13 Best Online Checking Accounts in 2021

Some people don’t bank online because they want to keep a checking account with a local bank branch. The problem is, some brick-and-mortar checking accounts come with hefty fees.

When the fees don’t justify the benefits, it’s time to switch. The best online-only checking accounts don’t charge fees. And, mobile deposit and free ATM access make online banking easy.

If you’re like most people, you rarely walk into a bank anymore. With direct deposit, you no longer have to deposit a check each month. If you do receive a paper check, you can deposit it using a mobile app.

When you need to pay a bill, you probably use online bill pay. And the online bank will send a free check when a paper check is required.

You still need a local bank to make cash deposits. Otherwise, online checking accounts can handle most of your banking needs.

In This Article

The Best Online Checking Accounts

You’ll notice there are many free online checking accounts. To choose one, focus on what bank benefits you want.

Some of these benefits include:

• Free ATM access
• Interest earned on deposits
• Debit card purchase rewards
• Overdraft protection
• Paper checks

Every online bank offers different benefits.  For example, some online banks don’t offer paper checks. But they will mail a check for free when digital payment isn’t possible.

1. Consumers Credit Union

There is no minimum balance amount, earn interest and avoid fees at Consumers Credit Union.

You can earn up to 4.09% APY on the first $10,000 in deposits when you complete these monthly actions:

• Complete 12 debit card purchases with a total purchase value of $100+
• At least $500 in monthly direct deposit or ACH deposits
• At least $1000 in purchases on a CCU credit card

Making 12 debit card purchases and $500 in direct deposits let you earn 3.09% APY on your first $10,000. Reaching these monthly milestones also gives you unlimited free ATM access.

Your rewards checking account also provides free online bill pay, online banks and unlimited checks.

Unlike most of the best online checking accounts, you have local branch access. Consumers Credit Union has over 5,000 shared branches nationwide.

Tip: CIT Bank offers high-yield interest rate of up to 0.45% on its savings account.

2. Chime

One of the more interesting online checking accounts is Chime. As a new member, you will receive a Visa debit card that you can use for free at 38,000 MoneyPass ATMs. But if you use a non-network ATM, Chime charges $2.50. So make sure an in-network ATM is nearby before you join.

Chime also charges $0 for all of these fees:

• Overdraft fees
• Monthly account fee
• Foreign transaction fees

There isn’t a minimum account balance to keep your Chime checking account open, either.

There are several tradeoffs to these benefits, however. For example, you won’t get a paper checkbook. But, Chime will mail a check to someone else for you.

Also, Chime’s checking accounts don’t earn any interest. This isn’t uncommon for online banks. But some online banks do pay interest so it’s something to ponder when you’re choosing.

No Delay on Some Direct Deposit Paychecks

One cool Chime feature is that the day your employer sends payment to Chime, you can access your money. Some banks hold your direct deposit for up to two days. This is because the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system transfers the money from your employer’s bank to Chime.

But some employers work with Chime to ensure you experience no delay. That means you could be getting your paycheck up to two days earlier than you would at other banks.

Transfer Up to 10% of Each Paycheck to Savings

Are you familiar with the adage to “pay yourself first?” Chime makes that easy with this feature.

Each paycheck, Chime can transfer 10% of your income to a Chime savings account. Ten percent is a nice rule of thumb for the least you should save each month. By transferring the cash when it arrives, you never notice it’s gone.

Round Up Savings

If you like micro-savings apps like Digit, you will like this tool. With each purchase you make on your Chime debit card, Chime can round up the amount to the next dollar. So, if you spend $3.75, Chime transfers $0.25 to your savings account.

This way, you can still save money when you spend money.

Pros

• $0 account fees, overdraft fees and foreign transaction fees on debit purchases
• No minimum balance required
• Receive your paycheck up to two days early
• Mobile deposit and online bill pay

Cons

• Savings account only earns 0.01% APY
• You don’t get a paper checkbook
• $2.50 fee for non-network ATMs

Read our Chime Bank review here.

3. Acorns

Acorns is best-known for being a micro-investing app. It rounds up your purchases and invests that extra amount. And it invests your online shopping rewards, too.

Now, Acorns offers an online checking account with a debit card. It calls this product Acorns Spend.

Acorns Spend makes it easy to invest. You will pay $3 a month. But you also have access to the regular Acorns Core investing app and the Acorns Later IRA retirement account. Acorns won’t invest your checking account balance. However, you can have Acorns invest your spare change each year.

So let’s assume you already pay $1 a month for Acorns Core. If so, you pay $2 more for the Acorns checking account. And if you use the Acorns Later IRA, you only pay $1 more per month.

Paying a monthly service fee is a downside. As a tradeoff, you get unlimited free ATM access. This benefit alone pays the monthly $3 fee if you regularly pay ATM fees now.

With Acorns Spend, you can enjoy these online banking benefits:

• Direct deposit
• Mobile check deposit
• Check sending
• Bank-to-bank transfers
• Unlimited free ATM access

You can also use Acorns to create spending strategies. This tool helps you live within your means by letting you create savings goals and track spending.

Pros

• Unlimited free ATM access
• Access to the entire Acorns micro-investing platform
• Debit card included
• Can send checks through Acorns app

Cons

• $3 monthly fee
• Fewer features than some other online checking accounts

4. Simple

Simple lives up to its name.

Like Chime, you can open an account for $0 and won’t pay any fees. The one exception is any fees you are charged by a non-network ATM. But there are 40,000 fee-free ATMs you can use.

The best reason to join Simple is when you have at least $2,000 in a “Protected Goals” account, that balance earns 2.02% APY.

Usually, you earn more with an online money market account than with a checking account. That isn’t always the case with Simple. Right now, any bank interest rate above 2% APY is the “gold standard.”

Simple also offers some nice tools to help you budget.

Safe-to-Spend

Simple doesn’t charge an overdraft fee. But overspending still stinks if you forget you have a bill to pay that you haven’t planned for.

Simple’s Safe-to-Spend tool helps you avoid spending more than you have in your account. Simple compares your normal expenses to your current account balance. The difference is your “safe-to-spend” amount.

So if you need to make an unplanned purchase, you can spend up to this amount and shouldn’t overdraft.

Track Spending in Real-Time

A good money habit is to review your purchases at least once a month. Then, compare them to your monthly spending plan.

If you wait too long, you forget why you made certain purchases. To prevent this, Simple lets you take in-app notes when you pay. You can also add photos and hashtags to purchases, too.

You can also track spending history by the merchant as well. And Simple has some useful charts you might enjoy.

Shared Accounts

One classic debate is if couples should have separate or joint accounts. With Simple, you can have both.

When you both have Simple accounts, you can set savings goals and build a budget together. But for those surprise purchases, you can make certain transactions private. This way, transactions for date nights, birthdays and holiday gifts can still be kept secret.

Pros

• Earn up to 2.02% APY on deposits (impressive for a checking account)
• Safe-to-Spend prevents account overdrafts
• No account fees or in-network ATM fees

Cons

• Non-network ATM fees
• 1% foreign transaction fee for debit card purchases made overseas
• No paper checks

5. Bank5 Connect

With a Bank5 Connect High Interest Checking Account, you enjoy these benefits:

• $15 monthly ATM fee credit
• 0.75% APY on all balances greater than $100
• UChoose debit card rewards
• Free first order of basic checks

It’s free to open a Bank5 Connect account. The minimum initial deposit is $10, but try to find another $90 to deposit so you can start earning interest.

You also have free online bill pay and mobile banking.

Bank5 Connect is one of the most well-rounded banks on this list. You don’t need a high account balance to earn a good interest rate. And you get free ATM access and debit card rewards.

In addition to free bill pay and paper checks, cashier’s checks are free, too. These checks usually cost $10 to $15 at most banks.

You will pay a $15 insufficient funds fee, but overdraft transfers are free.

Pros

• Competitive interest rate with a minimum account balance of $100
• $15 monthly ATM fee credits
• Debit card purchase rewards

Cons

• Must have $100 account balance to earn interest
• Must deposit $10 to open an account

6. Radius Bank

Radius Bank offers personal and business checking accounts. You get unlimited free ATM rebates. Plus, you can earn up to 1.25% APY interest.

All accounts come with a debit card and free paper checks are available. After all, there are still times when you need to write a check.

Radius has three personal checking account options. The most rewarding is the Rewards Checking account. You won’t pay a monthly maintenance fee and you only need a $100 first deposit.

If you own a business you might like the Radius Tailored Checking account. It too doesn’t have ATM fees and you get free online bill pay. Keeping a $5,000 account balance waives the $10 monthly account fee and pays 0.75% APY on your entire balance.

Related Post: Best Bank Accounts for Business

Below is a more in-depth look at both of these Radius checking accounts.

Rewards Checking

The Rewards Checking only requires a $100 opening deposit. You don’t have to maintain a minimum balance. And you never have to worry about a monthly maintenance fee.

However, you maximize this checking account by having a minimum $2,500 account balance. With this balance, you can earn interest and debit card rewards.

It’s possible to earn up to 1.25% APY on your account balance:

• Earn 1.00% APY on balances of $2,500 to $99,999
• Earn 1.25% APY on balances of $100,000 and up

You can also get 1% back each month on your debit card purchases. Simply maintain a $2,500 account balance or have at least $2,500 in monthly direct deposits.

There are two other Rewards Checking perks you may enjoy. First, you have unlimited ATM fee rebates. Second, it’s possible to get your paycheck up to two days early.

Radius doesn’t require you to keep a minimum balance. You may decide to open an account for the free ATMs. Then, you can park your extra cash in a high-yield savings account to earn a higher interest rate.

The Radius app also lets you make a budget and analyze your spending trends. Plus, you track your non-Radius account balances.

Tailored Checking

Radius also offers small business checking with its Tailored Checking option. Like the personal checking accounts, Radius waives all ATM fees worldwide. You only need a $100 deposit to open an account.

However, you must maintain a $5,000 balance to avoid the $10 monthly maintenance fee. Keeping this balance also means you earn 0.75% APY.

You get free and unlimited online bill pay for employees and vendors. Paper business checks are also available to order. Radius also offers Autobooks software to track your spending and send invoices.

Pros

• Personal and business checking accounts
• Unlimited free ATM withdrawals
• Only need $100 to open an account
• First box of paper checks is free

Cons

• Must have high account balance to earn interest and debit rewards
• Tailored Checking account may have $10 monthly account fee

7. Axos Bank

Axos Bank offers five different online checking accounts. Two accounts are for seniors (age 55+) and teens between ages 13 and 17. The other three standard accounts are open to all members.

All five accounts are free to open and don’t charge monthly maintenance fees. And none of them require minimum balances. Below is a brief summary of the two best standard accounts.

Essential Checking

The Essential Checking option is free and simple to use. For fee-free checking, consider this Axos Bank product.

You can enjoy these benefits:

• Unlimited domestic ATMs
• No monthly fees
• No overdraft or insufficient fund fees

It’s also possible to receive your direct deposit up to two days early.

Rewards Checking

The Rewards Checking account gives you three ways to earn up to 1.25% interest. If you only complete one or two tasks, you earn the interest rate for those tasks.

• Receive monthly direct deposits of at least $1,000: earn 0.4166% APY
• Use debit card 10 times monthly: earn 0.4166% APY
• Use debit card 15 times monthly: earn 0.4166% APY

For each debit card transaction, the minimum purchase amount is $3. By making at least fifteen in-person purchases, you earn 0.8332% APY for the month. And if you have at least $1,000 in direct deposits, you earn 1.25% interest for the month.

You also have unlimited domestic ATM withdrawals. Besides, you won’t pay any overdraft or non-sufficient funds fees, either.

CashBack Checking

You can get 1% back on all signature-based debit card transactions — that is, any time you make an in-person purchase with your card.

This can be a better option than rewards checking if you earn more in purchase rewards. And again, remember the tax implications of interest earned (taxable) vs. cash back (not taxable).

Like the Rewards Checking option, you have free domestic ATM withdrawals.

Pros

• Two ways to earn checking rewards
• Zero account fees or account minimums
• Free unlimited domestic ATM access
• No overdraft or non-sufficient fund fees

Cons

• Golden Age and Teen Checking accounts don’t have unlimited free ATM access

8. Discover

This next option is a rewards-earning online checking account. Discover Cashback Debit pays you 1% back on debit card purchases. This bonus applies to the first $3,000 in monthly debit card purchases. Each month, you can earn up to $30 in cash back rewards.

Also, Discover doesn’t have any account fees or balance requirements. You also have access to 60,000 fee-free ATMs in the U.S. And, you have free online bill pay and paper checks.

Even official bank checks (cashier’s checks) are free. These checks usually cost $10 to $15 at most banks.

Another nifty perk is that Discover waives your first fee each calendar year. So you might be able to save $30 on an overdraft fee. Or $15 on a stop payment fee.

Pros

• 1% back on first $3,000 in monthly debit card purchases
• First fee forgiveness each calendar year
• 60,000+ free ATMs in the U.S.

Cons

• $30 overdraft fee (maximum of one charge per day)

9. Ally Bank

Ally Bank pays interest on your account balance, up to 0.25% APY. And, Ally reimburses your first $10 in ATM fees each month.

You earn 0.10% on account balances less than $15,000. Then, when your balance goes over $15,000, you’ll earn 0.25% APY.

There are also 43,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs you can use. For non-network ATMs, Ally reimburses your first $10 in fees each month. So if you regularly use ATMs that charge a $4 fee, that means two free withdrawals each month.

One downside is that if you overdraft, Ally charges a $25 insufficient funds fee once a day.

However, Ally makes it easy to send money to friends. With Zelle, you can quickly send money to any U.S. bank account. You only need an email address or U.S. mobile number.

Pros

• First $10 in monthly ATM fees are waived
• Quickly send money to friends and family with Zelle
• All account deposits earn interest daily

Cons

• Fewer fee-free ATMs than other online banks
• No paper checks

Tip: Invest with Ally Invest for an award-winning trading platform

10. Capital One 360

For the online-only arm of Capital One, open a 360 Checking account. You won’t pay any account fees and you won’t have to maintain a minimum balance.

With 360 Checking, you can’t visit a Capital One branch for help. But you can stop by a Capital One Cafe if you need help. You have mobile deposit and online bill pay with 360 Checking, plus online support.

If you still need paper checks, your first book is free. And you can use online bill pay or your debit card to pay bills, too.

Your entire account balance also earns interest.

Capital One currently uses a three-tier model:

• $0 to $49,999.99 earns 0.10% APY
• $50,000 to $99,999.99 earns 0.10% APY
• $100,000+ earns 0.10% APY

These interest rates are better than nothing. But you can earn more on your extra cash in a good online savings provider like Aspiration Bank.

Three Free Overdraft Protection Benefits

Capital One offers three free overdraft protection tools:

• Auto-Decline: Capital One declines the transaction when you try to pay but don’t have enough funds in your account
• Free Savings Transfer: You can transfer from another Capital One account
• Next Day Grace: Transfer money within one business day to avoid the $35 overdraft fee

If your check bounces, Capital One still charges a $9 non-sufficient funds fee. But, at least you save $35 in overdraft fees. For online banks, $35 is high for an overdraft fee.

A fourth overdraft protection option is a line of credit. You want to avoid this option since it’s like a credit card balance. Each day, your outstanding balance accrues interest that you must repay.

Pros

• Flexible overdraft protection options
• 39,000+ free Capital One and Allpoint ATMs
• Account balance earns interest

Cons

• High overdraft fee of $35 per day
• No fee credits for non-network ATMs

11. Fidelity

Fidelity is one of the best online stock brokerages, but you can also bank with Fidelity.

Its fee-free checking account is known as a “Cash Management Account.”

It comes with these free perks:

• Debit card
• Unlimited U.S. ATM withdrawals
• Paper checks
• Online bill pay

If you invest with Fidelity, you can easily move money from your checking account to your brokerage accounts. If you invest with a different broker, it can take three days to transfer funds.

To prevent overdraft fees, Fidelity lets you set a target balance. For example, let’s say your target balance is $500. If your balance dips to $450, they transfer $50 from a linked account. Fidelity calls this their Cash Manager Tool.

You can also deposit checks with mobile deposit. And you can schedule automatic investments and withdrawals, too.

Pros

• Unlimited fee-free ATMs in the U.S.
• Free overdraft protection (Cash Manager)

Cons

• You still pay for foreign ATM fees

12. Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab is great for unlimited ATM fee refunds. Many global travelers like Schwab’s online checking. The main reason is that it waives foreign ATM fees.

And, your entire account balance earns 0.35% APY. This interest rate is higher than many online checking account rates. And, you don’t have to keep a high account balance.

You can also get paper checks, and you enjoy online bill pay and mobile deposit.

One of the biggest cons is that you must have a Schwab brokerage account. You see, Schwab is another online broker at heart. Your brokerage account must have a $1,000 starting balance.

If you don’t want to invest with Charles Schwab, avoid this online bank.

Pros

• No ATM fees anywhere in the world
• Deposits earn interest
• Paper checks

Cons

• Must also have a Schwab One brokerage account

13. USAA

USAA may be a good option for military service members, veterans, and their loved ones.

There are two free online checking options with USAA. Like Radius, you must decide if you want to earn cash rewards or interest. Remember, the interest you earn is taxable, but cash back rewards are not. You’ll also need to decide if you want USAA to refund non-network ATM fees.

USAA reimburses partner ATM fees up to 10 times monthly. But, these ATMs are mostly near military bases and large cities. There are 60,000 free ATMs, but their list might be different than other banks.

For both checking account types, you need an initial deposit of $25. After that, you don’t have to maintain a minimum balance.

Like other banks, you can also send instant payment to friends with Zelle.

USAA Classic Checking

Open this checking account for these two reasons:

• Non-network ATM fee refunds (up to $15 per month)
• Earn interest on account balances of $1,000 or more

The current interest rate is a very low 0.01% APY. So go with this account solely for the non-network ATM refunds.

USAA Cashback Rewards Checking

For each debit card purchase, you get 10 cents back. If your cash rewards exceed your non-network ATM fees, choose this option.

Keep in mind, your first 10 in-network ATM withdrawals are free each month.

Pros

• Free ATM Access at 60,000 ATMs
• Classic Checking members get $15 in non-network ATM credit monthly
• Rewards Checking members earn $0.10 back for each debit card purchase

Cons

• Must have a military connection to be a USAA member
• Minimum initial deposit of $25

Summary

If you tire of bank fees, switch to an online checking account. You’ll get all the benefits of a brick-and-mortar bank account, except possibly paper checks. You can also earn debit card rewards or bank interest.

What do you prefer to earn? Cash rewards or higher interest rates? Let us know on social media!

Related: Best Savings Accounts

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