Best Checking Accounts of 2025

SoFi's Disclaimers:

¹ APY Disclosures: SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% 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 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.

² 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 Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit.
If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible 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 Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.80% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% 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 1/24/25. 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/.

⁴ ATM Access: We've partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at their discretion at any time.

⁵ Overdraft Coverage: Overdraft Coverage is limited to $50 on debit card purchases only and is an account benefit available to customers with Eligible Direct Deposits of $1,000 or more during the current 30-day Evaluation Period as determined by SoFi Bank, N.A. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Members with a prior history of non-repayment of negative balances are ineligible for Overdraft Coverage.

⁶ Early Access to Direct Deposit Funds: Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date but may vary.

⁷ Additional FDIC Insurance: SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.

⁸ 0.70% Savings APY Boost: Earn up to 4.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.80% APY as of 8/5/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking & Savings account with Eligible Direct Deposit by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

CIT's Disclaimers:

The Annual Percentage Yields (APY) and interest rates are effective as of March 20, 2025. Fees may reduce earnings. Checking APYs and interest rates are variable and may change at any time without prior notice, including after account opening. The minimum opening deposit for eChecking is $100. See Fee Schedule and Agreement for Personal Accounts for details. To obtain the interest rate and APY disclosed, the minimum balance for the applicable balance tier must be maintained.

Must have a bank account in the U.S. to use Zelle. Transactions typically occur in minutes when the recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile number is already enrolled with Zelle. Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used
herein under license. The Apple Pay logo and Apple are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. The Samsung Pay logo and Samsung are registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

For complete list of account details and fees, see our Personal Account disclosures.

Chime Disclaimers:

Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. 

^Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.

*Terms apply. Limited time only, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn 3 individual rewards, up to a max of $350.00, as described at https://www.chime.com/policies/newmemberofferv3.

~Out of network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM. 

Discover’s Disclaimers:

¹ Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month. See Deposit Account Agreement for details on transaction eligibility, limitations, and terms.

² Early Pay is automatically available to checking, savings (excluding IRA savings) and money market customers who receive qualifying ACH direct deposits. At Discover’s discretion, and dependent on the timing of receipt of the direct deposit instructions, Discover may make funds from these qualifying direct deposits available to you up to 2 days early. See their Deposit Account Agreement for more information.

³ Balance+ is a no-fee overdraft coverage that applies to your debit card transactions. It is not available to cover checks, ATM/Cash withdrawals, or other electronic payments, such as Zelle®. Repayment is due immediately. Balance+ is provided at our discretion, and we may decline to cover any debit card transaction, for example, if we suspect the transaction is fraudulent. Please review the agreement as other terms and conditions apply.

Alliant Credit Union’s Disclaimers:

¹APY=Annual Percentage Yield. The High Rate Checking Dividend provides an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 0.25% APY. The APY is accurate as of the 4/7/2025 dividend declaration date. Checking dividend may change after account is opened and is subject to change at any time. There is no minimum balance requirement to earn the stated APY. Checking Dividends are paid on the last day of each month to checking account holders who have opted out of receiving paper statements (receive eStatements only) and have a recurring monthly electronic deposit to their Alliant checking account each month (e.g., a direct deposit, payroll deposit, ATM deposit, mobile check deposit or transfer from another financial institution). Otherwise, Alliant checking accounts do not earn a dividend. Alliant checking charges no monthly maintenance or service fees; however, if incurred, other fees may reduce earnings on the account. Please refer to the Alliant Fee Schedule for a list of these types of fees. Dividend applies to Checking and Teen Checking Accounts. Account is subject to approval. We may not open checking for you if you do not meet Alliant criteria.

²Alliant will rebate ATM fees up to $20 per month per membership account when you use your Alliant checking account Visa debit card to make a deposit, withdrawal, transfer or balance inquiry. The rebate does not apply to cash advances from Alliant Visa credit cards through ATMs nor to the Alliant Savings ATM Card and Visa International Service Assessment (ISA) fee, referenced as the foreign transaction fee on account statements. Not all ATMs accept deposits.

Current Disclaimers:

¹Fees may apply, including out of network cash withdrawal fees, third-party fees, cash load fees, inactivity fees, account closure fees, international transaction fees, replacement card fees, express mail fees and escheatment fees.

²For eligible customers only. Your actual available Paycheck Advance amount will be displayed to you in the mobile app and may change from time to time. Conditions and eligibility may vary and are subject to change at any time, at the sole discretion of Finco Advance LLC, which offers this optional feature. Finco Advance LLC is a financial technology company, not a bank. For more information, please refer to Paycheck Advance Terms and Conditions.

Axos Bank Disclaimers:

*The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 10/9/2025. The base and promotional interest rate and corresponding APY for Axos ONE® Checking is variable and is set at our discretion. The base and promotional interest rate and corresponding APY for Axos ONE® Savings is variable and is set at our discretion. Axos ONE® Savings is a tiered variable rate account. Axos ONE® Checking is a non-tiered variable rate account. Interest rates may change as often as daily without prior notice. Fees may reduce earnings. Promotional terms and conditions are subject to change or removal without notice. Incentive may be taxable and reported on IRS Form 1099-MISC. Consult your tax advisor. After the accounts are opened, the amount of incentive earned will depend on meeting the additional requirements outlined below.

The Axos ONE® Checking account will earn a base rate of 0.00% APY. The Axos ONE® Savings account will earn a base rate of up to 1.00% APY.

Axos ONE® accounts are eligible to receive a promotional APY for each statement cycle where the promotional criteria are met during the Qualification Period. To receive the promotional APY on both Axos ONE® Checking and Axos ONE® Savings, the Axos ONE® Checking account must meet both of the requirements in either Option 1 or Option 2 below during the Qualification Period:

Option 1

1. Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,500 in total.

2. The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $1,500.

Option 2

1. Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying deposits of at least $5,000 in total.

2. The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $5,000.

If both of the requirements in either Option 1 or Option 2 above are met during the Qualification Period:

The Axos ONE® Checking account will earn a promotional rate of 0.51% APY for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met.

The Axos ONE® Savings account will earn a promotional rate of up to 4.51% APY for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met.

The Qualification Period begins on the first business day of the month and runs through the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month is followed by a non-business day, the average daily balance will be calculated including the following non-business day(s). Any qualifying deposits or qualifying direct deposits received after the 25th of the month will count toward the next Qualification Period. The Qualification Period for new accounts will begin on the day the account is approved. New accounts opened on or after the 25th of the month will be eligible to earn the promotional APY starting in the following month.

A direct deposit is an electronic deposit of your paycheck or government benefits, such as Social Security, Disability, etc. International paychecks, international government benefits, other deposits (i.e., online banking transfers, ATM and mobile check deposits, etc.), or person-to-person payments are not considered a direct deposit.

Qualifying deposits only include deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers from external accounts, (ii) inbound wire transfers from external accounts, (iii) check deposits. Qualifying deposits do not include: (i) transfers internal to the bank (i.e., transfers between an account holder’s Checking and/or Savings account), (ii) interest payments, (iii) promotional bonuses, (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds.

Both accounts must be in an open and active status on the 25th of the month and on the date the interest is paid to receive the promotional APY for that statement cycle. If either account closes during the Qualification Period, neither account will be eligible to earn the promotional APY for that statement cycle. Account transactions may take one or more business days from the transaction date to post to the account.