Overdraft Protection Services for Personal Checking - BMO (2024)

About Overdrafts

What is an overdraft?
Any time a transaction results in a negative balance to your account, it’s considered an overdraft. For example, an overdraft takes place when you make a payment and don’t have enough money in your account to cover it. This is not the only scenario in which you could overdraw your account.

How overdrafts are handled at BMO
At our discretion, we pay checks, automatic bill payments and other transactions that overdraw your account. We’ll decline ATM and everyday debit card transactions that would overdraw your account unless you opt-in to the Overdraft Program for ATM and Everyday Debit Card Transactions described in the Your Options tab. We won’t guarantee that we’ll always pay or authorize any type of transaction even if we’ve paid similar items in the past. ^{footnote 1, terms and conditions1} Please see the Fees tab for the fee associated with overdrawing your checking account.

As stated in the Deposit Account Agreement, you agree to immediately repay us the amount of any overdraft, including fees. Any deposits into your checking account will be used to repay the overdraft and associated fees. The order in which you write checks and authorize other withdrawals is not necessarily the same order they post to your account, which will affect whether you incur Overdraft fees.

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Helpful Tips

Ways to avoid an overdraft

• Consider a BMO Smart Money Checking account with no Overdraft fees
• Revoke your opt-in to the Overdraft Program for ATM and Everyday Debit Card Transactions (in other words, opt-out). Overdraft fees will still apply to recurring debit card transactions, ACH payments and checks that overdraw your account.
• Set up Overdraft Funding to have funds pulled from a linked account
• Apply for an Overdraft Protection Line of Credit to have funds advanced from a line of credit
• Sign up for BMO Digital Banking to:
  • Deposit checks from your phone with the BMO Digital Banking app ^{, footnote 2 and 3, terms and conditions2, 3}
  • Set a daily budget and keep track of your spending
  • Sign up for email or SMS alerts to receive updates about your account ^{, footnote 3, terms and conditions3}
  • Access account statements and view current balance information

Avoid overdraft fees with a BMO Smart Money Checking account
Our low monthly fee checking account gives you peace of mind with no Overdraft fees.

Visit the BMO Smart Money Checking account page for full account details.

New: Now we are giving you more time to avoid an Overdraft Fee
Good News! We do not charge an Overdraft Fee if your account is overdrawn by $50 or less at the close of the Business Day ^{, footnote 6, terms and conditions6} that the item is presented for payment (first Business Day). Now we will also NOT charge an Overdraft Fee if your account is overdrawn by $50 or less at the close of the first Business Day ^{, footnote 6, terms and conditions6} after the item is presented for payment (second Business Day).

Example of how our additional time to avoid Overdraft Fees works, assuming no other transactions post to your account on the first Business Day or the second Business Day:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to enroll to get access to the additional time to avoid Overdraft Fees?
There is no need to enroll. This benefit automatically comes with consumer and business deposit accounts.

What happens if I partially cover funds when my account is overdrawn?
You only need to add money to cover your overdrawn balance if your account is overdrawn by more than $50 at the close of the first Business Day ^{, footnote 6, terms and conditions6} that the item is presented for payment. If you add money and you are still overdrawn by more than $50 by the close of the second Business Day, you will be charged Overdraft Fees for each item that is more than $5. If you add money and you are overdrawn by $50 or less by the close of the second Business Day, you will not be charged Overdraft Fees.

How can I quickly know if I'm overdrawn?
You can know if your account is overdrawn by signing up for BMO Digital Banking app ^{, footnote 3, terms and conditions3} to:

• Register for email or SMS alerts ^{, footnote 3, terms and conditions3} to receive updates about your account
• Access account statements and view current balance information
• Set up a low balance alert. Learn here how to set up alerts using the BMO Digital Banking app to notify you when your account falls below your desired threshold.

You can also get this information by calling us or stopping by your local branch.

How much additional time do I have to avoid an Overdraft Fee?
You only need to add money to cover your overdrawn balance if each item overdrawing your account is more than $5. If your account is overdrawn by more than $50 at the close of the first Business Day ^{, footnote 6, terms and conditions6} that the item is presented for payment; you will have until the end of the second Business Day to add money to bring your balance to overdrawn on your account by $50 or less to avoid Overdraft Fees.

What is an Overdraft?
Overdraft means a negative balance in your account that occurs when we pay an item that you do not have Sufficient Available Funds in your account to pay when the item is presented for payment. Sufficient Available Funds means that the Ledger Balance in your account, minus any holds placed on your account, equals or exceeds the amount of the item being presented for authorization or payment. Holds may be placed on your account pursuant to the Deposit Account Agreement, including, but not limited to, Section 7.Z for suspected fraud or to comply with legal requirements and Section 8 for extended holds; or the BMO Digital Banking Agreement for deposits made using Mobile Deposit.

Could you please provide examples of deposits that increase Sufficient Available Funds the same Business Day ^{, footnote 6, terms and conditions6}?