What bank is free to open a checking account

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• Personal
• Checking Accounts

Everyday Checking

Banking made easy. Open with $25.

Banking your way

These four checking accounts meet different needs – choose what's right for you

Ideal for customers who want help managing their money, including teens and students

Our most flexible and popular checking account, also a great option for students

Many discounts and benefits are included with this interest-bearing account

An interest-bearing account with our highest level of relationship banking benefits and perks

• Checkless banking with digital and debit card payments
• No overdraft fees

• Standard bank account features like check writing and multiple ways to avoid the monthly service fee
• Optional Overdraft Protection

• Fee waivers and discounts for many banking services
• Interest rate discounts on select new loans

• Premium discounts and fee waivers for specialized banking services and interest rate discounts on select new loans
• 24/7 support from a banking service team

• Ages 13 to 16 must open with an adult co-owner
• Teens 13 to 17 must open at a branch - see what you'll need

• Must be 17 or older to open this account
• Teens 17 years old must open at a branch - see what you'll need

• Must be 18 or older (19 in AL) to open this account - see what you'll need

• Must be 18 or older (19 in AL) to open this account - see what you'll need

Not sure which checking account's the best fit?

Do more with the Wells Fargo Mobile® app

Plus all the features of a Wells Fargo checking account

Student checking at your fingertips

No monthly service fee charged for primary account owners based on age.

Learn more

Checking FAQs

You can apply online or in person:

• In just minutes you can apply through Wells Fargo Online® for a checking or savings account, credit card or loan.
• Or visit a Wells Fargo branch near you.

Enroll in Wells Fargo Online from your desktop or mobile device for secure online access to your accounts. Once you've enrolled, you'll receive an email confirmation, and you'll be ready to sign on and manage your accounts.

See more Banking FAQs

Still have questions?

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For existing accountholders or questions:
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BEST OF

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The best free checking accounts do more than keep money in people’s wallets by having no monthly fees. They also typically offer other free services or pay interest.

Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the financial accounts that work best for you. See our criteria for evaluating banks and credit unions.

Here’s a list of our favorites based on research into dozens of institutions. We scoped out accounts based on interest rate, ATM network, rewards and other factors.

» Looking for a place to stash your savings? Take a look at NerdWallet's picks for best savings accounts

The best free checking accounts do more than keep money in people’s wallets by having no monthly fees. They also typically offer other free services or pay interest.

Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the financial accounts that work best for you. See our criteria for evaluating banks and credit unions.

Here’s a list of our favorites based on research into dozens of institutions. We scoped out accounts based on interest rate, ATM network, rewards and other factors.

» Looking for a place to stash your savings? Take a look at NerdWallet's picks for best savings accounts

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Best Free Checking Accounts

at Consumers Credit Union, Federally insured by NCUA

Consumers Credit Union Free Rewards Checking

APY

3.00%

With $0 min. balance for APY

at Consumers Credit Union, Federally insured by NCUA

Why we like it

Consumers Credit Union’s Free Rewards Checking account offers strong interest rates for customers who meet certain monthly requirements.

Interest rate: Customers can earn 3.00% on balances up to $10,000 if you make at least 12 monthly debit card purchases, have at least $500 of monthly electronic transactions and receive e-statements. If you do all of the above, you can earn 4.00% if you also make $500 in credit card purchases, and 5.00% if you make at least $1,000 in credit card purchases. These rates are only on balances up to $10,000.

Minimum deposit to open: $5.

Other pros: Consumers Credit Union offers strong customer service options such as 24/7 live chat, more than 30,000 ATMs and more than 5,000 shared branches.

What you should know: If you meet your monthly requirements for Consumer Credit Union’s interest rates but you have balances over $10,000, then the excess earns either 0.10% or 0.20% depending on the total. Customers who don’t meet the monthly requirements earn 0.01% on their balance.

Read Full Review

Alliant Credit Union High-Rate Checking

APY

0.25%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Why we like it

With a strong online presence and easy membership requirements, Alliant has a wider reach than most credit unions. Support for an Alliant-affiliated nonprofit is all it takes to apply for membership if you don’t fulfill other requirements.

Interest rate: 0.25%.

Minimum deposit to open: $25.

Other pros: Alliant members can access more than 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs and have up to $20 reimbursed in out-of-network ATM fees a month.

What you should know: To qualify for the High-Rate Checking Account, members have to opt out of paper statements and have at least one electronic deposit each month, which can be via mobile, ATM or direct deposit, or a transfer from another financial institution.

Read Full Review

at Axos Bank®, Member FDIC

Axos Bank® Rewards Checking

APY

1.25%

With $0 min. balance for APY

at Axos Bank®, Member FDIC

Why we like it

Axos Bank’s Rewards Checking has a solid rate if you fulfill the bank's requirements, plus unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements.

Interest rate: Up to 1.25%.

Minimum deposit to open: $50.

Other pros: The account has no overdraft fees.

What you should know: The maximum balance that earns interest is $50,000. To earn Rewards Checking's highest rate (1.25%), you will need to meet five requirements. To begin earning interest, you have to receive at least $1,500 in monthly direct deposits. That earns 0.40%. Once you meet that requirement, you can earn additional interest in the following ways: Make 10 debit card purchases (minimum of $3 per transaction) or sign up for the Account Aggregation/Personal Finance Manager tool (earns 0.30%), have an average daily balance of $2,500 in an Axos managed investment portfolio (earns 0.20%), have an average daily balance of $2,500 in an Axos self-directed portfolio (earns 0.20%) and make a monthly Axos consumer loan payment from Rewards Checking (earns 0.15%).

Read Full Review

Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:

Last updated on September 28, 2022

You may also like these

People often identify opening a savings account as their next money move.

LendingClub High-Yield Savings

APY

2.85%

With $0 min. balance for APY

at LendingClub Bank, Member FDIC

Discover Bank Online Savings

APY

2.15%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Bonus

$200

Requirements to qualify

at Discover Bank, Member FDIC

CIT Bank Savings Connect

APY

2.70%

With $100 min. balance for APY

Methodology

We took a close look at over 80 financial institutions and financial service providers, including the largest U.S. banks based on assets, internet search traffic and other factors; the nation’s largest credit unions, based on assets and membership; and other notable and/or emerging players in the industry. We rated them on criteria including annual percentage yields, minimum balances, fees, digital experience and more.

Financial institutions and providers surveyed are: Affirm, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, America First Credit Union, American Express National Bank, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Bank of the West, Bank5 Connect, Bank7, Barclays, BB&T (now Truist), BMO Harris, Boeing Employees Credit Union, BrioDirect, Capital One, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase, Chime, CIBC U.S., CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens, Citizens Bank, Comenity Direct, ConnectOne Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Consumers Credit Union, Current, Discover Bank, E-Trade, Fifth Third Bank, First Foundation, First Tech Federal Credit Union, FNBO Direct, GO2bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, HSBC Bank, Huntington Bank, KeyBank, Lake Michigan Credit Union, LendingClub Bank, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Monifi, Nationwide (by Axos), Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC, One, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC, Popular Direct, PurePoint Financial, Quontic Bank, Redneck Bank, Regions Bank, Revolut, Salem Five Direct, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, Scarlet, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Service Credit Union, State Employees’ Credit Union of North Carolina, Suncoast Credit Union, SunTrust Bank (now Truist), Synchrony Bank, TAB Bank, TCF Bank, TD Bank, TIAA Bank, U.S. Bank, UFB Direct, Union Bank, Upgrade, USAA Bank, Varo, Vio Bank, Wells Fargo and Zynlo Bank.

Frequently asked questions

Checking accounts help you manage the transactions you need to make on a regular basis, such as paying bills, receiving your paycheck and depositing or withdrawing cash. They usually come with a debit card and the ability to write checks.

The fee on your checking account can add up quickly over time. Free checking accounts give customers access to all the perks of a checking account without the burden of paying a monthly maintenance fee.

The best checking accounts have no fees and ideally earn interest, give cash back or offer a bonus. You should also make sure that the bank offers good customer service and is convenient for your lifestyle.

What bank can I open a checking account for free?

Can I open a checking account with no money?

Which bank does not charge a fee for checking accounts?

What banks have free checking with no minimum balance?