Best Checking Accounts for October 2024

• Only-online checking account
• No monthly fees, overdraft fees, minimum balance or spending requirements
• No foreign transaction fees on debit card purchases
• Unlimited rebates of non-network ATM fees
• No cash deposits accepted

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking is a great option for investors looking to combine multiple accounts into one platform. The checking account requires a linked Schwab One brokerage account, which costs nothing and has no balance requirements. Schwab’s checking account allows scheduling automatic transfers to your brokerage account, a simple way for new investors to put extra money to work. It supports Zelle for personal payments and doesn’t charge any fees for foreign transactions -- a great bonus for travelers using international ATMs.

Monthly fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: Unlimited

In-network ATMs: Visa/Visa Plus Alliance

Direct deposit funds available early: No

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: No

• No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
• $1,500 in monthly direct deposits required to qualify for 0.40% APY
• A minimum of 10 debit card purchases per month required to qualify for 0.30% APY
• A personal loan and investment accounts required to earn the highest APY
• Accepts cash deposits through ATMs

You can earn up to 3.30% APY with Axos Bank’s Rewards Checking account. However, to earn the highest APY, you must meet certain requirements. You’ll earn:

• 0.40% for direct deposits totaling $1,500 or more
• 0.30% for debit card spending
• 0.99% for having at least $2,500 in an Axos Managed Portfolios Account
• 0.99% for having at least $2,500 in an Axos Invest Self Directed Trading Account
• 0.60% for making payments on a loan with your checking account (see here for more details)

Meet all of these requirements and you’ll earn the full 3.30%. Meet some and you’ll earn the total combined APY for those requirements.

Axos provides unlimited reimbursements on non-network ATM fees, which is a plus. This account doesn’t charge monthly maintenance fees or overdraft fees, and there are no minimum monthly balance requirements.

Monthly fee: None

Overdraft fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: Unlimited

In-network ATMs: 91,000 (MoneyPass)

Direct deposit funds available early: Yes

Mobile check deposit: Yes; $10,000 daily limit; $50,000 monthly limit

Cash deposits: Yes; MoneyPass ATMs and Green Dot Network

• Primarily an online bank, with branches in Kansas City, Missouri
• No minimum balance requirements or monthly fees
• Up to $12 in non-network ATM fee reimbursements per month
• Goal setting and tracking features

NBKC is primarily an online bank with branches limited to the Kansas City area. Its interest-bearing Everything checking account earns 1.75% APY, and there’s no minimum balance required to open an account. This account has no overdraft or insufficient funds fees, monthly maintenance fees, non-network ATM fees or foreign transaction fees.

You’ll have access to a network of over 37,000 ATMs with MoneyPass. NBKC will reimburse you up to $12 a month in fees for out-of-network ATMs.

Monthly fee: None

Overdraft fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: $12 per month

In-network ATMs: 37,000 (MoneyPass)

Direct deposit funds available early: Yes

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: MoneyPass ATMs

• No minimum balance requirements, overdraft, monthly or non-network ATM fees
• Online-only bank with three checking account options
• 10 debit card transactions of at least $10 per month are required to earn the highest APY
• Contactless wearable payment ring available for all checking accounts

Quontic’s high interest checking offers the highest APY of its three checking account options: You can earn up to 1.10% APY on balances when you complete 10 debit card transactions of $10 or more during a monthly statement cycle. If you can’t make 10 qualifying transactions during the month, the APY drops to 0.01%. This checking account supports Zelle for personal payments and offers mobile check deposits via iOS or Android.

With Quontic’s wearable payment ring, you can access the money in your checking account without carrying around your debit card. Pay Ring transactions count toward the monthly total needed to earn the highest APY and are secured with a four-digit PIN. The Pay Ring is accepted anywhere contactless payments are accepted.

Monthly fee: None

Overdraft fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: No

In-network ATMs: 90,000 (Allpoint)

Direct deposit funds available early: No

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: No

• No monthly fees, minimum balance requirements or overdraft fees
• New-account bonus of $50 or $300 depending on direct deposit amount
• Extended deposit insurance up to $2 million
• 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs

SoFi’s checking account automatically comes with a savings account, so you can’t open one without the other. You’ll earn 0.50% APY on your checking account balance and up to 4.50% APY on your savings balance with qualifying direct deposits.

SoFi’s checking account doesn’t charge a monthly maintenance fee or require a minimum deposit. However, SoFi is an online-only bank, so you’ll need to be comfortable managing your account online.

You can earn a new account bonus of $50 or $300 when you set up a monthly direct deposit into your account. Deposits of $1,000 to $4,999.99 earn $50, and deposits of $5,000 or more earn $300. The promotion is valid through Dec. 31, 2024. You can also receive your paycheck up to two days early when you set up direct deposit.

You can receive up to 15% cash back at local merchants when you pay with your SoFi debit card. Roundups on debit card purchases can help you automatically grow your savings. The account also offers no-fee overdraft protection when you set up qualifying direct deposits.

Monthly fee: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: No

In-network ATMs: 55,000 (Allpoint)

Direct deposit funds available early: Yes

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: Yes ($4.95 fee)

• Online-only checking account
• No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
• No overdraft charges on accounts overdrawn up to $20
• $300 new account bonus with direct deposit of $2,500 or more
• $20 monthly cash reward with qualifying direct deposit for first 12 months
• Doesn’t accept cash deposits at ATMs

Laurel Road is an online-only subsidiary of KeyBank that rewards you for maintaining a checking account. It offers three accounts: Loyalty Checking, Freedom Plus Checking and Linked Checking. 

Loyalty Checking rewards your account with a $20 monthly payment in the first 12 months if you have a direct deposit of $2,500 or more per statement cycle. Beyond the first year, you’ll continue to earn $10 per month. Linked Checking provides rate discounts on any student loans refinanced through Laurel Road.

The Loyalty Checking account offers a $300 new-account bonus if you make at least $2,500 in direct deposits in the first 60 days. There’s no minimum deposit to open either account and no monthly fees. The 0.01% APY is paltry, but it’s better than nothing. This offer expires on Oct. 15, 2024.

And with both accounts, you’ll have access to more than 40,000 fee-free ATMs through the KeyBank or Allpoint Networks.

Monthly fee: $0

Overdraft fee: $20 on overdrafts over $20

Requirements to avoid monthly fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: $3 per domestic out-of-network transaction, $5 per international out-of-network transaction

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: None

In-network ATMs: 40,000

Direct deposit funds available early: No

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: No

• Online and in-person checking account access
• No monthly maintenance fees or minimum deposits
• No overdraft fees on transactions that Capital One accepts

Capital One’s 360 Checking account doesn’t have a minimum deposit or monthly maintenance fee. Plus, you can get your paycheck up to two days earlier and deposit cash to your account at CVS locations. If you overdraw your account, you can transfer funds from your savings account. Capital One also can decline the transaction but will not charge overdraft fees on approved transactions. 

You’ll earn 0.10% on your entire balance and you can qualify for Capital One’s $250 welcome bonus. Receive two qualifying direct deposits of at least $500 each in the first 75 days and the bonus is yours.

Capital One also has many cafes and branches for in-person banking access, but you can also manage your account online or via the app.

Overdraft fee: None

Out-of-network ATM fees: None

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: No

In-network ATMs: 70,000

Direct deposit funds available early: Yes

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: Yes

• 4,800 branches available nationwide, excluding North Dakota and West Virginia
• $300 new-account bonus with direct deposit
• No minimum deposit required
• No overdraft fees charged on accounts overdrawn by $50 or less
• $12 monthly service fee, but can be waived

Chase has more than 4,700 offices in 48 states. Its Total Checking account does charge a $12 monthly fee, but it can be waived if you meet the requirements. And its overdraft fee is waived if your account is overdrawn by $50 or less, or if your account is overdrawn by more than $50 but you deposit money to bring your balance up so that it’s overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day. However, Chase charges a $34 overdraft fee if you’re overdrawn by more than $50 (maximum of three fees per business day).

Unlike other checking accounts on our list, you won’t earn interest. But you can earn up to $300 as a welcome bonus by making direct deposits totaling at least $500 within 90 days of opening the account. The offer expires on Oct. 16, 2024.

If you prefer access to in-person banking services with plenty of branch locations, a big bank like Chase may be worth considering. Compared with our best checking accounts, you won’t earn a competitive APY on your money. But the convenience of this checking account may outweigh some of these benefits. Just watch out for monthly service and overdraft fees.

Note: We chose Chase over other big banks for this list since it offers a large number of branches across the country and has a $50 overdraft fee buffer. While PNC has a lower monthly fee for its checking account, the bank’s slightly higher overdraft fee and fewer national branch locations held it back from making this list. And though Wells Fargo has a similar number of branches and a lower monthly fee, it doesn’t have the $50 buffer for overdraft fees that Chase offers.

If you live near a Capital One branch and want to bank in person, you may want to consider Capital One’s free checking account over Chase.

Overdraft fee: $34 on overdrafts over $50, max of 3 per business day

Out-of-network ATM fees: $3

Out-of-network ATM reimbursements: No

In-network ATMs: 16,000

Direct deposit funds available early: Yes

Mobile check deposit: Yes

Cash deposits: Yes