“No-fee” checking accounts advertise the absence of a monthly maintenance fee, and that label can be appealing — but it’s not a full picture of product value. Banks can recoup revenue through interchange fees (merchant-paid fees collected when you use the card), low or no interest on deposit balances (opportunity cost), required minimum balances or transaction rules to avoid fees, out-of-network ATM fees, and overdraft or returned-item fees. Some seemingly no-fee accounts also have narrow conditions (direct-deposit requirement, a limited number of free transactions) which, when violated, produce fees. Therefore, “no-fee” is a positive feature but not a guarantee of the lowest total cost.

Evaluate account value by looking at the overall fee schedule, ATM network, interest rate on balances, and convenience features (mobile deposit, bill pay). Consider your typical behavior: if you keep large balances, a high-yield savings or interest-bearing checking matters more; if you use many out-of-network ATMs, watch those fees. Also look for soft costs — poor customer service or low fraud detection quality can have financial consequences. The practical rule is to compare total expected costs from your actual usage pattern rather than assuming “no fee” equals “best deal.” For many consumers, a no-fee account paired with a good ATM network and decent online tools is excellent — just don’t treat the label as the sole decision criterion.