BMO sells five personal bank plans: Practical, Plus, Performance and Premium, plus the points-earning Blue Rewards plan. Most have a minimum-balance waiver, and each includes a set number of transactions or unlimited ones. This page lists what each plan costs and what BMO charges outside the plan; how BMO compares with the other banks is in the Canadian bank fees comparison.
Source: BMO “Agreements, Bank Plans and Fees for Everyday Banking,” effective June 2, 2026.
BMO monthly plan fees
| Account | Monthly Fee | Fee Waiver (Min Balance) | Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Practical Plan | $4.00 | None (BMO's low-cost account, no balance waiver offered) | 12/month, $1.25 per additional debit transaction |
| BMO Plus Plan | $12.95 | $3,000 | 25/month, $1.25 per additional debit transaction |
| BMO Blue Rewards Bank Plan | $17.95 | None published (no minimum-balance waiver listed for this plan) | Unlimited |
| BMO Performance Plan | $17.95 | $4,000 | Unlimited |
| BMO Premium Plan | $30.95 | $6,000 | Unlimited |
The plan names changed from BMO’s older lineup: the entry-level plan is now Practical, Plus has a monthly transaction allowance rather than unlimited transactions, and Performance is the unlimited plan with a balance waiver. BMO’s offers for students, newcomers, seniors, children and teens, Indigenous Peoples and RDSP beneficiaries are built on these same plans. Two have their own names: the BMO Student Performance Chequing Account (the Performance Plan with the fee waived while enrolled and for a year after graduation) and the BMO NewStart Program for newcomers (the Performance Plan with the fee waived for a limited time; BMO sets the current waiver period).
Transaction and service fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Interac e-Transfer, sending | $1.00 per transfer, plus the plan's own per-transaction fee when the transfer isn't included in the plan |
| Interac e-Transfer, cancelling | $5.00 |
| Withdrawal at a non-BMO ATM | $2.00 (Interac network, Canada); $5.00 (Cirrus network, outside Canada) |
| Stop payment | $12.50 single, $20.00 series (free on Premium) |
| Certified cheque | $20.00 (free on Premium) |
| Bank draft or money order | $9.95 (Performance/Blue Rewards/Plus/Practical Plans; free on Premium) |
| Safety deposit box | $70 (small) to $500+ (super large) annually |
| Paper statement (each one after the first free statement) | $2.00 a month |
| Foreign currency purchase with the BMO debit card (most accounts) | 2.8% of the converted amount |
On a plan with a monthly allowance, an e-Transfer outside the allowance also counts as a debit transaction, so it can bring that plan’s per-transaction fee on top of the e-Transfer fee. Sending limits are on the BMO e-Transfer limits page, and daily cash limits on the BMO ATM withdrawal limit page.
Wire transfer fees
| Wire | Fee |
|---|---|
| Incoming | $16.00 |
| Outgoing | $40.00, plus a $10.00 communication charge |
Personal clients send a traditional wire from a branch; there is no self-serve online wire for personal accounts. The branch process, SWIFT code and the BMO Global Money Transfer alternative are in the BMO wire transfer guide.
NSF and overdraft fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| NSF (returned payment) | $10.00 (CAD accounts), $5.00 (USD accounts) |
| Overdraft protection | $5.00/month (Standard, not available to Quebec residents) or $5.00/use (Occasional, not available to Quebec residents) – free on the Premium Plan |
| Overdraft transfer service | $5.00/transfer (free on the Premium Plan) |
Federal rules cap the NSF fee on personal deposit accounts. BMO’s Occasional option charges each time it is used, while the Standard option charges every month whether or not it is used; NSF fees and overdraft compared shows when each, or neither, costs least.
BMO credit cards and InvestorLine
BMO credit cards carry their own annual fees, separate from the bank plan; each card’s fee is in the credit card comparison, and holding a BMO bank plan isn’t required to apply for one.
Trading commissions and account fees at BMO’s online brokerage are covered in the BMO InvestorLine review.
Keeping BMO fees down
- Plan fee: keep the plan’s minimum balance (see the table); Practical and Blue Rewards have no published balance waiver.
- Paper statements: eStatements in BMO Online Banking remove the charge.
- ATMs: BMO’s own machines don’t charge a BMO fee; the non-BMO fee above applies elsewhere, plus the machine owner’s surcharge.
- Foreign purchases: a BMO U.S. dollar account avoids the conversion charge on U.S. dollar spending.
- Drafts and certified cheques: the Premium Plan includes them.
Branches, apps and service are in the BMO review, and phone lines and complaint routes in BMO customer service.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 14, 2026. How we check facts.