Are you tired of waiting in long lines, and dealing with too many fees and minimum requirements? Opening an online checking account could be your solution.
Today, almost every bank or credit union offers online banking options. Some of our picks come from traditional brick-and-mortar banks, while others represent the fast-growing online-only segment of the market. Critically, consumer satisfaction with their online banking experience weighed heavily in our recommendations.
Our Recommendations for the Best Online Checking Accounts
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U.S. Bank is the fifth largest bank in the country with the majority of its 2,000+ branches located in 26 states mostly located in the west and midwest.
You can earn up to $800 when you open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account and a Standard Savings account online and complete qualifying activities. The offer is subject to certain terms and limitations and is valid through December 29, 2023. Offer may not be available if you live outside the U.S. Bank footprint. Member FDIC.
U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking at a Glance
- A U.S. Bank Visa debit card
- Online banking and bill pay
- Mobile banking with mobile check deposit
- Send money with Zelle®
- Access to U.S. Bank Smart Rewards® to reap additional benefits
- No fees at U.S. Bank ATMs
- No surcharge fees at 40,000 MoneyPass® ATMs
Account Details and Costs
To get an account, you’ll need to make an opening deposit of $25. The monthly service fee is $6.95 but can be waived if you maintain an average balance of $1,500 or by having a combined monthly direct deposit totaling $1,000. You can also avoid the monthly fee if you are 24 and under, 65 and over, or a member of the military (must self-disclose) or qualify for one of the four Smart Rewards® tiers (Primary, Plus, Premium, or Pinnacle).
Banking Made Easy
The U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account comes with one of the best mobile apps on the market. Over one million customers have given the app an overall rating of five stars. You can manage your entire account from a computer or your smartphone.
U.S. Bank repeatedly makes the list of one of the best banks in the country.
KeyBank’s Key Smart Checking® is a no monthly maintenance fee checking account that offers access to 1,000 branch locations and 40,000+ ATMs fee-free. KeyBank has a popular smartphone app with strong customer ratings on both Apple and Android devices. The account is FDIC insured.
Earn a $200 Cash Bonus
When you open a new Key Smart Checking® account before December 8, 2023 and make one direct deposit of at least $500 within the first 60 days of account opening, you’ll receive a $200 bonus deposited directly to your account within 90 days of meeting requirements. Your account must not be closed or restricted during the time of the promotional period. There is a $10 minimum deposit to open an account, but no monthly minimum balance requirement.
A Smartphone App Built for You
The app allows you to set custom alerts, lock or unlock your debit card, deposit checks, and much more:
- Easily send or receive money through Zelle®
- Mobile payments with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay
- View and download up to 7 years of statements
- Schedule recurring payments with online bill pay
- Sign on with fingerprint or face ID
- Locate branch or ATM locations
- Order paper checks
States Where KeyBank is Available
You can apply online if you live in one of the following 15 states: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, or Washington.
EasyUp Makes Savings a Snap
Once you’ve opened your Key Smart Checking® account, you can add a free Key Active Saver savings account. EasyUp is a free feature that allows you to automatically save an amount that works for you – from 10¢ to $5 – every time you make a debit card purchase. Send it directly to your KeyBank savings account and let it grow, or to a company to pay down debt faster. The choice is yours, and you can change it anytime.
Our Verdict
While the Key Smart Checking® account is our favorite, the bank offers additional checking accounts that may more closely fit your needs. Best of all, you can get an account today!
Chime® is one of our favorite online checking accounts. Chime accepts almost all customers who apply, even if you have bad or poor credit or have been blacklisted by ChexSystems or the credit bureaus.
Chime at a Glance
- NO credit check or ChexSystems
- NO initial deposit required
- NO minimum balance required
- NO monthly or annual fees
- NO NSF/overdraft fees1
- NO foreign transaction fees
- NO fees at over 60,000 ATMs2
- NO fees for mobile and online bill pay
- FREE cash deposits at 8,500+ Walgreens
- Get your paycheck up to 2 days early with direct deposit3
- FDIC insured account up to $250,000
Most people know Chase and with over 15,000 ATMs and 4,700 branches across the country, the Chase Secure Banking account might be a good fit for an online checking account.
Chase Secure Banking at a Glance
- NO credit check
- NO ChexSystems
- NO minimum deposit to open
- NO overdraft fees
- FREE access to over 15,000 Chase ATMs
- FREE Chase Online Bill Pay
- FREE money orders and cashier’s checks
Fees
Chase doesn’t offer overdraft services with this account as you can only spend the money you have available and the account does not include paper checks. You should also know that using non-Chase ATMs can cost from $3.00 to $5.00 per transaction.
Chase Secure Banking carries a $4.95 monthly service fee that cannot be waived. But combined with all the free services and the $100 cash bonus when you use the card for 10 purchases within 60 days, the monthly fee doesn’t pose a problem for most customers.
If you’ve wanted to bank with Chase and wondered if you’d qualify, we think you’re going to be really happy with the Chase Secure Banking account.
The SoFi Checking & Savings account is offered by SoFi Bank. It’s a checking AND savings account and we love that.
You get a debit MasterCard and a very slick smartphone app. You can make deposits, write checks, utilize electronic bill pay, and transfer money. You don’t need to make an opening deposit to get an account and SoFi never charges monthly maintenance fees. You’ll have access to a large and fee-free ATM network along with a generous cashback program.
Using the SoFi direct deposit option unlocks additional benefits. First, if you overspend a bit, SoFi will cover up to $50 with no overdraft fees. Second, you’ll receive a much higher interest amount of 4.60% APY on savings account balances and .50% APY on checking account balances.
If you decide not to utilize direct deposit, you’ll receive 1.20% APY on savings balances. Finally, when you set up direct deposit from an employer, SoFi will credit your account up to $275 (depending on the amount of your direct deposit).
The sign-up process can take less than 60 seconds. With over 6 million members, SoFi is a bank you can count on!
SoFi has been great! The account was easy to open and I got my debit card a few days later. The smartphone app is easy to use and I can check everything from my computer, too. SoFi seems to be the perfect bank.
Claire M., SoFi Customer
Current offers an innovative account to consumers who want it all without the costs and hassles.
The Current Build account works just like a checking account but also helps you build credit every time you use the card. Sign-up takes about 2 minutes and Current has extremely high acceptance rates.
Current at a Glance
- NO credit check
- NO minimum balance
- NO deposit required to open an account
- NO fees at over 40,000 ATMs in the U.S.
- Get your paycheck up to 2 days early with direct deposit
- Earn 4.0% APY on your balance up to $6,000 with direct deposit; earn 0.25% APY without
- Earn points for unlimited cashback at participating retailers
- Send money instantly for free
- An elegant but simple smartphone app
- 24/7 member support
- FDIC insured account up to $250,000
NorthOne is a fast-growing company built specifically around business banking solutions for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. In addition to dramatically streamlining the application process, NorthOne doesn’t check your credit and doesn’t use ChexSystems.
NorthOne at a Glance
- FREE business Mastercard debit card
- FREE access at over 40,000 ATMs nationwide
- FREE online and mobile app
- FREE live chat (not a chatbot), telephone, or email support
- FREE in-app invoice creator
- NO minimum monthly balance requirement
- NO NSF fees
- NO ACH transfer fees
- NO credit check or ChexSystems
Acorns was built to give everyone the tools to manage their finances which makes it one of our top picks.
It takes about 2-3 minutes to sign up and not only do you get a checking and savings account, but you also have access to an investment account once you’re ready to consider that. There is a $3 monthly fee that is easily covered by the ATM fee reimbursement and other goodies included with the account.
Acorns at a Glance
- FREE heavy metal tungsten Visa® debit card
- FREE bank-to-bank transfers
- FREE physical check sending online or through the mobile app
- FREE mobile check deposits
- FREE or reimbursed ATM withdrawals nationwide
- NO minimum balance or overdraft fees
- NO credit check; ChexSystems OK
- Get paid up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit
- Optional Real-Time Round-Ups where the spare change from each transaction is transferred to savings
- FDIC insured
If you’ve struggled with poor credit or ChexSystems, Acorns might be the perfect account.
Axos Bank has consistently ranked at the top for online checking accounts and their Rewards Checking account is our favorite. Axos makes getting an account easy because they don’t check your credit or use ChexSystems. All you need is a valid ID and social security number.
Axos Bank Rewards Checking at a Glance
- Unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements
- Zero monthly maintenance fees
- Zero minimum monthly balance requirements
- Zero overdraft or NSF fees
- Up to 3.30% APY interest on your balance
- Manage your account from your smartphone or computer
- Highly rated mobile app
- Highly rated customer service experience
- Peer-to-peer payments with an email or mobile number
- Only $50 to open an account
- Use promo code AXOS300 and apply by December 31st, to earn up to a $300 bonus!
We like the BMO Smart Money online checking account. Approval is immediate and the process takes about 5 minutes.
If you’re 24 or younger, the account comes with no monthly fees. For those 25 and older, the monthly fee is $5 with no way to waive that amount. You can avoid a $2 monthly fee if you opt for paperless statements.
The account is available in all 50 states and Washington D.C. BMO has around 500 branches in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington, and Wisconsin.
BMO Smart Money Account at a Glance
- Access to 40,000+ fee-free ATMs
- Send and receive money with Zelle®
- No overdraft fees
- No credit check
- Mobile check deposits
- $25 opening deposit required
Lili was custom-made for freelancers and independent contractors who are operating as sole proprietors and single-member LLCs and we really like their offering. Lili aims to approve most accounts within 2-3 days, but some accounts are approved in 2-3 hours.
Lili offers a checking account and Visa debit card with no opening deposit or minimum balance requirement, no hidden fees, no credit check, and no ChexSystems. Lili makes getting your account easy!
Lili at a Glance
- FREE business VISA debit card
- FREE (and very user-friendly) mobile app
- NO minimum balance
- NO NSF charges or fees
- NO credit check or ChexSystems
- NO fees for incoming wire transfers
- Receive direct deposit funds 2 days earlier than many banks
- Mobile check deposit
- Unlimited fee-free transactions
- Takes 3 minutes to apply
Application Process
You can set up an account online. If you’re a freelancer, you should receive approval and account access almost instantly. All others (Sole Proprietor, Single-Member LLC, Multi-Member LLC, General Partnership, Limited Liability Partnership, or S Corp) can take a couple of days to get approved. You can fund your account using a mobile check deposit, direct deposit, ACH transfer, or by linking your Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App account.
Upgrade is a digital banking platform providing a range of financial services, including checking accounts, personal loans, and credit cards without annual fees.
The Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus option stands out with its attractive benefits: earn up to 2% cash back on day-to-day expenses, capped at $500 annually, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
An “Active” Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus account comes free of account fees, ATM fees, and overdraft fees, and it doesn’t require a minimum balance or a minimum opening deposit. You can also add a free Upgrade Performance Savings account and earn up to 4.81% APY on your savings. An Active Account requires a $1,000 minimum direct deposit every month.
But if you choose not to or cannot meet the monthly direct deposit requirement, the account cashback program is reduced from 2% to 1% and there will not be any ATM fee reimbursements. In our view, that’s still a very strong offering with very few fees.
Managing your transactions is effortless, facilitated through either an intuitive online dashboard or the convenient Upgrade mobile app, available for both iOS and Android users.
The Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus account has above-average approval rates.
Varo Bank is another internet-only bank with services based on their mobile apps for Apple and Android devices. Varo doesn’t charge fees at 55,000+ Allpoint ATMs and offers strong budgeting tools and automatic savings programs.
Opening an account is easy and Varo doesn’t check your credit or use ChexSystems. Varo doesn’t even require an initial deposit to open an account, either. There are never any monthly maintenance fees, account balance minimums, overdraft fees, foreign transaction fees, transfer fees, or debit card replacement fees.
Varo’s recent bank charter has them innovating more than ever. They have a very strong cashback program, a payroll advance option, and have started to offer their customers a secured credit card called Varo Believe.
Finally, if Varo receives a payroll notification before your payday, it can deposit your money more quickly than many banks.
No matter your banking past, Navy Federal Credit Union offers traditional checking for all members across the US. With no review requirements of your banking history, NFCU is an excellent choice for active duty or retired US military, family members, and government contractors. There are several account options, but we recommend the Free EveryDay Checking account.
Navy Federal Credit Union at a Glance
- No monthly service fee
- No minimum balance requirement
- No opening deposit requirement
- Free Visa debit card with Zero Liability protection
- Free access to 30,000 ATMs nationwide
- Free mobile check deposits
- Free bill pay
- Free traditional checks
- Dividends credited monthly
Novo understands small business owners and makes it easy to open and manage an account. As an online-only bank, you’ll find Novo strikes the right balance between technology, human touch, and real-world benefits. Here are some of our favorite features for Novo Business Checking:
- NO monthly fees
- NO minimum balance requirement
- NO ATM fees
- NO credit check or ChexSystems
- FREE Mastercard debit card
- FREE mobile app
- FREE transfers, mailed checks, and incoming wires
- FREE invoicing to create, send, and track invoices
- FREE mobile check deposit
Application Process
It takes about 10 minutes to sign up for a Novo account. You’ll need personal and business information, which may include a social security number, business tax ID, and business formation documents. They do not check your credit or use ChexSystems.
Novo is growing quickly. Their offering is popular with small business owners. The account approval process is currently taking 1-2 business days and once you’re approved, you can get full access to your account with a simple $50 deposit.
No. Fees. Period. That’s how Discover Bank promotes its Cashback Debit Checking Account. And, after conducting our research, we can say that’s mostly true. In fact, the only fees you’ll ever incur are for outgoing wire transfers and service charge fees if you use a non-Discover ATM if it is not part of the 60,000+ ATMs in their no-fee network.
As long as there are no past incidences of fraud on your ChexSystems report, Discover might be a great account for you. The only negative? There is no way to deposit cash directly into the account.
Discover Bank® Cashback Debit Checking Account at a Glance
- 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month
- Access to 60,000+ fee-free ATMs; $510 cash withdrawal limit per day
- Fee-free opt-in overdraft protection transfer service
- Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit
- Send and receive money with Zelle®
- No monthly fee (no balance or activity requirements)
- No fee for insufficient funds
- Mobile check deposits
- No deposit to open
Ally Bank has been one of the most highly rated online banks for the past several years. It’s not because they have the most features, but because they consistently make their customers delighted with the features the bank offers.
For starters, there’s no minimum opening deposit required. Ally doesn’t charge any monthly maintenance fee and there is no overdraft fee (more on that below). You’ll have access to 43,000+ ATMs and Ally will reimburse you up to $10 per statement cycle if you get charged for using another institution’s machine.
You’ll become eligible for Ally’s overdraft program called CoverDraft 30 days after depositing a total of $100. Ally will activate CoverDraft automatically and send you an email when they do. You can turn CoverDraft off at any time, as long as your account balance isn’t negative. Otherwise, Ally will decline the transaction without payment. In either case, you won’t be charged an overdraft fee.
We like that you can use Zelle to send and receive money, get paid up to 2 days sooner with early direct deposit, and deposit checks remotely with Ally eCheck Deposit. We also like that Ally has high approval rates as long as you don’t have a ChexSystems or EWS fraud alert in your past.
The Citi® Access Checking account is a solid option if you’ve been blacklisted by ChexSystems or Early Warning Systems. As long as you haven’t been flagged for fraudulent behavior and don’t owe Citibank an outstanding amount, approval rates for this account are good.
There are no monthly service fees for the first 3 months after opening the account. The $5 monthly service fee can easily be waived after that time by depositing at least $250 per month.
We also like that there are no overdraft or returned item fees because if you don’t have enough money in your account, the item will be returned.
Citibank Access Checking at a Glance
- 65,000+ fee-free ATMs
- Send money to almost anyone with a U.S.-based bank account through Zelle®
- No overdraft or NSF fees
- $5 monthly fee can be waived with $250 in qualified direct deposits
- $0 liability for unauthorized charges
- Available in all 50 states and Washington DC
- No minimum opening deposit
Wells Fargo changed their Opportunity Checking account to Clear Access Banking. And we like one change, in particular. Wells Fargo has done away with overdraft and non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees. Clear Access Banking is a debit card-only account (no paper checks available) and if you attempt to purchase something without sufficient funds, the transaction will be denied. That’s a lot better than having the transaction approved and then discovering you’ve been hit with a $35 overdraft fee.
There is a $5 monthly fee, but that is be waived for account holders 24 years old and younger. This account is available to residents in all 50 states.
Wells Fargo Clear Access Banking at a Glance
- No minimum daily balance required
- 11,000 branches in the U.S.
- Minimum deposit of $25 to open an account
- Online bill pay and smartphone app
- Mobile check deposit
- Includes a Visa debit card
- Send and receive money through Zelle®
- Additional features include account alerts, 24/7 fraud monitoring, and zero liability protection for your debit card
The Capital One 360 Checking Account uses a proprietary approval process that does not include ChexSystems and might be a solid option for those who have had past financial challenges.
Available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Capital One acts more like an online bank than one with over 400 branches in a few states. Its highly-rated smartphone app gives customers full control of their account and you can access everything from a computer, too.
Capital One 360 Checking at a Glance
- No opening deposit is required
- No monthly or annual fees
- No minimum balance and no overdraft fees
- Add cash to your account at CVS® locations.
- No-fee access to over 70,000 ATMs nationwide
- No foreign transaction fees when traveling abroad
- Deposit checks and pay bills with the smartphone app
- Send and receive money with Zelle®
- Early direct deposit feature
- Monitor your credit score with Capital One’s CreditWise feature
- FDIC insured account up to $250,000
How The Overdraft Feature Works
The account offers two overdraft services. The first is a free savings transfer where you link your checking account to a savings account. If you overdraw from your checking account, Capital One will cover the charge by making a transfer from your savings account.
The second option is a no-fee overdraft where the bank approves recurring debit payments, check payments, or bill pay payments even if it results in a negative balance for your account. To qualify, you’ll need to receive at least $250 in direct deposits during two of the three previous months.
Customer Service
In the era of chatbots and customer service-by-email, Capital One stands out for its personalized customer service. Once you set up an online account, you can chat 24/7 with a live customer service representative. If you want to speak with a representative on the phone, you can call between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
The website is laid out well and easy to understand. The smartphone app is also easy to navigate and has received 4.9 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 4.6 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Credit Builder card issued by Stride Bank, N.A.
1Eligibility requirements apply. Overdraft only applies to debit card purchases and cash withdrawals. Limits start at $20 and may be increased up to $200 by Chime. See chime.com/spotme.
2Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM. Cash deposit or other third-party fees may apply.
3Early 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.
4Customers are limited to three $1,000 cash deposits at Walgreens each day and $10,000 each month.
5Sometimes instant transfers can be delayed. The recipient must use a valid debit card to claim funds. Once you are approved for a Chime Checking Account, see your issuing bank’s Deposit Account Agreement for full Pay Anyone Transfers details. Please see the back of your Chime debit card for your issuing bank. See Terms and Conditions.
6The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is effective as of September 20, 2023. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest.
7Early 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.
