Money & billingPractical guide · updated for 2026
How to Find Hidden Fees on Your Bank Statement
Read the statement line by line for small, repeating charges and compare the fee schedule in your account terms. Most avoidable money leaves accounts in fees under ten dollars that nobody questions.
Have this ready
- Three months of statements
- The account's fee schedule or terms
- A list of the merchant names you do not recognise
Step by step
- 1Download the last three months of statements as PDF or CSV rather than reading them in the app.
- 2Sort transactions by amount, smallest first, and look for repeating small charges.
- 3Mark anything you cannot identify, then search the merchant name plus the word charge.
- 4Compare the bank's published fee schedule against the fees actually charged.
- 5Ask the bank in writing to remove any fee that was not disclosed or was charged after you opted out.
- 6Cancel the services behind recurring charges you no longer use.
- 7Set a monthly reminder to repeat the check, because fees reappear quietly.
Want it done with you?
I can walk you through it in a Magic Box, show you the exact clicks, or do it with you and keep the recording. You log in yourself; I never see your password.
Common questions
Can a bank refuse to refund an overdraft fee?+
They can refuse, but a written request explaining the cause and your history often gets a first-time reversal. Ask once, politely, in writing.
What is a card authorisation fee?+
It is a small charge some banks apply to certain transactions, usually refunded or capped. It appears in the fee schedule.
How do I stop paper statement fees?+
Switch to digital statements in the account settings; the fee usually disappears on the next cycle.