Were you recently denied a checking account? Did your bank contact you and tell you they closed your account? If either of these events happened to you, you were probably told it was based on a report from a company called ChexSystems. A huge percentage of banks and credit unions use ChexSystems and if you’ve experienced banking mistakes like bounced checks, excessive returned check (NSF) charges, or too many transfers or withdrawals you might be on their blacklist.
Unfortunately, being on that list lasts for five years and can make opening a simple checking account a nightmare. And with so many banks and credit unions using ChexSystems, you can’t just open an account at the bank across the street.
Luckily, there are banks who do not use ChexSystems. These “No ChexSystems Banks” offer you a way back into banking and they offer all the services you need and deserve with acceptance rates that are surprisingly high.
1. The Best No ChexSystems Banks
CheckingExpert has helped thousands of people just like you open No ChexSystems Bank Accounts. We’ve selected the best banks for 2019 based on acceptance rates, checking account features and benefits, and the accounts with the lowest fees. Best of all, you can open an account today!
Our Top Recommendations For The Best No ChexSystems Banks In 2019
BBVA Online Checking is our favorite no ChexSystems bank account. They have the strongest offering of any of our recommendations. It’s easy to get approved and takes about 3 minutes. Plus, their smartphone app and online tools are the best we’ve reviewed. While BBVA does not use ChexSystems for account approval, they do use Early Warning Services.
- NO monthly fees or service charges
- NO monthly account balance minimums
- NO fees at over 64,000 Allpoint® and BBVA ATMs worldwide
- FREE award-winning mobile app (one of the best we’ve reviewed)
- FREE Visa® debit card you can personalize with your favorite photo
- FREE online banking, bill pay, and mobile deposits
- FREE money transfer to and from any email or mobile phone in the U.S. via Popmoney®, Venmo®, and other instant transfer services
- FREE dedicated team of mobile bankers you can contact via text, email, or phone
- FREE cash back rewards for everyday debit card purchases with Simple CashBack
- FREE unlimited check writing
- FREE Visa Zero Liability protects you against fraudulent purchases made on your debit card
- Open with as little as $25
This account is available in all states except Alaska and Hawaii.
Chime Bank is a fast-growing internet-only bank. Unlike big banks, Chime was created during the smartphone era and, therefore, features an app that is more than just a way for customers to review their bank accounts. In our opinion, Chime is the only bank that comes close to BBVA. It is available in all 50 states.
- FREE Visa® debit card
- NO monthly fees or service charges
- NO monthly minimums
- FREE online banking and mobile banking/deposits
- NO fees at over 38,000 MoneyPass® and Visa Plus Alliance ATMs worldwide
- SAVINGS: You can round up every purchase to the nearest dollar and automatically deposit that difference into your savings account.
The Peoples Cash Solutions Second Chance Checking Account might be the answer for you. Peoples Bank will open an FDIC insured Second Chance Checking Account for you even if you have bad credit or have been reported to ChexSystems or TeleCheck in the past (except where fraudulent activity has been reported). Available in all 50 states.
- Debit MasterCard®
- Personal checkbook
- Online bill pay
- Online banking
- Online money transfers
- Monthly maintenance fee of $4.95
- $30.00 minimum deposit
The Radius Bank Essential Checking account is a FDIC-insured checking account designed to help you manage your money with powerful technology and limited fees. Available to residents in all 50 states.
- Free MasterCard® debit card
- Free mobile banking with check deposit
- Free online banking with bill pay
- $10 minimum deposit to open account
- Monthly service charge of $9.00
- No minimum balance
- Ability to upgrade account after 12 months of responsible banking
Wells Fargo Opportunity Checking may work out best for those who need a physical branch nearby. There is a monthly fee, but that can be waived with regular use of your account. This account is available to residents in all 50 states.
- The largest number of 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 and checks
- Additional features include account alerts, 24/7 fraud monitoring, and zero liability protection for your debit card
- $10 monthly maintenance fee, which can be waived by making monthly direct deposits of at least $500, or keeping a $1,500 minimum daily balance, or by making 10 or more debit card transactions during the month.
2. What Is ChexSystems?
Most consumers aren’t familiar with ChexSystems until they’re denied a new bank account or a merchant declines to accept their check. Briefly, ChexSystems is a consumer reporting agency (CRA) that tracks your checking and savings account activity.
Its business is pretty simple. Banks contribute data about all of their checking account customers. For consumer accounts, the social security number is the key identifier. Banks also contribute information about the health of these accounts. If a consumer has bounced a lot of checks or has unpaid fees, the bank will also report that information to ChexSystems.
Then ChexSystems creates an aggregated database not only from the bank in our example, but from more than 85% of all remaining banks and credit unions. ChexSystems holds this information on over 300 million people and companies!
If you have negative marks entered by a bank, that information is available to EVERY bank and credit union that subscribes to the ChexSystems database. And all any bank or credit union needs in order to check your banking history is your social security number. A social security number is required to set up a checking account.
It’s important to note that ChexSystems is not responsible for the decision made by banks to deny you a bank account; however, the information reported by banks and credit unions and stored by ChexSystems can result in a denial of a bank account.
The following information may be stored in your ChexSystems report:
- Paid and unpaid “non-sufficient funds” items (“NSF”)
- Any kind of fraud
- Uncollected overdrafts, ATM transactions, or automatic payments the bank paid
- Abuse of debit card, savings account, or ATM card
- Violation of any banking rules and regulations
- Opening an account with false information
There may be additional reasons a bank reports their customers to ChexSystems, but the above list represents the most common reasons consumers end up in ChexSystems.
Some no ChexSystems banks do access other types of record keeping companies such as Early Warning Services and Telecheck. So if you have negative marks with these companies, you might be rejected for an checking account. However, it’s been our experience that most people in ChexSystems are not in EWS or Telecheck.
3. What Are My Options If I’m Listed in ChexSystems?
Having a checking account is essential to managing your money on a regular basis. Studies have shown that those without a checking account waste almost 5% of their net income on fees charged by payday loan providers, checking cashing companies, and prepaid card charges. Having a traditional checking account will save you thousands of dollars over your lifetime!
But if you’ve been blacklisted by ChexSystems, getting back into banking can be difficult. And expensive if you don’t know where to turn. Some people drop out of banking altogether because they don’t believe there are reliable alternatives. They turn to check cashing companies or payday loans.
Others turn to prepaid debit cards so they can make electronic payments. Your credit isn’t checked when you apply for a prepaid debit card and you can use the account to make payments with the prepaid Visa or Mastercard using money you’ve already loaded onto your card.
The downside to having a prepaid debit card is the fee structure; the fees can add up quickly. Our analysis indicates that the costs of loading money onto your prepaid card as well as the inconvenience, makes a debit card tied to a checking account much more attractive.
That’s why getting a checking account can make your financial life so much easier. You have easy access to pay for goods and services and have access to the incredible number of alternative financial technology tools such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Venmo, Google Pay, and PopMoney to name a few.
Most people who don’t know about No ChexSystems Banks take the more difficult and expensive path of payday loans, check cashing fees, or prepaid cards. But you can get a great checking account by just checking out our research and recommendations.
In short, having a checking account saves you a ton of money and makes your life a lot easier. Consider the following:
- You can protect your money. A checking account is a safe and secure way to pay for things.
- It’s much easier to pay bills and expenses and costs you nothing.
- You can track spending and make adjustments.
- You get fast access to your paycheck with direct deposit.
The ease and convenience of adding money into your checking account without any hidden fees, the consumer protections attached to these cards, and the freedom to spend your money immediately makes them a great option for anyone looking to create a healthy financial lifestyle.
4. Why A No ChexSystems Bank Is The Best Choice
At CheckingExpert, we’ve done all the hard work for you. We’ve already located 5 national banks that want your business. And none of them use ChexSystems to approve your checking account application. All of them have the basic benefits you need, including:
- No minimum balance required
- Low or no monthly fee
- Ability to write checks
- Online and mobile banking
- Debit card access
- FDIC insured accounts up to $250,000
- Access to a large (and most times free) ATM network
- Purchases with your bank card carry a zero liability for fraudulent transactions
Don’t settle for a no ChexSystems bank account with tight restrictions and controls while also demanding high fees. This is a trap too many people fall for because they don’t know about no ChexSystems bank accounts or have been told to go to payday loan or checking cashing companies.
5. What’s The Difference Between A No ChexSystems Bank Account And A Second Chance Bank Account?
There is a difference between a bank that does not use ChexSystems and a second chance checking account. Here’s why it’s important:
If you are on ChexSystems and are unable or do not have the time to dispute the negative information, you will want to find a bank that does not use ChexSystems as part of their checking account screening process. Be aware that the bank may perform a quick check on your credit score, and they may use EWS to make sure you have not engaged in fraudulent behavior. These kinds of banks and credit unions are very rare and difficult to find. Our top pick for this group of banks is BBVA.
Banks offering Second Chance Checking will almost always check ChexSystems. And they may also use EWS and Telecheck. However, generally, they are prepared to open an account as long as you don’t owe their institution money.
Approval rates for both of these types of accounts are high and you’ll enjoy most of the banking options you would expect with a ‘normal’ checking or savings account.
Again, finding both no ChexSystems bank accounts and second chance banks and credit unions is hard. The staff at CheckingExpert.com has reviewed over 1,000 different checking accounts and we have the most comprehensive and accurate list of second chance banks available.
6. More Frequently Asked Question About A No ChexSystems Bank Account
Can I live anywhere in the United States to apply for a no ChexSystems bank account?
With the exception of BBVA, our top no ChexSystems banking recommendations offer accounts to residents in all 50 states. BBVA does not offer its banking services in Alaska or Hawaii.
What information will I need for the application process?
You will need your social security number (or individual tax ID number). In some cases, the bank will ask questions during the application process to verify your identity.
What’s the likelihood my application will be accepted?
We’ve selected these banks based on their extraordinarily high acceptance rates. Our informal surveys indicate an acceptance rate of about 95 percent.
Do these banks require an initial deposit to set up the account?
Chime Bank does not require an initial deposit, while the balance of the banks do. We’ve provided information about the minimum deposit required for each of the banks.
Will I receive a pre-paid card or a checking debit card?
None of our top no ChexSystems banks will send you a pre-paid card. They only offer Visa or MasterCard debit cards which are linked directly to your checking account. These debit cards will allow you to select a personal identification number (PIN) and and have the full buying functionality that comes with the Visa or MasterCard networks.
What are the fees associated with my no ChexSystems bank account?
BBVA and Chimecard have no monthly fees. The remaining banks have low monthly fees as detailed above.
Will my no ChexSystems bank account be FDIC insured?
All of the banks on our list offer FDIC insured checking accounts. That means the federal government insures the money in your account up to $250,000.
What if I want to bank locally so I have access to a branch office?
The CheckingExpert editorial staff has reviewed bank checking accounts in all 50 states and we’ve detailed those banks and credit unions in each state which offer no ChexSystems and second chance banking accounts. That list is provided below.
7. The Best Second Chance Banks by State
Most major banks don’t offer no ChexSystems or second chance checking, but many community banks and credit unions have them under various names, such as Opportunity Checking and Fresh Start Checking.
Our editorial staff regularly updates the list of banks offering no ChexSystems second chance checking in every state. Here’s an overview of these accounts and where you can find them at branches in your area.
8. Ready For Your Second Chance?
If you’ve experienced issues with credit debt, checking account issues, or bounced checks, CheckingExpert can help you get back on track toward a healthy financial future. Our goal is to guide you through the complex financial roadmap to find the banks or credit unions that can best meet your needs.
The vast majority of the time, you can get a bank account with ALL the features and benefits you need with no fees, minimums, or restrictions. We’re glad you found us. Now, let’s us help you find the right financial partner for you.
