Maintenance fees on debit card accounts aren't yet common, so many people may not even know to scrutinize their bank statements for them. At this point, only 4 percent of accounts charge a point-of-sale fee when using a debit card, and less than 2 percent charge a monthly or annual fee for carrying a debit card. But that's expected to change in the new regulatory environment, McBride says.

"The Durbin Amendment is really a game changer on the debit card front. And I think, in addition to continued declines in the prevalence of free checking, we will see an increase in debit card fees, whether it's a fee to carry the card or it's a transaction-based fee," he says.

Tip: If your bank begins charging a debit card fee and you don't want to move your checking account, you can always go back to carrying a credit card. As long as you pay off your balance every month, credit cards can have advantages over debit cards such as rewards programs and better protection from fraud liability.