What is the monthly fee for a BMO chequing account?

BMO chequing monthly fees range from $4.00 (Practical Plan, 12 transactions, flat fee) to $30.95 (Premium Plan, unlimited transactions plus extras). The Plus Plan at $12.95/month (waived at $3,000, 25 transactions) and Performance Plan at $17.95/month (waived at $4,000, unlimited transactions) sit in between — BMO also offers a Blue Rewards Chequing Account at $17.95/month for points-focused clients. (Source: bmo.com, verified August 2026.)

What is the BMO NSF fee?

BMO charges a $45 NSF (non-sufficient funds) fee each time a payment is returned due to insufficient funds. The federal government capped NSF fees at $48 for federally regulated banks in 2024. TD is lower at $35; RBC and Scotiabank also charge $45. BMO overdraft protection ($5/month) covers shortfalls to your approved overdraft limit and prevents NSF fees from being charged.

Does BMO charge for e-Transfers?

Interac e-Transfers are included free with all BMO chequing plans (Practical, Plus, Blue Rewards, Performance, Premium, and Student). Receiving an e-Transfer is always free regardless of account type.

What does the BMO Premium Plan include?

The BMO Premium Plan costs $30.95/month (waived with $6,000 minimum daily balance) and includes unlimited transactions, unlimited e-Transfers, a US dollar account, free bank drafts, free certified cheques, free money orders, overdraft protection, and a discount on BMO Mastercard annual fees. For clients who regularly pay for these services individually, the Premium Plan provides meaningful net savings — particularly for clients who transact frequently in USD or process certified cheques for real estate.

What are BMO InvestorLine trading fees?

BMO InvestorLine charges $9.95 per equity or ETF trade for standard accounts, dropping to $7.95 for active traders (150+ trades per quarter). Options cost $9.95 plus $1.25 per contract. The RRSP/TFSA administration fee is $100/year and is waived when the account balance exceeds $15,000. There is no commission to purchase BMO ETFs through InvestorLine for clients enrolled in automatic investment plans.

How do I avoid BMO monthly account fees?

Maintain the minimum daily balance for your account plan: $3,000 for Plus, $4,000 for Performance, $6,000 for Premium. The Practical Plan is a flat $4.00/month with no balance-waiver option. The waiver is automatic when the threshold is maintained for the full calendar month. Students qualify for the free Student Account. Newcomers receive fee-waived banking for two years through the New to Canada Package.

BMO Fees 2026 | Monthly, NSF, Wire Transfer & Service Fees

BMO’s fee structure follows the Big Five pattern — tiered monthly account fees with balance-based waivers, NSF fees, and charges for out-of-network transactions and international services. BMO’s lineup now spans five chequing tiers, plus the points-focused Blue Rewards account, and the BMO CashBack Mastercard, which costs nothing and earns 3% on groceries.

Monthly Account Fees

Source: bmo.com, verified August 2026. BMO’s fee schedule can change — confirm current rates before opening an account.

Account	Monthly Fee	Fee Waiver Balance	Transactions Included
Practical	$4.00	None (flat fee)	12/month
Plus	$12.95	$3,000 min. daily balance	25/month
Blue Rewards Chequing	$17.95	Not stated (rewards-focused account)	Unlimited
Performance	$17.95	$4,000 min. daily balance	Unlimited
Premium	$30.95	$6,000 min. daily balance	Unlimited + extras
Student Account	$0	No requirement	Unlimited
New to Canada Package	$0 (first 2 years)	No requirement	Unlimited

BMO’s account naming changed from the older Performance/Plus/Premium ladder. The cheapest tier is now called Practical (not Performance), the mid-tier Plus account caps at 25 transactions/month rather than being unlimited, and a separate Performance tier now sits at $17.95/$4,000 for unlimited transactions.

Service and Transaction Fees

Everyday Banking Fees

Fee Type	Amount
Interac e-Transfer (all plans)	Free
Non-BMO ATM withdrawal (Canada) — BMO fee	$2.00
Non-BMO ATM withdrawal — operator surcharge	$2.00–$3.00
BMO Harris ATM (US) — BMO fee	$0 (currency conversion applies)
Non-BMO ATM withdrawal (international, non-Harris)	$2.00 + 2.5% FX
Paper statement	$2.25/month (waived with eStatements)
Cheque image retrieval	$5.00 per image
Stop payment order	$12.50
Certified cheque	$10.00 (free with Premium Plan)
Bank draft	$7.50 (free with Premium Plan)
Money order	$7.50 (free with Premium Plan)

Overdraft and NSF Fees

Fee Type	Amount
NSF (returned payment)	$45.00
Overdraft protection monthly fee	$5.00/month
Overdraft interest rate	~21% per annum on overdrawn balance

Wire Transfer Fees

Transfer Type	Fee
Domestic wire (outgoing)	~$25.00
International wire (outgoing)	~$40–$65
International wire (incoming)	~$15.00

See the full BMO wire transfer guide for limits and processing times.

Foreign Currency Fees

Fee Type	Amount
Foreign currency purchase (Visa/Mastercard debit)	2.5% of transaction
Foreign ATM withdrawal (non-BMO Harris)	2.5% of withdrawal
USD account transactions	No FX fee for USD purchases (US dollar account required)

Credit Card Annual Fees

Card	Annual Fee
BMO CashBack Mastercard	$0
BMO Rewards Mastercard	$0
BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard	$120
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite	$120
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard	$150

The BMO CashBack Mastercard — no annual fee, 3% on groceries — is one of the most valuable no-fee cards in Canada. Holding a BMO account qualifies you automatically.

BMO InvestorLine Fees

Fee Type	Amount
Standard equity/ETF trade	$9.95
Active trader (150+ trades/quarter)	$7.95
Options (base + per contract)	$9.95 + $1.25/contract
RRSP/TFSA administration	$100/year (waived at $15,000+)
BMO ETF purchase (auto-invest plan)	$0

BMO InvestorLine is the natural brokerage for investors in BMO ETFs (ZSP, ZAG, ZEB, and 100+ others). At $9.95/trade, InvestorLine is competitive within the Big Five but higher than Questrade ($0 commission on stocks and ETFs as of 2026, Questrade verified August 2026) and significantly higher than Wealthsimple Trade ($0 for Canadian equities).

How to Avoid BMO Fees

Fee	How to Avoid
Monthly account fee	Maintain minimum daily balance for your plan
Paper statement fee	Switch to eStatements in BMO Online Banking
Non-BMO ATM fee (Canada)	Use BMO ATMs (3,300+)
Non-BMO ATM fee (US)	Use BMO Harris ATMs (Midwest US)
Foreign transaction fee	Use BMO’s US dollar account for USD purchases
NSF fee	Enable overdraft protection ($5/month)
Bank draft / certified cheque fee	Premium Plan includes these free
InvestorLine administration fee	Maintain $15,000+ balance in InvestorLine

Fee Schedule Changes

BMO updates its fee schedule periodically. Figures on this page were accurate as of May 2026. For the most current rates, refer to the BMO Personal Banking Fee Schedule at bmo.com or request a copy at any BMO branch. Under FCAC regulations, BMO must provide 30 days’ notice before fee increases.