 billion, comes from the Financial Health Network. It's about 48% higher than earlier estimates because credit unions started reporting overdraft revenue separately in 2024, and the new data showed they collected $5.4 billion that year, far more than previously assumed (Financial Health Network).

Counting banks alone gives a smaller, harder number. Banks with more than $1 billion in assets reported $6.25 billion in overdraft and NSF revenue in 2025, and $2.96 billion in the first half of 2026, according to a Motley Fool Money analysis of FFIEC call report data. Smaller banks don't report this line item, so the true bank total is higher.

Is overdraft fee revenue going up or down?

After falling sharply from 2019 to 2023 as several large banks cut or dropped fees, overdraft revenue is rising again:

Overdraft revenue at the 20 largest overdraft-earning banks reached $4 billion in 2025, up 6.2% from 2023 (NCLC).
Some banks grew much faster over the same period: Huntington up 40%, M&T up 36%, Citizens up 24%, First Citizens up 23% and TD up 22% (NCLC).
The CFPB rule that would have capped most overdraft fees at large banks at $5 was overturned by Congress under the Congressional Review Act and signed into law on May 9, 2025, before it took effect (Congressional Research Service).

The average fee itself has been drifting down slowly. Bankrate's 2025 study put it at $26.77, down 1% from $27.08, while the average NSF fee fell for the fourth straight year to a record low of $16.82 (Bankrate).

Which banks earn the most from overdraft fees?

Among the largest banks, 2025 overdraft revenue was led by (NCLC):

JPMorgan Chase: $1.1 billion
Wells Fargo: $924 million
PNC Bank: $279 million, up 8% from 2023

Per account, the picture is different. Regions collected about $30 per account in 2025, the most among the 20 largest banks, compared with $15 at Wells Fargo. Outside the top 20, Woodforest collected about $94 per account and First Convenience Bank about $68 (NCLC).

Several big banks charge no overdraft fees at all, including Capital One, Citibank, Ally and American Express, and none of the 20 largest banks charges NSF fees (NCLC). Bank of America cut its overdraft fee to $10 in 2022 (Motley Fool Money). If your bank still charges $30 or more, switching is one of the simplest fixes available.

Who pays overdraft fees?

According to the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, 12% of adults with a bank account paid an overdraft fee in the prior 12 months (Federal Reserve). The share varies a lot by group.

By family income:

Under $25,000: 17%
$25,000 to $49,999: 20%
$50,000 to $99,999: 12%
$100,000 or more: 6%

By age:

18 to 29: 15%
30 to 44: 16%
45 to 59: 13%
60 and older: 5%

By race and ethnicity:

Black adults: 25%
Hispanic adults: 17%
White adults: 8%
Asian adults: 5%

Two patterns stand out. First, the peak isn't the lowest income group but the $25,000 to $49,999 band: people with steady paychecks and regular bills, where a timing gap is enough to overdraw the account. Second, overdrafts are a working-age problem, with adults 30 to 44 the most likely to pay.

Looking at households instead of individuals, about a quarter of people live in a household that pays overdraft fees each year, based on a 2023 CFPB report (NCLC).

How concentrated are overdraft fees?

Very. CFPB data analyzed by the Congressional Research Service found that roughly 9% of accounts pay about 79% of all overdraft and NSF fees (CRS). In the CFPB's account-level study, 18% of accounts opted in to debit card overdraft coverage overdrew more than ten times a year, compared with 6% of accounts that weren't opted in (CFPB).

In other words, overdraft fees aren't an occasional mistake spread evenly across customers. They're a repeating cost for a minority of households whose income and bills don't line up.

What actually triggers an overdraft?

Usually something small, and usually something temporary:

The median debit card purchase that triggered an overdraft fee was $24 (CFPB).
More than half of people who overdrew were back above zero within three days, and 76% within a week (CFPB).
Treated as a loan, borrowing $24 for three days for a $34 fee works out to an annualized rate of about 17,000% (CFPB).
11% of Buy Now, Pay Later users said a BNPL payment triggered an overdraft or NSF fee in the past year (Federal Reserve).
61% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck say their pay schedule doesn't match when their expenses are due, and 44% paid late fees, interest or overdraft charges in the last six months (CNBC/SurveyMonkey, July 2026).

Most overdrafts are a timing problem: money is on its way, but a bill or autopay lands a few days before it does. That's also why most of them are preventable if you can see the gap in advance.

What the numbers mean for you

If you've paid an overdraft fee recently, the data says you're in a large, mostly middle-income group, and the most likely cause is a bill landing before payday rather than overspending. A few practical takeaways:

Check what your bank charges. With several large banks at $0, a $30-plus fee is a reason to switch or open a fee-free backup account.
Look for the timing gap. Lay out every paycheck and bill by date through your next two paydays and find the lowest day. Our guide to predicting your bank balance shows how.
Move the bill, not just the money. Many shortfalls end for good after one due-date change. See how to change your bill due dates to match payday.
Compare before you borrow. Cash advance apps and short-term loans often cost more than they look. We break down the math in the true cost of cash advance apps.

For the full list of fixes, ranked from free to last resort, read how to avoid overdraft fees.

If you'd rather not do the date math by hand, CashWizard forecasts your checking balance for every day until payday, so you can spot the shortfall days or weeks before it turns into a fee. It's free and doesn't require a bank connection.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average overdraft fee in 2026?

The most recent nationwide study, Bankrate's 2025 checking account survey, puts the average overdraft fee at $26.77 and the average NSF fee at $16.82. Individual banks range from $0 to around $35 per item.

What percentage of Americans pay overdraft fees?

About 12% of adults with a bank account paid at least one overdraft fee in the past year, according to the Federal Reserve's 2025 household survey. Counting households instead of individuals, about a quarter of people live in a household that pays overdraft fees each year.

Did the $5 overdraft fee cap take effect?

No. The CFPB finalized a rule capping most overdraft fees at large banks at $5, but Congress overturned it under the Congressional Review Act, and it was signed into law on May 9, 2025. Banks set their own overdraft fees.

More guides on avoiding fees and making it to payday are in our Overdrafts & Paycheck to Paycheck hub.

Overdraft Fee Statistics 2026: Who Pays, How Much and Which Banks Earn the Most