Best Free Checking Account Offers (No Monthly Fees) - September 2022

Looking to open your first ever Checking account or simply tired of paying monthly maintenance fees with your current one? A free personal Checking account may be what you’re searching for.

Many traditional Checking accounts from local banks require monthly fees that can range from a few dollars, and on up to the $20 to $30 range. The more benefits the Checking account provides, the higher the fee typically is.

You certainly can waive the fees most of the time. But, that typically involves maintaining a minimum daily balance, making certain types of deposits, having a minimum number of monthly transactions, etc.

Maybe you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a premium Checking account. Somewhere to carry a small balance and perform basic Checking tasks may be all you need. Some of these free Checking accounts also have sign-up bonuses as well.

You’ll have far more free Checking account options with online banks due to their lower overhead costs. But, depositing cash will be an issue. Depositing checks has never been easier with mobile apps.

We’ll review your best free Checking account options below.

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FEATURED CHECKING ACCOUNT OFFERS

BMO Harris Bank Bonus: Up To $500 Checking + Up To $60 Savings Offer

What you’ll get: Up to $500 Checking + up to $60 Savings bonuses
Where it’s available: Nationwide
How to earn it:
- You can choose from the following offers:
  - Smart Advantage™ Account: Get a $300 cash bonus when you have a total of at least $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days
  - Premier™ Account: Get a $500 cash bonus when you have a total of at least $7,500 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days
  - Smart Money™ Account: Get a $300 cash bonus when you have a total of at least $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days
- Plus, open a new Savings Builder account and enjoy the benefit of earning a $5 reward every month you save $200 for the first year (earn up to $60 if you qualify for 12 months).
When it expires: 9/30/22

Learn More at BMO Harris

See all offers from BMO Harris here

Chase $200 Total Checking^® Bonus

What you’ll get: $200 bonus
Where it’s available: Available online nationwide except in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
How to earn it:
- New Chase checking customers enjoy a $200 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking^® account and set up direct deposit.
When it expires: 10/19/2022

Open an Account

See all offers from Chase Bank here

Bank of America Advantage Banking $100 Bonus Offer

What you’ll get: $100 bonus offer
How to earn it:
- The $100 bonus offer is an online only offer and must be opened through the Bank of America promotional page
- The offer code is DNB100CIS
- The offer is for new checking customers only
- Offer expires 12/31/2022
- To qualify, open an account through the promotional page and set up and receive qualifying direct deposits of $1000 or more into that account within 90 days of opening.
- Bank of America will attempt to pay bonus within 60 days.
- Additional terms and conditions apply. See offer page for more details.
- Member FDIC

Learn More at Bank of America

See all offers from Bank of America here

BEST FREE PERSONAL CHECKING ACCOUNTS

Aspiration Planet-Friendly Cash Back Account

Aspiration is a planet-friendly cash back account.

Plant a climate change-fighting tree with every purchase by rounding up to the nearest whole dollar. And know that your deposits won’t fund fossil fuel projects like pipelines, oil drilling and coal mines when you open an Aspiration Spend & Save account.

You’ll earn cash back when you spend at socially conscious retailers.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? $50 referral & $300 credit card offers
Earns interest? No. Earn cash back through socially conscious spending.
Monthly Service Charge? None for basic Aspiration account. Aspiration Plus has a monthly fee.
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? 55,000+ fee-free ATM network
Full review: Aspiration Review

You and your referral can earn a $50 cash bonus.

Available nationwide
You and your referrals earn a $50 cash bonus and help save the planet.
You can earn up to $1,500 in cash referral credits per month
Access your referral link under the “Invite Friends” menu option in your account dash board.
For both to receive credit, the referred customer must use their Aspiration debit card to make at least $250 worth of cumulative transactions within 60 days of account opening.

You can use our referral link below to earn the initial $50 referral bonus (thank you ahead of time!). Then you can start making $50 per referral. The link works best when you click through on your smartphone.

Our Referral Link

Aspiration Online Banking – Save The Planet

What you’ll get: Up to 5.00% APY on savings, up to 10% cash back on debit card purchases
Where it’s available: Available nationwide
Features:
- Unlimited fee-free withdrawals at over 55,000 ATMs
- Deposits are fossil fuel-free
- Plant a tree with every roundup
- $10 minimum opening deposit
- Aspiration Save (base account):
  - Pay what is fair, even if it’s $0
  - 3.00% APY on your savings with $1000/month spend
  - Up to 3-5% cash back on debit card purchases
- Aspiration Plus:
  - $7.99/mo or $5.99/mo if you pay annually
  - 5.00% APY on your savings with $1000/month spend
  - Up to 10% cash back on debit card purchases
  - One out-of-network ATM reimbursement monthly
  - Automatic offsets for the negative climate impact of driving your car with Planet Protection

Learn More at Aspiration

Axos Bank Rewards Checking

Axos Bank is an internet-only bank that offers a few free Checking accounts. There Rewards Checking account is particularly a good one to consider. It earns interest and has no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Current offers here
Earns interest? Yes, Up To 1.25% APY
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $50
ATM access? No ATM fees nationwide as they reimburse all fees at U.S. ATMs
Full Review: Axos Bank Review

Learn More at Axos

OnJuno Free Mobile Banking

OnJuno is a mobile banking option that lets you earn a bonus rate on deposits and cash back.

Choose from their free Basic Checking account or their Metal Checking account with more features for a fee. Both account options will earn a bonus rate on deposits and cash back on spending.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Deposit bonus & bonus rate
Earns interest? Earn a bonus rate on deposits and cash back on spending.
Monthly Service Charge? Basic Checking is free. Metal Checking has a fee.
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? 85,000 Allpoint & MoneyPass^® ATMs. 1 free withdrawal per month at Out-of-Network ATMs.
Full review: OnJuno Mobile Banking Review

Learn More at OnJuno

Juno Bonus: $100 Offer For Direct Deposit

Sign up with Juno using our referral link below.
Setup a direct deposit of $250 or more.
Both of us receive $100 once the direct deposit is confirmed.

Learn More at Juno

Juno Offer: Crypto Basic Checking $100 Bonus

$0/Month (Free Forever). A powerful checking account to get started, helping you save while you spend.
Yearly Bonus on Deposits. 1.20% on balances up to $5,000
Yearly Cashback. 5% when you pay with cash, 5% when you pay with crypto, on total annual spends of $500.
Debit Cards. Instant Virtual Cards. Free physical cards available on request.
Buy, sell and store crypto at $0 fees. Send and receive crypto to/from any wallet.
4% yield on USDC with no yearly limit.
Contactless Mobile Payments. Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay
Out-of-Network ATMs. 1 free withdrawal per month
No Fee Cash Withdrawals. 85,000 Allpoint & MoneyPass^® ATMs
Android and iOS apps available

Learn More at Juno

Juno Offer: Crypto Metal Checking $100 Bonus

Free with qualifying Direct Deposits of $250 per month. A premium banking experience with an exclusive metal card for long term savers. 6x more savings.
Yearly Bonus on Deposits. 1.20% on balances up to $50,000
Yearly Cashback. 5% when you pay with cash, 5% when you pay with crypto, on total annual spends of $3,000.
Debit Cards. Black Metal and Virtual Cards.
Buy, sell and store crypto at $0 fees. Send and receive crypto to/from any wallet.
4% yield on USDC with no yearly limit.
Contactless Mobile Payments. Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay
Out-of-Network ATMs. 3 free withdrawals per month
No Fee Cash Withdrawals. 85,000 Allpoint & MoneyPass^® ATMs
Android and iOS apps available

Learn More at Juno

Revolut App

The Revolut app gives you a lot all in one app – money management, travel perks, cryptocurrency investing, foreign currency exchange, commission-free Stock trading and more.

Revolut isn’t a traditional bank account – it’s an online-only banking provider. Your money is protected because deposits made into Revolut are FDIC-insured through partner banks.

You’ll get no cost out-of-network ATM withdrawals up to $1,200 per month and access to fee-free withdrawals in their network of 55,000 ATMs. A free plan is offered, as well as paid ones with advanced features.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? $10 bonus
Earns interest? Yes. See offer page for current rate.
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? Fee-free withdrawals at 55,000 in-network ATMs. No cost out-of-network ATM withdrawals up to $1,200 per month.
Full review: Revolut App Review

Learn More at Revolut

Revolut $10 Sign Up Bonus

Use the link below to earn a $10 Sign Up Bonus when you open a new account with Revolut. To be eligible for the promotion, you must:

Be 18 years or older and a resident of the United States (with a valid US residential address)
Be a New Revolut Customer

To earn the Sign Up Bonus, you must make one Qualifying Transaction of $1.00 USD or more, with your Revolut physical or virtual card during the Promotion Period. The Revolut Sign Up Bonus will then be credited to your account.

This promotion is not available for Revolut Business accounts or Revolut Junior accounts.

Here’s our referral link if you’d like to use it for the offer (thanks in advance!)

CIT Bank eChecking & Savings Connect

Open a Savings Connect with a linked eChecking account to earn a competitive high APY for your savings.

The minimum opening deposit is $100 for the Savings Connect and $100 for the eChecking. Deposit checks remotely and make transfers easily with the CIT Bank mobile app.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Check for current bonus offers
Earns interest? Yes, with both the eChecking & linked Savings Connect
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? $100
Minimum opening deposit? $100
ATM access? CIT Bank doesn’t charge ATM fees and reimburses up to $30 in other U.S. bank’s ATM fees on eChecking accounts.
Full Review: CIT Bank Review

Learn More at CIT Bank

Chime Free Mobile Banking

Chime is a leader in the Mobile Banking sector that is growing more and more popular as consumers are more willing than ever to manage as much as they can on their smartphones.

A Chime account includes a Spending Account (basically a Checking account) and a Savings Account. There are no monthly fees, no minimum balance fees, no overdraft fees and no foreign transaction fees.

You’ll have nearly all the functionality you’d need as you would with a traditional bank account, but there won’t be an option for in-branch service. Your ATM access includes 60,000+ fee-free ATMs – more than the top 3 national banks combined. Find them at popular retail stores like Walgreens, CVS, and 7-Eleven.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? $100 sign-up and referrals
Earns interest? Low rate. See offer page for current rate.
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? 60,000+ fee-free ATMs with the Allpoint^®, Visa^® Plus Alliance, or MoneyPass^® at 7-eleven logo on a sign at the ATM or displayed on the ATM screen. You won’t be charged by Chime for using out-of-network ATMs, but the ATM service provider may.
Full review: Chime Mobile Banking Review

Learn More at Chime

Current.com Free Mobile Banking

Current is another mobile banking option and considers itself the bank for the modern life.

Open a personal, premium checking account with Current to enjoy benefits such as getting paid up to 2 days faster, free overdraft up to $100 with Overdrive, access to 55,000 free ATMs, no minimum balance and no hidden fees. You can also earn earn points and get cash back.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Make money through referrals
Earns interest? No. Instead, you earn points that can be redeemed for cash back.
Monthly Service Charge? Basic Checking is free. Premium Checking has a fee.
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? 55,000+ free ATMs
Full review: Current Mobile Banking Review

Learn More at Current.com

First Citizens Bank Free Checking

First Citizens Bank is one of the largest family-controlled banks in the United States. The Free Checking account from First Citizens Bank has no monthly fees when you enroll in paperless statements. There is no minimum balance requirement and you can open an account with as little as $50.

Free digital and mobile banking is available for convenience – you can deposit checks on your smartphone for free. Zelle^® is available for sending and receiving money from people you know. While you can handle most of what you need online and through the mobile app, you’ll also have physical branch and ATM access where available.

Availability? Available in NC, SC, TN, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, KS, MD, MO, NM, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA, WV and WI.
Physical Branches? Physical branches available
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Check for current bonus offers here
Earns interest? No
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $50
ATM access? Branches/ATMs available in NC, SC, TN, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, KS, MD, MO, NM, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA, WV and WI.
Full Review: First Citizens Bank Review

Learn More at First Citizens Bank

Capital One 360 Checking

The Capital One 360 Checking account is an online-only account, even though Capital One bank does have physical branches.

There is no monthly service fee and no minimum deposit to open. This Checking account also earns interest.

You’ll have access to 40,000+ free ATMs nationwide in the Allpoint network, as well as the few Capital One 360 Cafes located in eight cities around the country. When using your debit card for purchases abroad, Capital One 360 is one of the few banks that don’t charge foreign transaction fees. Check deposits can be done with their mobile app.

To top it all off, there are typically several sign-up bonus offers available for this account.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? Several bonus offers you can find here.
Earns interest? Yes; low rates currently.
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? Use the more than 40,000 ATMs in the Allpoint network in the U.S. for free.
Full review: Capital One 360 Checking

Learn More at Capital One

Schwab High-Yield Investor Checking

Most people are familiar with Charles Schwab for offering brokerage services, but their High-Yield Investor Checking account is a secret weapon well known among savvy travelers. This is because the account provides unlimited fee rebates on ATM withdrawals worldwide.

There is no minimum deposit requirement and no monthly service fee. You’ll have access to online bill pay just like with other online-only banks, as well as mobile check deposits.

While you don’t have to use it or even deposit funds into it, you’ll receive a free brokerage account along with this Checking option.

Open a new Schwab brokerage account first with a minimum $1,000 deposit and you can earn up to a $500 bonus first.

Availability? Available online nationwide.
Physical Branches? No physical branches.
Mobile app? iOS & Android
Bonus offer? $500 bonus with a new Checking account linked to their brokerage account.
Earns interest? Low rate. See offer page for current rate.
Monthly Service Charge? None
Minimum balance requirement? None
Minimum opening deposit? $0
ATM access? Any ATM worldwide that accepts the Visa debit card – unlimited ATM fee rebates. This is the best access for travelers!
Full review: Charles Schwab Checking

Learn More at Charles Schwab

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Comments

Shaylee Packer says

November 27, 2019 at 7:22 am

I always wondered what the fee in the checking account was for. I didn’t realize that the more benefits the checking account provides, the higher the fee is. What if I am someone who doesn’t really need all of the extras? Is there an option out there that just gives me the base, essentially just holds my money for me?

John Wilson says

October 4, 2018 at 3:48 pm

Chase Total Checking accounts don’t actually allow “any combination of accounts” to count towards the $5000 requirement. You can designate a single savings account to be attached to a single checking account and those two combined must have a daily balance of $5000 to avoid fees.

So, you could have $40,000 sitting in Chase bank accounts, but if any of your checking accounts fall below $5000 during the month you will be charged $12 per account that does so, regardless of your overall balances, or how many Chase credit cards you have, etc.

Also note that Chase Savings accounts offer interest rates between 0.01% and 0.03%, and nothing on checking, so leaving $5000 or more sitting there vs. 1.8% or so generally being offered on savings by online banks makes very little sense.

- dcguy says
  
  December 7, 2018 at 3:34 pm
  
  The rates at the four biggest banks in the country offer very little in terms of interest rates. Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America are usually at the bottom of the interest rate charts.