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Rewards checking accounts should offer an attractive sign-up bonus, cashback, or a competitive interest rate. To help you with this process, we’ve evaluated the top options on fees, minimums, APY, customer service, digital experience, and overall quality.
Current is a financial technology company that provides banking services through Choice Financial Group, a member of the FDIC.
Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by and Visa® Debit Card issued by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Teen accounts do not earn points
The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) for Current Interest is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is effective as of April 1, 2022. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn Current Interest on up to $2000 in deposits per Savings Pod up to $6000 total. Please refer to Current Interest Terms and Conditions
Out of network cash withdrawal fees, third-party, and adding cash fees may apply.
Faster access to funds is based on comparison of traditional banking policies and deposit of paper checks from employers and government agencies versus deposits made electronically. Direct deposit and earlier availability of funds is subject to timing of payer’s submission of deposits.
Please refer to Overdrive™ Features Terms and Conditions.
Chime will not charge you a monthly fee and does not require a minimum balance to avoid maintenance fees.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
*Chime SpotMe is an optional, no fee service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account each month. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member's Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime's discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won't cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
1Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
The checking account does not charge users any maintenance, ATM, or overdraft fees. Users also earn up to 2% cash back on common everyday expenses and 1% on everything else.
1There are no account fees, overdraft fees, annual fees, or transfer fees associated with Rewards Checking accounts. Rewards Checking charges no ATM fees, but third-party institutions may charge you a fee if you use their ATM/network or if you use your Upgrade VISA® Debit Card internationally. Upgrade will rebate any ATM fee charged by another institution for debit card withdrawals in the United States, up to five times per calendar month. To be eligible to receive third-party ATM fee rebates in any calendar month for eligible ATM withdrawals made during that month, customers must have (i) an open Rewards Checking account and (ii) either maintained an average daily balance in their account of at least $2,500 in the prior calendar month or made direct deposits into their account totaling at least $1,000 during the prior calendar month. As a courtesy to new customers, Upgrade will provide third-party ATM fee rebates for up to the first 2 calendar months after account opening regardless of account activity. Some limitations apply. Please refer to the applicable Cross River Bank Deposit Account Agreement and Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information.
2Rewards Checking customers earn 2% cash back on common everyday expenses at convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants, and bars - including deliveries - and gas stations, as well as recurring payments on utilities and monthly subscriptions including phone, cable, TV and other streaming services, and 1% cash back on all other debit card charges. 2% cash back is limited to $500 in rewards per calendar year; after $500, customers earn 1% cash back on all eligible debit card charges for the remainder of the year. Some limitations apply. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information.
3Upgrade is a financial technology company, not a bank. Rewards Checking services provided by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC. Upgrade VISA® Debit Cards issued by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Personal Loans made by Upgrade's bank partners. Personal Credit Lines are issued by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. The Upgrade Card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.
Chase provides you with an easy-to-use online banking and mobile app service to help you manage your account day-to-day. In addition, with branches across the U.S., you can receive personalized support at a location convenient for you.
This checking account is great because you won't have to worry about paying monthly fees if your balance goes to $0. Not only that, Axos Bank reimburses fees charged by domestics ATMs. When opening an account, you only need to deposit $50 to open it but it can be removed without any issues and fees. To get the high APY, you need to deposit $1000+ monthly and make 15 debit card transactions a month.
Quontic helps maximize your savings, while managing everyday finances, by paying a high rate on your entire account balance. To qualify for the interest rate, you have to make a minimum of 10 qualifying point of sale debit card transactions that are at least $10 each, per statement cycle
Varo provides online banking without the need for physical branches and in-person support.
The goal of rewards checking account is to get you to earn the most you can for your money. Here are just a few benefits that are unique to rewards checking accounts and why you should consider opening one:
These types of checking accounts offer customers an attractive sign-up bonus, a competitive interest rate, or cashback by using the debit card linked to the account. As long as you meet certain criteria, such as spending a certain amount or making a certain number of purchases each month, you’ll earn cashback.
Rewards checking accounts generally require you to perform several monthly transactions to qualify for the highest interest rate and ATM fees reimbursement. You might have to make ten or more debit card purchases per month or use your debit card at least once every three days. If you don’t meet these requirements, your account will earn a lower or no interest. Some banks offer lower rewards depending on how many transactions you make, while others exclude your account from earning any rewards for the month when you don’t meet the requirements.
Some banks require a direct deposit to your checking account to qualify for maximum interest earnings, but this is not always the case.
Here’s how you can open one of these accounts and what documents you need:
Many banks now allow prospective customers the option of opening an account online. In these cases, banks typically request that applicants upload images or scanned copies of their identification cards and other required documents, so bank employees can review them. Once approved, you can usually access the new account immediately.
There are a few fees that you may want to be aware of before opening an account:
Here are some things to consider when choosing a rewards checking account:
