Nearly half of bank customers say they would choose overdraft protection.

• Position: Brief article

A NEW SURVEY SHOWS 46 percent of bank customers report they did--or will--opt in to their bank's overdraft program, saying they are willing to pay a fee for the service to ensure that debit card transactions will be approved even if their account is overdrawn.

The figure serves as a benchmark to the percentage of consumers nationwide who are receptive to overdraft services. The ABA survey was conducted by Ipsos-Reid, an independent market research firm, which polled more than 1,000 adults by telephone on August 14 and 15, 2010.

The...