I never thought Chat GPT could help me get my bank to reverse a fee — until it did! I saved $50, and it took me less than five minutes.
Here’s what happened. A couple weeks back I was charged $50 to do a wire transfer at my local bank branch. To be fair, I saw the fee coming and accepted it at the time — but honestly, I just felt too nervous to ask for a waiver face to face.
When I got home, I fired up Chat GPT and asked for help. It spat out a beautiful script I used to call up and get a refund.
The ChatGPT script that helped me
First I told ChatGPT my overall situation — how much I was charged, how long I had been a customer at the bank, etc.
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Here’s a version of the message it recommended I call the bank with:
“Hey, my name is Joel, I’m hoping you can help me… I recently visited a bank branch to do a wire transfer, and I got charged an annoying $50 fee. Honestly, I’ve been a loyal customer for 12 years, and I love working with this bank. Is there any chance you can waive this $50 fee as a goodwill gesture? It would absolutely make my day.”
Short. Sweet. To the point.
When I called customer service, I read this word for word — and they granted my refund on the spot. If you, too, are sick of fees hitting your accounts, check out our list of top checking accounts — many of which have no or low fees and account minimums.
Bank fees you might be able to get waived
Many big banks nickel and dime you wherever possible. (Some banks have no fees, and I’ll talk about my favorite ones below).
But small junk fees can be easily waived. You just have to ask in the right way.
- Overdraft fees — If it’s your first time overdrawing, banks may waive this fee if you ask nicely.
- Minimum balance fees — If you fell below the threshold without realizing, it’s worth calling up and asking for leniency.
- Wire transfer fees — Just like my experience, waivers can be requested easily if you only do wires once in a while. Plus, usually a branch manager helps you with a wire transfer, and they typically have authority to grant your request on the spot.
- ATM fees — If you got charged for using an out-of-network ATM, the bank might reimburse you. (Some banks waive ATM fees automatically)
- Late payment fees — This could include fees and interest on credit card payments, or personal loans. If you usually pay on time, a quick request could get it reversed.
Keep in mind, you don’t want to be calling your bank every day and asking for discounts. This should be an occasional request.
Other prompts to help you with bank fees
If you’re new to using ChatGPT, here are some ideas to get you started. Just log in and try typing in a request like this:
- “I’m trying to get an overdraft fee reversed at my bank but am nervous about asking. Can you write me a polite and professional request to help get my fee waived?”
- “Give me a script for calling my bank to ask for a refund on an ATM fee.”
Next time you see a surprise fee, don’t just accept it. Ask your bank if they are willing to give you a refund. The worst they can say is no.