JP Morgan Chase will not charge its customers a $3 monthly debit card fee after testing the potential fee with bank customers in Wisconsin and Georgia.

According to the Chicago Tribune, after eight months of consumer testing, Chase decided that it won't charge customers who use their debit cards to make purchases, according to a person familiar with the bank's plans. The bank indicated that it would drop the idea following negative reactions from customers.

With this latest move, Chase joins U.S. Bancorp, Citigroup, PNC Financial Services Group, and KeyCorp, among others, in announcing that it will not impose monthly fees on debit cards, the Tribune reports.

Bank of America and SunTrust still plan to implement a $5 monthly fee linked to debit card transactions, however, and Wells Fargo is currently testing its own $3 monthly debit-card fee.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, continues to call on Bank of America to drop its planned $5 monthly debit card fee, which would go into effect in 2012.

“It’s unfair for banks to stick consumers with a monthly fee just to use their own money,” said Norma Garcia, manager of Consumers Union’s financial services program. “The banks that charge debit card fees risk losing customers who are fed up with financial institutions that got bailed out that are now turning around and hiking fees.”

Consumers Union has tips for consumers who want to switch banks (pdf) because of such fees.
Previously: Consumers Union urges banks to drop new debit card fees and Consumers Union calls on feds to investigate new Bank of America debit card fee.

JP Morgan Chase Won’t Charge Its Customers a Debit Card Fee [Consumers Union]
JPMorgan Chase won't charge debit card fee as big banks back away [Chicago Tribune]