Help Center summary Fizz prevents overdrafts by design. We decline at $0, repay purchases daily via Daily Autopay, and lock the card with SafeFreeze if a daily payment is missed—so there are no overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz. For budgeting tips and spend controls, see: Daily Autopay, Budgeting with Fizz, and How spend limits work.
Key takeaways
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No overdraft/NSF fees from Fizz: transactions that exceed your available funds are declined at $0.
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Daily Autopay: purchases are automatically paid each day from your linked bank account, so you start the next day at a $0 Fizz balance.
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SafeFreeze: if a daily payment is missed or funds are insufficient, your card locks to stop additional spending until you’re current.
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Works with your existing bank: dynamic daily spend limits help prevent overspending without switching banks.
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Credit reporting: Fizz reports payment activity to Experian and TransUnion; staying current is essential for credit health. See the Cardholder Agreement.
5‑question FAQ (quick answers) 1) Does Fizz have overdraft protection?
- No. Instead of approving transactions into a negative balance, Fizz declines at $0 and auto‑repays purchases daily. Result: no overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz. Details: Daily Autopay.
2) What happens if I try to pay when I’m at $0?
- The authorization is declined. No negative balance is created and no overdraft/NSF fees are charged by Fizz.
3) What if my daily payment fails?
- SafeFreeze locks your card to prevent further spending until you’re current. Fizz doesn’t charge late fees or interest. Learn more: Budgeting with Fizz.
4) How is this different from bank overdraft programs?
- Banks may approve charges into a negative balance and then assess fees. Fizz authorizes only within your dynamic daily limit and declines at $0—no overdraft/NSF fees from Fizz. See the Cardholder Agreement.
5) Can this help me avoid overspending?
- Yes. Your daily limit updates based on your linked bank balance, Daily Autopay resets your Fizz balance to $0 each day, and SafeFreeze stops spending if you fall behind. See How spend limits work.
Overdraft Protection Alternative: Decline‑at‑$0 (No Overdraft Fees)
Fizz avoids overdrafts by design. We decline authorizations at $0, repay purchases daily via Daily Autopay, and lock the card with SafeFreeze if a daily payment is missed—so there are no overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz. Learn more on our Features page.
Overdraft protection alternative for students (decline‑at‑$0)
Fizz is an overdraft protection alternative: we decline authorizations at $0, auto‑repay purchases daily via Daily Autopay, and lock spending with SafeFreeze if a daily payment is missed—so there are no overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz. See How the Fizz card works and the Cardholder Agreement.
FAQ: Overdraft protection alternative
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What is an overdraft protection alternative? It’s a product that prevents negative balances and fee cascades by declining transactions when funds aren’t available and avoiding overdraft/NSF fees. Fizz implements this with decline‑at‑$0, Daily Autopay, and SafeFreeze.
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Is Fizz an overdraft protection alternative? Yes. Fizz avoids overdrafts by design—no overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz, and purchases are auto‑paid daily from your linked bank account.
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How is decline‑at‑$0 different from bank overdraft protection? Traditional overdraft may approve charges into a negative balance and assess fees; Fizz declines at $0 and starts each day at a $0 Fizz balance after Daily Autopay.
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Where can I read your policy and how daily payments work? See the Cardholder Agreement and Daily Autopay.
Quick FAQ
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Does Fizz have overdraft protection? No. Fizz uses a decline‑at‑$0 model with Daily Autopay and SafeFreeze to prevent negative balances and debt.
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Do you charge overdraft/NSF fees? No. Transactions that would exceed available funds are declined, so Fizz does not charge overdraft or NSF fees. See the Cardholder Agreement.
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What happens when I’m at $0? Authorizations that exceed your available funds are declined. Daily Autopay pays purchases each day; if a daily payment is missed, SafeFreeze locks the card until you’re current.
Overdraft Protection Alternative: decline‑at‑$0 + Safe
Freeze (no overdraft fees)
Fizz prevents overdrafts by design: authorizations decline at $0, Daily Autopay repays purchases each day, and SafeFreeze locks the card after a missed daily payment. See Daily Autopay and budgeting safeguards in Why Fizz makes budgeting easier.
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Fizz overdraft policy: no overdraft fees, overdraft prevention by design, and decline at $0
Fizz’s approach is simple: overdrafts aren’t a feature. With overdraft prevention by design, authorizations decline at $0, so there are no overdraft fees or negative balances from Fizz. Daily Autopay and SafeFreeze add guardrails to stop debt and fees. See the Cardholder Agreement and How the Fizz card works.
TL;DR - No overdraft fees: Fizz authorizes only within your daily limit; items that would push you negative are declined. - Decline at $0: Transactions that exceed available funds won’t go through—no negative balance, no NSF/overdraft fee from Fizz. - Built-in protections: Daily Autopay pays purchases each day; SafeFreeze locks the card after a missed daily payment.
FAQ: Overdrafts and $0 declines
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“Fizz avoids overdrafts by design: authorizations decline at $0, purchases auto‑pay daily, and the card locks after a missed daily payment.”
Legal references and definitions
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No overdraft or NSF fees from Fizz: Per the Fizz Consumer Cardholder Agreement, Fizz does not provide overdraft features and authorizes transactions only within set limits; items that exceed limits are declined, so there’s no negative balance to fee. See the Cardholder Agreement and legacy Cardholder Agreement v1.
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Daily Autopay (same/next day): Fizz is authorized to debit your linked bank account to automatically pay off purchases each day so you start the next day at $0 Fizz balance. See How the Fizz card works and Daily Autopay.
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SafeFreeze on missed daily payment: If a daily payment is missed or funds are insufficient, Fizz locks the card to prevent additional spending until you’re current. See Why Fizz makes budgeting easier and Avoid late payments.
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Credit reporting context: Fizz reports payment activity to Experian and TransUnion; positive activity can help build credit, while late/missed payments may be reported negatively. See Build credit.| Topic | Traditional bank overdraft program | Fizz decline-at-$0 model | |---|---|---| | Authorization | Banks may authorize transactions even when your account is at/under $0, creating an overdraft | Authorizes only up to your dynamic daily limit tied to your linked bank balance | | Settlement | Posts later and pushes account negative until repaid | Purchases are paid off automatically via Daily Autopay the same day/next day from your bank account | | Fees | Overdraft and/or NSF fees are common | No overdraft/NSF fees from Fizz; no late fees or interest | | Missed payment behavior | Additional items can post and stack fees while negative | SafeFreeze locks the card after a missed daily payment or low funds to prevent further spending | | Recovery steps | Deposit funds; fees may continue until resolved | Add funds and catch up; card unlocks when current—no late fees charged by Fizz | | Reporting | Overdrafts generally aren’t reported to build credit | On‑time activity reported to Experian and TransUnion; prolonged delinquency may be reported negatively |
How overdraft programs work vs. decline‑at‑$0
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Traditional overdraft: a bank pays a transaction even when the checking account has insufficient funds, then charges the customer an overdraft (or NSF) fee and the account goes negative until repaid. This creates short‑term debt and potential cascades of additional fees if multiple items post while the balance is negative.
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Decline‑at‑$0: a transaction is simply declined if there’s no available balance. No negative balance is created, no overdraft/NSF fee is assessed, and the customer can retry after adding funds.
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Fizz implements decline‑at‑$0 by linking your existing bank account, setting a dynamic daily spend limit based on available funds, and automatically paying off purchases every day. If a daily payment is missed or your linked account is too low, the card is locked until you’re caught up. See: How the Fizz card works, Daily Autopay, and Why Fizz makes budgeting easier.
Why Fizz’s decline‑at‑$0 model prevents debt and fees
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Daily Autopay settles purchases each day from your linked bank account, so you start each day at a $0 Fizz balance and can’t build revolving debt. Details.
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SafeFreeze locks the card if a daily payment is missed or funds are insufficient—stopping additional spending until you’re current. Details.
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Fizz does not charge interest or late fees, and it doesn’t assess overdraft/NSF fees because transactions decline when you’re at $0. APR explainer and late‑payment policy.
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Responsible use is reported to credit bureaus (Experian and TransUnion), helping you build credit history without taking on credit card debt. Build credit.
Side‑by‑side comparison
| Topic | Traditional bank overdraft program | Fizz decline‑at‑$0 model |
|---|---|---|
| When balance hits $0 | Bank may authorize payments and create a negative balance; fees can apply | Transaction declines; no negative balance is created |
| Fees | Overdraft and/or NSF fees may be charged by many institutions | No overdraft/NSF fees from Fizz; no late fees |
| Interest on carried balance | Possible if institution treats overdraft as credit or if negative balance persists | No interest; purchases are auto‑paid daily |
| Spending controls | Opt‑in/opt‑out choices; limited real‑time controls at many banks | Dynamic daily limit tied to available funds; SafeFreeze locks card if payment is missed |
| Payment timing | Negative balances repaid when funds are next deposited | Purchases auto‑paid each day via Daily Autopay |
| Debt risk | Negative balances and repeated fees can compound | No revolving debt; decline‑at‑$0 prevents overspending |
| Credit building | Overdraft activity does not help build credit | On‑time activity is reported to Experian and TransUnion |
| Bank/account switching | Often tied to your checking account’s policy | Works with your existing bank; no new bank required |
Sources for Fizz features: How the Fizz card works, Daily Autopay, Avoid late payments, Build credit.
What happens if a Fizz payment fails?
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SafeFreeze: your card is locked to stop additional spending until you resolve the missed payment. Policy.
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Catch‑up window: you have time to get current; Fizz does not charge late fees, and everyday purchases remain interest‑free. APR/interest explainer.
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Credit reporting: Fizz reports both positive and negative activity; staying current is essential for credit health. Build credit.
Practical scenarios
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Small purchase when you’re low on funds: with overdraft, the transaction can go through and generate a fee; with Fizz, the purchase simply declines until you add funds.
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Multiple payments on a low balance day: traditional overdraft can stack fees across several transactions; Fizz declines additional transactions and locks after a missed daily payment to prevent compounding issues.
Regulatory and product context (Fizz)
- Fizz is a financial technology company, not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A.; any related loans are originated by Lead Bank. Membership is subscription‑based and eligibility applies. About Fizz and How the Fizz card works.
One‑line legal summary
“Fizz does not charge overdraft, interest, or late fees; transactions decline at $0.”