5 Ways Small Businesses Lose Money on Bank Fees (and How to Stop It)

5 Ways Small Businesses Lose Money on Bank Fees (and How to Stop It)

Running a business is tough enough without your bank quietly taking extra money from your account every month. For many small and mid-sized businesses, bank fees feel like just another cost of doing business. But the truth is: most of those charges are avoidable.

At Treasury Co-Op, we review banking relationships every day, and we consistently find wasted dollars hiding in plain sight. Here are five of the most common ways businesses lose money on bank fees — and what you can do about it.

1. Paying for Services You Don’t Use

Banks often bundle services into your account package. Maybe you’re paying for international wire capabilities or lockbox processing, even though you rarely use them. These extras add up quickly.

✅ Fix: Ask your bank for a detailed fee report, line by line. Cancel or renegotiate anything you don’t truly need.

2. Excessive Transaction Fees

Many banks charge per deposit, check, or ACH transfer after a certain threshold. If your account isn’t structured for your volume, you could be overpaying every single month