Chase Bank Review (2024)

Chase has new customer bonuses and a strong nationwide presence. But there are drawbacks. Read this review to see if Chase is a good bank for you.

	Chase Total Checking® - $300 Bonus Open an Account
	Overall Score	3.6
	Savings	2.0
	CD	3.0
	Checking	4.0
	Mobile App	5.0
	Customer Service	4.0

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

• More than 4,700 branches
• New customer coupons
• Full service banking

• Low savings rates
• Not in all states

Bottom Line

National bank with good promotions for new customers

Is Chase overrated?

From customer-centric credit unions to aggressive online banks, it seems there are far better options for those looking for improved banking experience than this household name.

But don't cross out Chase from your prospects just yet. Find out if there's more to it than being a standard choice.

About Chase Bank

Chase is one of the biggest banks in the US, tracing its origins to the 1799 founding of The Manhattan Company. Over the years, it grew through mergers and acquisitions, which eventually led to the forming of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2000.

This bank offers everything from banking to investments to loans, and of course, a popular lineup of credit cards.

Chase has more checking options than many other competitors. Account opening requirements are generally low. Not to mention, it's relatively easy to waive the service fee on the basic Chase bank accounts.

But typical of big banks, interest rates are low for savings products.

Who Chase Is Best For

• If you like to have all your financial activities under one bank.
• If you need in-person banking services and want access to branches and ATMs.
• If you have regular direct deposits or usually leave a balance in your account.
• If you're interested in or are already using Chase credit cards.

Is Bank of America or Chase better?
Bank of America has lower requirements for their basic checking account to waive the monthly fee. However, Chase offers more checking account options for different needs. Both banks are located throughout the US, but Chase has a slightly larger footprint.

Chase Bank Account Features

You can enjoy these key features and tools with Chase checking or savings accounts:

• Direct Deposit
  Directly send paychecks into your checking or savings.
• Chase QuickDeposit℠
  Deposit checks from anywhere by taking a photo with your phone. The daily mobile check deposit limit is $2,000 ($5,000/mo.).
• Cardless ATM Access
  Withdraw money at Chase ATMs card-free by logging into your mobile wallet and entering your PIN.
• Online Bill Pay
  Pay thousands of billers online or via Chase Mobile® app.
• QuickPay with Zelle®
  Easily send money to another person with just their email or phone number.
• Automatic Savings Program
  Create a recurring transfer from a Chase checking account to a Chase savings account so you can grow your savings without thinking.
• Text banking
  Check balances and transaction history by simply texting.
• Overdraft Protection
  If you overdraw your checking account, Chase will transfer funds from your linked savings account to cover it.
• Paperless Statements
  See up to 7 years of statements online.
• Account Alerts
  Set up alerts for account activity, such as for low balances, large transactions, and more.

Chase Bank Pros and Cons

Pros

• Comprehensive range of products and services
  
• More than 15,000 Chase ATMs and 4,700+ physical branches
  
• Low opening requirements
  
• Easy-to-waive service fees on basic accounts
  
• Online and mobile banking from anywhere
  
• 24/7 customer service with real reps
  
• Free online bill pay, mobile deposits, and text banking
  
• Many checking options for all financial situations
  
• FDIC-insured up to $250,000
  
• Chase coupon and bonuses for new customers
  
• Highly rated mobile app

Cons

• Low interest rates on savings products
  
• Many banking fees
  
• Requirements to waive monthly service fee
  
• High out-of-network ATM fees
  
• Does not offer MMAs and retirement accounts

Now, we'll take a more in-depth look at each account, fees, and features.

Chase Checking Accounts

Chase has a wide range of checking accounts, including options for students, low-income, and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).

Chase Total Checking®

Chase Total Checking® is Chase's most popular checking account. There is no minimum to open.

It's a very bare-bones account without any perks. But it's pretty easy to waive the $12 service fee with direct deposits of at least $500 each month.

Features include:

• Access to more than 15,000 ATMs.
  
• Free bill pay service.
  
• Mobile check deposits by simply snapping a picture.
  
• Send and receive money with Zelle®.
  
• Free Visa debit card with chip.
  
• Account alerts via text, email, or push notifications when there is a charge, refund, or transaction.

Chase Secure Banking℠

The Chase Secure Banking℠ account is a basic checking account with zero overdraft fee. You can use your debit card to spend only what you have available.

It could be a good fit for individuals who've made some past banking mistakes and have trouble opening a traditional checking account. The Secure Banking account helps you bank more responsibly since you can't overdraw your account.

You may pay $4.95 or $0; Avoid the monthly service fee when you have electronic deposits made into the account totaling $250 or more during each monthly statement period. In exchange, there are no fees for overdrafts, check deposits, online bill pay, Zelle®, money orders, and cashier's checks.^[1]

Chase Premier Plus Checking℠

Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ account is Chase bank's mid-level checking account. This interest-bearing account comes with a debit card and offers a variety of perks. But you'll pay a $25 monthly fee unless you meet certain requirements.

Features include:

• Earns interest.
  
• No fees for Chase design checks when ordered through Chase.
  
• No fees for counter checks, cashier's checks, and money orders.
  
• No Chase fee on your first 4 transactions at a non-Chase ATM each month.
  
• Waived monthly fees on linked accounts.

Chase College Checking℠ ($0 to open)

Chase has a Chase College Checking℠ just for college students 17-24 years old. This account has no monthly service fee while in school up to the graduation date provided at account opening (five years maximum) for students 17-24 years old.^[2]

You must have proof of student status from the time of account opening until expected graduation date.

Chase College Checking℠ gives college students a debit card and a way to manage their day-to-day finances. Students can make purchases, send money to friends, get paychecks, and pay bills.

Because Chase is a nationwide bank, it's a good choice for students going to college away from home.

Chase High School Checking℠ ($0 to open)

Teens can get a head start on managing money. There is no monthly service fee for teens 13-17 if their Chase High School Checking℠ is linked to a qualifying personal parent checking account.^[3] A parent/guardian must be a joint owner.

Parents can monitor how the teen is spending, withdrawing, or depositing money with the Chase app. The alerts will be sent straight to your phone.

Chase First Banking℠

Chase First Banking℠ is a debit card for kids age 6-17. If you're an existing Chase checking customer, you can add this account for your child at no extra cost.

The debit card will have your kid's name on it. But you, the parent, has full control. Only you can manage this account and add money to it.

You can set limits for how much your child can spend or withdraw at ATMs. You can even set custom limits by category (for example, $20 at restaurants). You'll be alerted when your child uses the card.

A cool feature is the ability to assign chores and pay when it's completed. Your child can also create a savings goal and track their progress towards the goal.

Sapphire® Banking

Chase's Sapphire® Banking is a premium checking account with more benefits. This account is worth considering if you can keep a balance of $75,000 in qualifying deposits or investment accounts to avoid the monthly service fee.

Features include:

• No ATM fees worldwide.
  
• No foreign transaction fees.
  
• No wire transfer or stop payment fees from Chase.
  
• No fees on the first four overdrafts during the current and prior 12 statement periods.
  
• Higher limits on Chase QuickDeposit℠ and Zelle®.

Chase Private Client Checking℠

The Chase Private Client Checking℠ is their top-tier checking account for HNWIs who have at least $150,000 combined balance across eligible Chase bank accounts. Many common bank fees are waived and you get exclusive benefits, including:

• A private banker
  
• A personal investment advisor
  
• Discounted rates for home and auto loans
  
• Guidance to help with business needs
  
• Dedicated phone line

Chase Savings Accounts

Chase savings accounts offer the benefits of accessibility, security, and integration with other Chase products. Here are some of your options:

1. Chase Savings℠ ($0 to open)
   This is Chase's basic savings account without any perks. It's easy to waive the $5 monthly service fee.

   You can keep either a minimum $300 daily balance or perform at least a $25 automatic transfer every month from a linked Chase checking account.

   This account is free for teens under 18.

   Note: The information for the Chase Savings℠ has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the bank.

2. Chase Premier Savings℠
   This Chase bank account is designed to be paired with a Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ or Sapphire Checking account.

   You can earn a higher interest rate when you have a bigger balance and meet certain relationship requirements.

Chase's interest rates are low, so your money won't grow a whole lot. There are other savings accounts that pay over 2% in interest. So, if your top priority is to grow your money, you'll want to look elsewhere.

However, it can still be used as a secondary savings when you pair it with a Chase checking account. There are advantages to having linked accounts from the same bank, such as fast transfers and features like overdraft protection.

Chase Certificates of Deposit

Chase has term CDs of 1 month to 10 years. The opening deposit is $1,000.

It's best to link a Chase CD to a personal Chase checking account so you can get a higher relationship rate. If you can afford a bigger deposit, you'll get a more competitive interest.

While you can still open a Chase CD without a linked checking account, it is not advisable. The difference in interest rates is night and day. In addition, the rate stays the same regardless of the term.

CD Ladders
This is an option reserved for Chase Private Client account holders. It is a strategy where you can benefit from higher interest rates on long-term CDs while keeping liquidity with shorter-term CDs.

There are 2 types:

• 4-month CD ladder made up initially of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-month term CDs
  
• 12-month CD ladder made up initially of 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month term CDs

Here's how it works: Assume you have $10K to invest in a 4-month CD ladder. So, you must open 4 CDs, amounting to $2,500 each. You need to reinvest each one into a new 4-month CD when it matures. This way, you'll have a 4-month CD maturing every month.

Chase Bank Other Services

Chase is a complete full-service bank. Besides personal banking products, Chase offers these services:

• Business Services
  Small business owners have a selection of checking and savings accounts. Chase also offers business financing and merchant services for collecting payments.
• Credit Cards
  Chase is best known for their credit card lineup, offering huge welcome bonuses and good rewards. Chase has a number of highly valued cash back, travel rewards, and small business cards. See our picks of Chase's best cards.

  At Chase's Secure Site	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
  	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027. Member FDIC
  Intro APR for Purchases	Intro APR for Balance Transfer	Regular APR	Annual Fee
  N/A	N/A	21.49% - 28.49% Variable	$95

• Investing
  Chase is part of J.P. Morgan, one of the biggest investment banks in the world. It offers a low-cost, self-directed platform through J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing or managed services for high-net-worth clients.

  

  J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing - Get Up to $700

  Click Here to Learn More

  Expires 10/11/2024

  • Get up to $700 when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money.
  • $700 when you fund with $250,000 or more
  • $325 when you fund with $100,000-$249,999
  • $150 when you fund with $25,000-$99,999
  • $50 when you fund with $5,000-$24,999
  • Get unlimited commission-free online stock, ETF, fixed income, and options trades when you open an account.
  • $0 Online Commission trades
  • Choose an account that's right for you: General Investing, Traditional IRA or Roth IRA.
  • Access our secure, easy-to-use trading experience online or through the Chase Mobile^® app.
  • Our powerful tools and resources are built to help you take control of your investments.

  INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE

• Mortgages
  Chase offers mortgages and home refinancing, as well as a home equity line of credit.
• Auto loans
  Chase offers auto loans and auto refinancing. Chase checking customers can get a 0.25% rate discount when refinancing an existing auto loan.^[4]

How to Waive Account Service Fees

Like typical big banks, Chase does have service fees for most of its accounts. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to waive the fees for the basic accounts.^[5]

You can waive service fees by doing the following:

Chase Total Checking® ($12/month)
$12 or $0 with one of the following, each monthly statement period:

• Electronic deposits made into this account totaling $500 or more, such as payments from payroll providers or government benefit providers, by using (i) the ACH network, (ii) the Real Time Payment or FedNow℠ network, (iii) third party services that facilitate payments to your debit card using the Visa® or Mastercard® network,
• OR a balance at the beginning of each day of $1,500 or more in this account,
• OR an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying Chase checking, savings, and other balances.

Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ ($25/month)
Waived if you maintain an average beginning day balance of $15,000 OR have a Chase mortgage with auto pay.

Chase Sapphire℠ Checking ($25/month)
Waived if you maintain a combined beginning day balance of $75,000 or more in this account and linked qualifying Chase deposit and investment accounts.

Chase College Checking℠
No monthly service fee while in school up to the graduation date provided at account opening (five years maximum) for students 17-24 years old.

Chase Secure Banking℠ ($4.95/month)
Avoid the monthly service fee when you have electronic deposits made into the account totaling $250 or more during each monthly statement period.

Chase Savings℠ ($5/month)
Waived by one of the following actions:

1. Maintain a beginning day balance of $300 or more.
   
2. Have a recurring auto transfer of $25 or more from a personal Chase checking account.
   
3. Link to Chase Premier Plus Checking℠, Chase Sapphire℠ Checking, or Chase Private Client Checking℠.
   
4. Waived for those under 18.
   
5. Link to Chase College Checking℠ for Overdraft Protection.

Chase Premier Savings℠ ($25/month)
Waived if you maintain a beginning day balance of $15,000 or more OR link to a Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ or Chase Sapphire℠ Checking.

New Customer Promotions

Chase bank has branches in 48 states, excluding only Alaska and Hawaii.

Other Bonuses and Offerings

• Benefits for Service Members
  Active and veteran members of the U.S. Armed Forces can receive a free Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ with no monthly service fee and no balance requirements. You can also link Chase personal savings accounts for no service fees.^[6]
• Referral Bonuses
  You can earn up to $500 a year when you refer friends to open a qualifying Chase checking or savings account.^[7]
• Free Credit Report
  Anyone can enroll to get a free credit report from Chase. You don't even need to be a Chase customer.

How to Open a Chase Bank Account

You can open a Chase account either in person, at a branch, or online.

College students will need their student ID or proof of enrollment for the College Checking account.

After filling in the application, just make your first deposit and that's it. You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien to open an account online.

Customer Experiences

Many customer reviews on Chase bank have not been kind. But some clients highlighted their helpfulness in terms of resolving fraud issues. Others liked the support they got for their personal and business banking needs.

Here's what some of them have to say:

I will never bank with any other bank. Chase Bank fought for us to get our money back after we were involved with a Facebook scam. We filed a police report, reported it to the FBI, and gave Chase bank several documents to show what happened so they could fight with the bank of the scammer to get our money back... (From a ConsumerAffairs review)

Incompetent Customer Service Agent
Customer Service agent Fritz is a LIAR! Made a cash & check deposit in the ATM once I deposited the funds the ATM shut down out of service. ATM gave me no receipt. Chase bank was closed so I knocked on the door the representative told me to call the customer service number so I did... (From a Trustpilot review)

Meanwhile, you can reach Chase through these channels:^[8]

If you're an existing customer, just sign in to Chase.com to send them a secure message. They also have an FAQ section for common banking questions.

Branch service
Some Chase customers praised specific branch managers for their exceptional service in resolving issues. But oftentimes, negative feedback pertains to long wait times and encounters with rude staff. Ultimately, experience will be subjective depending on branch location.

Digital experiences

With millions of positive reviews on both the App Store and Google Play Store, users appreciate their mobile app's ease of use, robust features, and reliability. Some have noted occassional issues with updates and specific functionalities.

How Chase Bank Compares

Although Chase is known for its extensive branch and ATM network, robust mobile app, and wide range of services, other banks may still one-up them in other aspects. See how it stacks up against these 3 major banks.

1. Bank of America
   Chase has more checking and savings options. But in general, Bank of America has lower requirements to waive account fees. BofA also offers checking options for students. It also has savings IRAs, something that Chase lacks.

   BofA also offers a full range of services, including banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, and investing through Merrill Edge. Like Chase, Bank of America has many branches and ATMs throughout the US.

2. Wells Fargo
   Wells Fargo has the largest nationwide presence with over 4,900 branches in 36 states. It also offers a lot of checking accounts, including options for teens, low-income, and high-balance individuals.

   The standard interest savings rate is a lot higher for the Platinum Savings Account. It also has Special Interest Rate 7- and 13-month CDs with high, competitive rates. So in general, Wells Fargo is better if you have more to save.

   Wells Fargo also offers personal loans and student loans — something that Chase doesn't offer.

3. Ally Bank
   Ally is an online bank with no physical branches. So, it can offer higher savings interest rates and fewer fees. Its banking products have no minimum balance requirements or service fees.

   Even though it's online, you can still access your money easily with over 43,000 Allpoint fee-free ATMs throughout the nation. Ally still offers features like mobile check deposits, online bill pay, and direct deposits.

   If you don't need in-person banking services and want a higher interest rate, Ally is a top choice for online banking. It also consistently wins high customer satisfaction ratings.

Is Chase Bank Good?

Overall, Chase is a very solid choice if you're looking for a big-name bank that offers everything. It's great if you want to do all your money matters under one roof. You can transfer funds between all your Chase accounts.

Chase has a top-rated mobile app so it's easy to bank from anywhere. And there are lots of physical locations if you still need certain in-person banking services. If you travel domestically often, you can still have branches and ATMs nearby.

The main downside is that like other traditional banks, the savings interest rate is very low. So Chase isn't the best choice as a primary savings account. It's better to look into these online savings accounts instead. But you can certainly use Chase as supplementary savings to link with your checking.

One of the biggest advantages of choosing Chase is that you can start building a relationship. Chase is popular for their credit cards, but approval may be more stringent than other issuers.

Having a banking relationship can help open up more possibilities, like a better chance of getting their credit cards and loans.

Is Chase Bank safe?
Banking with Chase is generally safe due to its FDIC insurance coverage, which protects deposits up to $250,000 per deposit and per ownership category^[9]. It employs robust security measures, including its 2-step verification every time you log into Chase.com.

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a bank with full range of services, physical locations, lots of ATMs, and good mobile banking, Chase is a no-brainer. We recommend developing a relationship with them so you can access other offerings, like their credit cards.

But typical of most brick-and-mortar big banks, don't expect much in interest. Plus, there are service fees unless you meet certain requirements.

References