Checking
A transfer instead of a fee
Link your savings to your checking and a shortfall becomes a free transfer rather than a $35 surprise. You choose what happens, and you can change your mind any time.
How Summit handles a shortfall
The default setting on every checking account is the one that costs you nothing.
Free transfers from savings
When checking runs short, we pull the exact amount needed from your linked savings. There is no transfer fee, ever.
Declines cost nothing
If there is nothing to transfer, the transaction is simply declined. Summit does not charge a fee for a declined card purchase.
Low-balance alerts
Set a threshold and we will text you before the balance gets there, which usually prevents the situation entirely.
You opt in, not us
Courtesy pay on debit and ATM transactions is off unless you turn it on. We will never enroll you by default.
One fee cap, plainly stated
If you do opt into courtesy pay, the fee is $25 and no more than two can be charged in a single day.
Change it whenever
Turn any of these settings on or off from the app in a few taps. No phone call and no waiting period.
Your three choices
These are the only options, and the only costs attached to them.
Rates current as of July 2026 and subject to change. Membership eligibility required. This is a demonstration website; rates, products, and figures shown are illustrative only.
Setup
Linking takes about a minute
Overdraft transfer is the option we recommend to almost everyone. It costs nothing, it works automatically, and it turns an expensive mistake into a line on your statement you barely notice. You can link a High-Yield Savings or Money Market account as the source.
Common questions
What is the difference between overdraft transfer and courtesy pay?
Overdraft transfer moves your own money from savings and is free. Courtesy pay lends you ours to cover the item and costs $25. If you have savings linked, we always try the transfer first.
Am I enrolled in anything automatically?
No. Federal rules require you to opt in before we can charge a fee to cover a debit card or ATM transaction, and Summit applies that same standard to checks and ACH payments.
How much is transferred from savings?
Only the shortfall, rounded up to the nearest dollar. We do not move a fixed block of $100 the way some institutions do, so your savings stays as intact as possible.
Does an overdraft affect my credit?
A brief negative balance that you repay is not reported to the credit bureaus. An account left negative and eventually charged off can be reported to ChexSystems, which is why we call before that point.
Can I have a fee refunded?
Ask. If it is a first occurrence or the circumstances were unusual, a member advisor can waive it. We would rather keep the relationship than keep the $25.
Does Second Chance Checking have overdraft protection?
Second Chance Checking cannot go negative at all, by design. Transactions that would overdraw are declined at no charge, and you can still link savings for free transfers.
Set it up before you need it
Linking savings to checking costs nothing and takes about a minute. It is the easiest money you will ever save.