10 Best Online Checking Accounts in 2018

Tired of banking the traditional way, having to run to a local branch to deposit a check, or dealing with too many fees and minimum requirements? Then opening an online checking account could be your solution.

Most online banks offer checking accounts with little to no minimums, and little to no fees to worry about. They also have some of the best mobile apps, making banking on-the-go easier than ever.

The best online checking accounts offer:

There is not one account that is the “best” across every dimension. You will have to make a trade-off. For example, the account with the highest interest rate does not have unlimited ATM fee reimbursements.

Here are our favorite checking accounts available in 2018:

Aspiration is a unique company that is trying to change the face of banking. This account is a great way to avoid fees. There is no monthly fee and no minimum deposit. Even better, there are no ATM fees and unlimited reimbursement of ATM fees charged by others. You can use your ATM card anywhere in the world and never pay a dime.

You decide how much you want to pay for the account – and that can be $0. Aspiration is making the bet that you will appreciate the value and decide to pay them something. But you are not obligated to make any payment.

You can also earn interest on this account. For balances up to $2,500 the interest rate is 0.25% and it is a very healthy 1.00% APY on balances above 1.00%. And the best part: you don’t have to “do things” (like use your debit card) to get the rate. So long as you have the account, you get the interest rate.

The checking account pays 0.10% APY on balances less than $15,000, and 0.60% APY on balances of over $15,000.

Banking with Ally also gives you 24/7 access to customer service, which is just a phone call or chat session away. They also use 21st century technology like remote deposit through their mobile banking app and Zelle®, which allows you to securely send and receive money from friends and family.

Chime is very similar to Aspiration in the sense that they don’t charge any fees to their customers. Instead of making money on fees, like most financial institutions do, Chime makes money through transaction customers’ make on their Visa Chime card – the money they earn comes directly from the merchant, not the customer. For this reason, Chime strongly encourages their customers to use their card. Cleverly, they make this decision work for the customer, as well.

Chime’s account automatically comes with a savings account. So, every time a customer makes a transaction – whether that be with the Chime card or through an online purchase – they will round up the purchase. The difference of the rounded amount and the original amount is then automatically placed in the savings account. If you’re not too keen on this idea, don’t worry, this is optional and can be turned off in the settings of their mobile app. They also give you the option to automatically transfer 10% of your direct deposit into your savings account, which you can also turn on and off in the settings.

While the no fee aspect of this account is very attractive, it does come with a couple downfalls: they don’t award interest on their checking account and the interest that can be earned on the savings account is 0.01%.

Chime is a great option for those who want a true online checking account for free.

If you are looking for a high interest rate on a big balance, it is hard to beat MemoryBank. You can earn 1.60% APY on balances up to $250,000 for the first year so long as you do the following three things. (1) You must receive at least one electronic deposit every month. If you have your payroll deposited into the account, that works. (2) You will need to use your debit card for at least 5 in-person or online purchases. And (3) you need to get your statements online (no paper statements). If you have a large balance and want to find the best liquid account, MemoryBank has a good offer. You need at least $50 to open the account. You will get access to AllPoint ATMs.

Bank of Internet (BofI) offers a nice combination of a good interest rate and ATM fee reimbursement. You can receive up to 1.25% APY based upon your activity in the account. There are three requirements, and each requirement gives you 0.4166%. If you receive a monthly direct deposit totaling $1,000 or more, you can earn 0.4166%. If you use your debit card at least 10 times per month, you can get another 0.4166%. And if you use your debit card 15 times a month, you get another 0.4166%. So – if you get your direct deposit and use your card 15 times a month – you will get 1.25% APY. You can also get unlimited domestic ATM reimbursement. If you are a heavy debit card user and do not travel overseas very often, BofI can be a better option than Aspiration.

EverBank is currently offering a one-year introductory APY of 1.21% on their checking account. They don’t charge a monthly fee or ATM fees (as long as the ATM is within network). Aside from depositing a minimum of $5,000 into the account, EverBank does not impose requirements to earn the APY. While they do have an online banking platform, their mobile app seems to be lacking. If banking on-the-go is important to you, you may want to consider another institution. However, they do have a great rate for a checking account with little-to-no fees.

Nationwide may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of checking accounts, but they actually offer a great checking account option. For only $25, you can open a Nationwide checking account and automatically start earning a 1.00% APY. If your balance is $10,000 or more, the APY increases to 1.15%. While earning interest on a checking account is always a plus, perhaps the best part of this account is the lack of fees. There are no monthly maintenance fees, no ATM fees, and they won’t charge you any fees for using a non-Nationwide Bank ATM up to 8 times per statement cycle. If you’re a premier member, meaning you have another one of their products, the perks get even better: they won’t charge you any fees on using a non-Nationwide Bank ATM no matter how many times you transact, and they offer a 0.25% cash back reward as long as you meet certain requirements.

Anyone can join Consumers Credit Union, which has been around since 1930 and is based in Lake County, IL. In order to join, you only need to pay a one-time, non-refundable $5 fee to their sponsor, the Consumers Cooperative Association. Once you are a member, you are eligible for all products, including the Free Checking Account.

This account can offer incredible value, but you need to meet certain conditions. In order to get unlimited ATM fee reimbursement, you need to:

If you meet those requirement, you will earn a 3.09% APY on balances up to $10,000. You have the opportunity to earn an even higher rate of return if you open a Visa credit card from the credit union. If you spend at least $500 a month on the credit card, your interest rate increases to 3.59% APY on balances up to $15,000. If you spend at least $1,000 a month, you can earn 4.59% APY on balance up to $20,000.

This is a valuable proposition – but it is complicated. We have included it because 4.59% APY and unlimited ATM fee reimbursement is an amazing deal. However, if you don’t meet the requirements you will not get ATM reimbursement and will only earn 0.01%.

This account pays 0.15% APY, and there are no minimums or monthly service fees.

There are no fees to cover overdrafts when funds are available from a linked Schwab brokerage or savings account.

Similar to Charles Schwab, there are no ATM fees to worry about – they’ll reimburse you the same day if you’re charged. There are also no monthly or overdraft fees to worry about. There is one big difference to Schwab: if you get charged for using your ATM outside of the country, that fee will not be reimbursed.

Unfortunately, there’s no option to open a line of credit – you have to link a savings or brokerage account to your Fidelity account in case you overdraft and want items to clear.

There are two main reasons your money would be better off not sitting in checking.

1) Interest Rates2) Fraud

Fraud is another reason you want a minimal amount in checking. Credit card fraud is so prevalent you’ll likely get smacked by it at some point, but it isn’t as worrisome because the money charged to a credit card isn’t coming directly out of your bank account. Debit card fraud means a crook gains direct access to your money and can be draining your actual funds. You’ll reduce the damage a thief can do by not keeping a ton of money in checking. Even if you bank reimburses you for the funds, it’s still a hassle to go through not having the money for a period of time.

Ditch your brick-and-mortar bank in favor of fewer fees, less hassle, more convenience, and higher interest rates. All of these banks offer mobile apps that let you deposit checks by taking a photo, so you don’t have to worry about running out to a local branch. These apps also make it easier to transfer money between your accounts, pay bills online, or send money to family and friends in a pinch.

If you want your money to do more for you with less maintenance, online checking is the way to go.