A man is calling out Wells Fargo after alleging the bank suddenly increased his checking fees without warning.
In a video with over 10,000 views, TikTok user Mike (@nomad__mike) explains the bizarre predicament he’s in with his Wells Fargo account.
“Their rule under their checking was, when I signed up for this checking account, you had to keep a minimum of $500 in your checking account to qualify for free checking, which I have,” he recalls.
Despite this, he says he was recently charged a $15 service fee. Confused, he says he went to a Wells Fargo branch and talked to a worker.
“I go to Wells Fargo, and I ask the girl, ‘Hey, I’ve always kept a minimum of 500 in this checking account right here, and I don’t understand why I’m getting a service charge,’” he recalls. “She says, ‘Oh, well, they changed it.’”
According to this worker, the new minimum balance was $1,500. Failure to keep $1,500 in the checking account means a charge of $15.
This sudden alteration in terms struck Mike as unfair.
“How do you change the rules in the middle of the game when somebody else didn’t agree to it?” he asks. “To me, that doesn’t make any sense. I can’t change the rules—so why can they? If I didn’t agree to these terms in the beginning, how can they automatically just start doing this?”
Is This True About Wells Fargo’s Checking Fees?
This may have come as a surprise to Mike. However, Wells Fargo actually began rolling out this change toward the end of 2025.
Under the new rules, those who have less than $1,500 in their Everyday Checking account will be automatically charged $15 per month.
That said, there are ways to avoid this fee. According to Wells Fargo, customers with $500 or more in total qualifying electronic deposits, $5,000 or more in qualifying deposit balances, investment balances, or both, and account holders between the ages of 17 and 24 should not be charged these fees.
Is It Legal To Change Billing Terms Like This?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) notes that it is illegal to change the terms of an account agreement without prior disclosure. According to the law, notice of any changes that could adversely affect the customer “shall be mailed or delivered at least 30 calendar days before the effective date of the change.”
If Wells Fargo truly did not inform Mike of the change, the company would be in violation of the law.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Wells Fargo has been accused of fraudulently levying fees against customers.
As detailed by the CFPB, Wells Fargo was forced to pay over $2 billion in penalties in 2023. Among these violations were surprise overdraft fees for debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals, even when customers had sufficient funds in their accounts. Additionally, Wells Fargo bank also charged certain customers monthly fees despite advertising that accounts would remain fee-free with “10 or more debit card purchases and/or payments” per month.
That said, it’s likely that Wells Fargo did inform Mike of the change. The company has been discussing this transition for months, and Wells Fargo customers were generally informed via their bank statements. An example can be found on the bottom of this bank statement.
If one does not want to pay this fee, they can switch to a free checking account with another bank. Alternatively, they can join their local credit union.
Commenters Are Mad
In the comments section, users agreed that such changes were unfair.
“I would be closing the account,” wrote a user.
“It’s amazing how if you have money. It’s free checking. but if you’re broke, you get monthly fees, overdraft fees,” added another. “The poor people are paying for the banks.”
“The new normal is they always move the goal post on us without telling us. This is why we can’t win,” declared a third.
BroBible reached out to Wells Fargo via email and Mike via TikTok message and comment.