Overdrafts and your Business: What to Know

Mechanic business owners looking over information
Mechanic business owners looking over information

Mechanic business owners looking over informationAs a business owner, you have more important things to worry about than overdraft fees. That's why we're here to help you avoid them. 

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!

Stay focused on your bottom line-- not overdraft fees. Overdraft protection automatically transfers funds when your balance goes negative. 

  • Another business deposit account – Link your checking account with any of your other Associated Bank business accounts, including another checking account, savings account or a money market account.
  • Associated Bank Visa® Business credit card³ – Cover the overdraft with your credit card and pay it off when you’re ready.
  • Associated Bank business 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.

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
business checking accounts

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

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

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?

If you overdraw your account an amount within its grace zone, you won’t be charged an overdraft fee. We provide a grace zone of up to $50 on most business checking accounts.

What’s Business Checking Overdraft Protection Transfer Service?

Business Checking Overdraft Protection Transfer Service is an optional feature that you can add to your business checking account. When your balance goes negative, funds are automatically transferred from another business deposit account, Business Credit Card or Business line of credit.

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 800-728-3501, 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 800-728-3501, or stop in at any of our Associated Bank locations.



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  1. Overdraft grace zone – An Overdraft Fee will not be charged if account is overdrawn up to $50 for the following customers:  Business Access Checking, Business Balanced Checking, Business Choice Checking, Nonprofit and Public Funds Checking, Nonprofit and Public Funds Premium Checking, Basic Business Checking and Estate Checking. 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, Business Credit Card, Business Line of Credit Accounts, or Commercial Line of Credit. For more details on fees, transaction limits and terms and conditions of these products, please refer to the applicable Business Checking Product Disclosure, Understanding Overdrafts and Your Options to Manage Fees, the Deposit Account Agreement or the Business Checking Overdraft Protection Transfer Authorization form. (1435)

  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. (1406)

  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. (1056)

  4. U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes. You must be at least 18 years old to use Zelle®. Visit AssociatedBank.com/disclosures for Terms and Conditions for your service. (1302)

  • Visa and the Visa logo are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association. (1115)

  • Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. (1305)