11 Best Checking Accounts in December 2024

The SoFi Checking account can earn rewards that you can turn into cash back, statement credit, or an investment. This perk is an unusual feature for a checking account, which makes it stand out.

When you open a SoFi Checking account, you’ll be eligible for a bonus of up to $300, depending on your deposit amount. Then you’ll benefit from SoFi Member Rewards, where you can earn points for getting paid, spending at certain retailers, monitoring your credit, and more. SoFi Member Rewards points can be redeemed for cash, shares in an investment account, or a statement credit on a SoFi credit card. You can manage and redeem your points from the SoFi app. This program is designed to help SoFi members achieve financial independence.

1. Up to $300 Bonus Tiered Disclosure New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. SoFi members with Direct Deposit can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.00% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Direct Deposit will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
2. APY disclosures: SoFi members with Direct Deposit or $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
3. Fee Policy: We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.

You can Build your own APY with up to 3.30% APY* on an Axos Rewards Checking account—about 47 times the national average checking account APY. If you qualify, making this choice is a no-brainer.

If you have monthly direct deposits of at least $1,500, you can start earning interest (0.40%) on your Axos Rewards Checking account. Meeting some additional requirements listed below can increase your APY, eventually reaching a maximum of 3.30% on up to $50,000:

• Making at least 10 debit card purchases of at least $3 each or signing up for the Account Aggregation/Personal Finance Manager tool.
• Maintaining an average daily balance of at least $2,500 in a managed investment portfolio.
• Maintaining an average daily balance of at least $2,500 in a self-directed portfolio.
• Making a monthly loan payment from your Axos Rewards Checking account.

If you meet all four requirements, you earn the maximum APY of 3.30%.

Axos is currently running a limited time offer, where new accounts can earn up to a $500 welcome bonus with promo code RC500 (up to and including July 31, 2024).

The HSBC Premier Checking account has a lot of perks for those who meet the eligibility criteria and frequently travel to overseas locations. And how many accounts offer banking privileges that extend to family members?

The HSBC Premier Checking account is designed for those who frequently travel to different countries and need a bank account to support them.

To qualify for an HSBC Premier Checking account, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• $75,000 or more in total deposits and/or investments.
• $5,000 or more in monthly direct deposits.
• A U.S. mortgage with an original loan account of $500,000 or more.

These requirements make this account out of reach for many consumers. However, those who qualify for a Premier account will enjoy numerous perks. The Premier account allows the holder to share their Premier status with up to four family members, get support for opening an overseas account, and avoid paying foreign transaction fees.

Finally, HSBC Premier Checking currently has an incredible sign-on bonus of up to $2,500. If you can deposit or invest at least $75,000, you will be eligible for a free cash bonus; the more you deposit, the higher the bonus.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account has a lot to offer, including a helpful AI assistant that can help you with basic banking tasks quickly and efficiently. You get to talk your commands instead of typing them.

The U.S. Bank Sma rtly Checking account from U.S. Bank has a handy Smart Assistant that can assist you with several tasks via the app. To use this feature, open the app and tap the microphone to talk. You can give commands such as “transfer money from my savings account” or “pay my credit card bill,” and Smart Assistant will help you complete the task quickly and efficiently. This feature brings even more convenience to mobile banking.

As a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking customer, you’ll be charged a monthly maintenance fee of $6.95. However, if you meet one of the following requirements, the fee will be reduced to $0.

• Maintain an average account balance of at least $1,500;
• Have U.S. Bank consumer credit card that is open, active, and in good standing; or
• Have a combined monthly direct deposit of at least $1,000.

One of the main perks of a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account is that you can opt into Smart Rewards. This program allows you to earn interest on your checking account balance and avoid overdraft fees and ATM transaction fees. If you link your U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account to a U.S. Bank credit card, you can also get cash back on certain brands and categories when using your debit card.

Using the U.S. Bank mobile app, you can set up spending categories to track your budget and set up alerts to notify you when you’re reaching the spending cap in a specific category. The app also features a goal planner; you can set up a “goal” such as making a down payment on a house or taking your dream vacation, and the app will estimate how much you’ll need to save. Other benefits include mobile check deposits, automated bill pay, Zelle instant transfers, and contactless payments.

The Chase mobile app is convenience personified. Nowhere makes it easier to make and receive payments than Chase’s Total Checking account.

The Chase mobile app offers three ways for you to get paid or make payments. You can send and receive money instantly and with zero fees in the app via Zelle. Chase QuickDeposit allows you to deposit checks easily from the app, avoiding a trip to a Chase branch to cash a check. And you can set up the My Chase Plan from the app, which helps break up card purchases into smaller payments that fit your budget. You can also set up automatic savings, make a budget and track your spending, and monitor your credit health—all directly from the Chase app.

Chase Total Checking charges a $12 ($0 with qualifying activities); $34 NSF Fee monthly service fee, but you can waive it each month that you meet any of the following criteria:

• Have $500 or more in monthly direct deposits.
• Maintain a $1,500 balance at the beginning of each day.
• Keep at least $5,000 across Chase accounts.

New accounts will receive $300*.

The Current Spend account is ideal for parents who want to link a card for their teenager to keep track of their spending and encourage responsible financial behavior.

When you open a Current Spend account, you’ll have the option to link a teen debt card to your main checking account for no additional charge. This makes it easier to keep the family’s banking under one umbrella while monitoring your teen’s spending (and giving them more financial freedom at the same time.

In addition, you can access more than 40,000 fee-free ATMs though the Allpoint network, and Current Spend doesn’t charge fees for bank transfers or minimum balances. You can also access spending insights through your Current Spend account, which helps you manage your budget and recognize where you can cut back to save money. Finally, with a Current Spend account you have the option to add up to three Savings Pods, which can earn up to 4.00% APY with qualifying direct deposits of $200 or more.

With an APY of 1.10%, the Quontic High Interest Checking account helps you earn extra interest on your money by making transactions. To get the high APY, you’ll need to make at least 10 qualifying transactions on your debit card per statement cycle, and each transaction must be at least $10. However, this likely won’t be a problem if you use Quontic as your main checking account.

In addition to the high APY, a Quontic High Interest Checking account has $0 monthly fee or minimum balance requirement to earn cash back. However, you will need at least $100 to open an account. Quontic also offers an unusual feature—Quontic Ring Pay—which allows you to make transactions with a wearable ring rather than carrying your debit card. You’ll get the pay ring for free upon opening an account.

The CIT Bank eChecking account stands out for not charging fees for maintenance, ATM withdrawals, check mailing, or online transfers. That’s a real bonus.

Although many checking accounts have a $0 monthly maintenance fee, the CIT Bank eChecking account goes a step further. First, CIT Bank does not charge ATM fees and offers up to $30 per month for reimbursements for other banks’ ATM fees. CIT Bank also doesn’t charge fees for overdrawing your account, check mailing, online transfers, or incoming wire transfers. There may be a fee for overnight delivery of a replacement card if yours is lost or stolen or for initiating a wire transaction of less than $25,000, but these fees will likely be rare.

Capital One makes depositing cash easy through your local CVS location, and it also offers three overdraft-protection options.

One of the drawbacks of online banking can be the inability to deposit cash at a local brick-and-mortar location. With the Capital One 360 Checking account, you can deposit cash to your account at any CVS location using the on-site ATMs. In 2021 CVS had almost 10,000 locations, so this could be a huge benefit.

Capital One also offers several overdraft protection options, early paycheck access, Zelle transfers, and several physical branches and “cafes,” where you can get a snack and a drink, enjoy free Wi-Fi, and chat with Capital One ambassadors.

Perks are nice, but sometimes you just need a basic checking account, and the Citi Regular Checking account is the best no-frills choice for banking.

Sometimes you just want to settle for something simple. When it comes to checking accounts, that’s Citi Basic Banking. This checking account offers unlimited check writing, fee-free ATM withdrawals, and easy money movement—and that’s it.

A Citi Basic Banking account does have a $15 monthly maintenance fee, but it’s waivable as long as you make one direct deposit and one bill payment per month while maintaining a combined balance of at least $1,500 in your checking and other eligible linked accounts (including checking, savings, and money market accounts).

PNC Virtual Wallet is a unique type of account that can help you better manage your finances by combining two checking accounts and one savings account in one.

PNC Virtual Wallet is a unique type of checking account that combines checking and savings accounts for easier money management. There are three options:

• Virtual Wallet.
• Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend.
• Virtual Wallet with Performance Select.

Each option has a Spend account that acts as the primary checking account, a Reserve account that acts as a secondary checking account, and a Growth account that acts as a long-term savings account. Each option has a monthly maintenance fee, ranging from $7 to $25, though it’s also possible to waive this fee by meeting certain criteria.

One of the most unique features of the PNC Virtual Wallet accounts is something called Low Cash Mode, which has several helpful features:

• $0 insufficient funds fee.
• Maximum one $36 overdraft item fee per day.
• Customized alerts to let you know when your balance is low.
• At least 24 hours Extra Time, when you can add funds to your account to bring your balance to at least $0.

If convenience is a top must-have for your checking account, PNC Virtual Wallet may be your perfect match.

The BMO Smart Money account is a top pick for young adults since the $5 ($0 if you’re under 25) monthly maintenance fee is waived for customers under 25. You can also enjoy unlimited withdrawals from more than 40,000 ATMs nationwide with no transaction fees. There are no overdraft fees, either—an additional bonus for those just starting their careers who may find an unexpected charge on their account before their paycheck clears.

Despite having few fees, the BMO Smart Money account has a couple to note. If you opt for paper statements, there’s a $2 monthly charge (though you can avoid this by receiving e-statements instead). There’s also a $3 charge for check images if you’re signed up for paper statements; that charge is dropped if you receive paperless statements. Finally, a minimum of $25 is needed to open an account.

But when it comes to customer service options, BMO has much to offer. You can get support from a real person through online chat or over the phone, or you can get in-person assistance at a local BMO branch if you have one nearby.