Comparing bank fees requires knowing what to measure. Between card fees, account maintenance fees, intervention fees, and incident fees, the actual cost of a bank depends on the usage profile. The same institution can be the cheapest for a customer who never goes overdrawn and the most expensive for another who frequently has rejected direct debits.
Free instant transfers: the criterion that comparison sites overlook
Since the European regulation of March 2024, banks in the eurozone must align the fee for instant transfers with that of standard transfers. Any separate billing between these two services indicates a non-compliant institution or an outdated pricing structure.
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This point changes the game for comparing offers. A comparison site that still shows an additional cost for instant transfers skews the ranking. Before relying on an online table, check that this free service is indeed included in the calculation. You can consult the bank fees on Monetyk for an updated pricing grid that takes this regulatory change into account.
This criterion also serves as a quick test: if your current bank still charges for instant transfers, its pricing structure deserves a thorough review.
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Comparison table of fees by type of institution
The pricing differences between traditional banks, online banks, and neobanks are not limited to card fees. The table below summarizes the most discriminating fee categories.
| Fee Category | Traditional Bank | Online Bank | Neobank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank card fee (immediate debit) | Charged (variable depending on the range) | Often free under income or usage conditions | Free or reduced fee |
| Account maintenance fees | Charged in most cases | Generally waived | Waived |
| Intervention fees | Charged per transaction | Rarely applied | Non-existent (no overdraft allowed) |
| Incident fees (rejected direct debit, information letter) | Regulated but high fees | Lower fees, sometimes voluntarily capped | Limited (card requiring systematic authorization) |
| Out-of-network withdrawal | Often free within the network, charged out of network | Limited number of free withdrawals | Variable, sometimes charged from the first withdrawal |
Reading this table shows that the most costly item depends on banking behavior. A customer with no incidents mainly pays the card fee and account maintenance fees. A customer who is regularly overdrawn mainly pays intervention fees and incident fees.
Bank incident fees: the legal cap to know
Incident fees represent the most opaque and variable item from one institution to another. For customers identified as being in a situation of financial fragility, a global cap of 25 euros per month applies to incident fees.
This cap covers intervention fees, information letters for bounced checks, and rejection fees. However, it only applies to customers declared fragile by their bank, according to criteria defined by regulation (registration in the central check file, repeated use of unauthorized overdraft, low income).
For other customers, no global monthly cap exists. Each irregular transaction generates unit fees that can accumulate. Comparing incident fees between banks has more impact than comparing card fees for frequently overdrawn profiles.
- Check the amount of the unit intervention fee (charged for each transaction exceeding the overdraft)
- Look at the rejection fee for direct debits, which varies greatly between institutions
- Identify if your bank applies a voluntary cap beyond the legal framework, as some online banks do
Bank inheritance fees: a neglected item in comparisons
Bank fee comparators focus on everyday fees. Inheritance fees, charged upon the account holder’s death, escape comparison even though they can reach several hundred euros.
Regulation has evolved. Inheritance fees are waived in three cases: the deceased was a minor, the account balance is below 5,965 euros, or there is no manifest complexity. For other situations, a cap set at 1% of assets with a maximum of 857 euros applies from January 1, 2026.
This capping modifies the comparison between institutions. Before this measure, some banks charged inheritance fees without a clear limit. Now, the gap between institutions on this item is narrowing, but it remains relevant to check if your bank already applies these caps or is waiting for the deadline.
Concrete method for comparing bank fees according to your profile
A relevant comparison relies on reconstructing your actual annual banking cost. Take your last three quarterly statements and identify each line of fees. Classify them into four categories.
- Recurring fixed fees: card fee, account maintenance, subscription to services (SMS alerts, payment method insurance)
- Usage fees: out-of-network withdrawals, transfers outside the SEPA zone, payments in foreign currency
- Incident fees: intervention fees, rejected direct debits, information letters
- One-off fees: card opposition, issuing of bank details, account closure
Add up each category. The category that weighs the most in your annual total is the one to focus the comparison on. Comparing card fees among ten banks makes no sense if your incident fees account for three-quarters of your bill.
Once this mapping is done, comparing two or three targeted institutions takes just a few minutes. Consult the official pricing brochures, which each bank publishes annually, rather than the summaries from comparison sites that may omit certain items.
The actual annual banking cost varies from simple to triple depending on profiles. The only reliable comparison starts from your statements, not from a generic ranking. Recent regulatory changes regarding instant transfers, incident fees, and inheritance fees render some comparisons already obsolete: always check the update date of any pricing grid consulted.