Chase Bank Review [2026]: Are 5K+ Branches Worth It?

Featured Chase checking account

Open a New Checking Account With Chase

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Chase Total Checking® Benefits

• Get a $400 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities; offer valid through 4/15/2026¹ <p>Offer not available to existing Chase checking customers, or those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years. You can receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last coupon enrollment date and only one bonus per account. Coupon is good for one-time use. To receive the bonus: 1) Open a new Chase Total Checking account, which is subject to approval; AND 2) Have your direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more made to this account within 90 days of coupon enrollment. Your direct deposit needs to be an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government. Person to Person payments (such as Zelle®) are not considered a direct deposit. Micro-deposits do not qualify as a direct deposit for the bonus. Micro-deposits are small deposits, typically less than $1, that are sent to your account to verify it is the correct account. After you have completed all the above requirements, we'll deposit the bonus in your new account within 15 days. To receive this bonus, the enrolled account must not be closed or restricted at the time of payout. Eligibility may be limited based on account ownership. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 1042-S, if applicable). Offer availability subject to change. Other Chase checking bonus offers may exist concurrently.</p>
• Access to more than 15,000 ATMs and more than 5,000 branches
• Monthly Service Fee as low as $0 when you meet qualifying electronic deposits or account balance minimums² <p>$15 Monthly Service Fee OR $0 with one of the following, each monthly statement period: </p> <p>$500+ in qualifying electronic deposits</p> <p> OR $1,500+ balance at the beginning of each day</p> <p> OR $5,000+&nbsp;average beginning day balance in this account, or in combination with any linked qualifying personal deposits or in investments</p><p class="">OR&nbsp;Link this account to a qualifying checking account</p>
• Member FDIC

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Open an Account

Who is Chase Bank best for?

Today, there are so many banking options available to you that don't have the minimum deposit requirements and high monthly maintenance fees associated with big banks. In other words, you should have at least one very good reason to bank with Chase (ideally more). These could include: 

• You prefer to manage your finances in person at a brick-and-mortar bank.
• You need access to a large number of ATMs nationwide.
• You prefer banking with a large institution with a long history and solid reputation.
• You like to have several different types of bank accounts to choose from.

Check out the different bank accounts you can open with Chase, which ones are worth your time, and which ones aren't.

Compare Chase checking accounts

Chase Total Checking

The Chase Total Checking account is one of Chase's most popular checking accounts and has many features that you'll find with other checking accounts.

While it doesn't pay interest, it includes the following features:

• Online bill pay and banking
• Zelle for transferring money
• Autosave to a linked Chase savings account
• Chase Overdraft Assist℠
• Mobile banking

Chase Overdraft Assist℠ helps you avoid overdraft fees by charging $0 if your overdraft is $50 or less or if your overdraft is over $50, but you bring your balance to $0 or higher by the end of the next business day.

You don't have to keep a minimum balance, but if you don't carry at least a $1,500 daily balance or receive at least $500 in monthly direct deposits, Chase Total Checking costs $15 a month.

Its other checking account options are either focused on a specific age group. In some cases, they require much higher balances to waive fees or to be eligible.

Visit Chase | Read our full Chase Total Checking review.

Open a New Checking Account With Chase

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Chase Total Checking® Benefits

• Get a $400 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities; offer valid through 4/15/2026¹ <p>Offer not available to existing Chase checking customers, or those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years. You can receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last coupon enrollment date and only one bonus per account. Coupon is good for one-time use. To receive the bonus: 1) Open a new Chase Total Checking account, which is subject to approval; AND 2) Have your direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more made to this account within 90 days of coupon enrollment. Your direct deposit needs to be an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government. Person to Person payments (such as Zelle®) are not considered a direct deposit. Micro-deposits do not qualify as a direct deposit for the bonus. Micro-deposits are small deposits, typically less than $1, that are sent to your account to verify it is the correct account. After you have completed all the above requirements, we'll deposit the bonus in your new account within 15 days. To receive this bonus, the enrolled account must not be closed or restricted at the time of payout. Eligibility may be limited based on account ownership. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 1042-S, if applicable). Offer availability subject to change. Other Chase checking bonus offers may exist concurrently.</p>
• Access to more than 15,000 ATMs and more than 5,000 branches
• Monthly Service Fee as low as $0 when you meet qualifying electronic deposits or account balance minimums² <p>$15 Monthly Service Fee OR $0 with one of the following, each monthly statement period: </p> <p>$500+ in qualifying electronic deposits</p> <p> OR $1,500+ balance at the beginning of each day</p> <p> OR $5,000+&nbsp;average beginning day balance in this account, or in combination with any linked qualifying personal deposits or in investments</p><p class="">OR&nbsp;Link this account to a qualifying checking account</p>
• Member FDIC

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Open an Account

Chase Secure Banking

The Chase Secure Banking account is a somewhat unique option from the big bank, offering the primary benefit of no overdraft fees. While this perk is commonly available with many of the best checking accounts, this is the only checking option from Chase, not for kids or students, that offers this feature across the board. This is designed to be a simple, everyday checking account for people who want to avoid overdrawing their balances, and it also provides the ability to get your paycheck up to two days early with direct deposit. Secure Banking lacks paper checks, too.

This account has a monthly service fee of $4.95, but you can avoid this by receiving at least $250 in qualifying electronic deposits each statement period. 

Compare Chase savings accounts

Chase only offers two savings accounts and you can access mobile and online banking with either one, as is the case with many of the best savings accounts. This allows for quick check deposits using the mobile app rather than visiting a branch or ATM. You can even access your savings account from a Chase ATM. I suggest linking a Chase savings account to a Chase checking account to prevent overdraft fees if your checking account includes it.

My favorite feature of the Chase savings accounts is Autosave, which allows you to set goals and fund them over time. Setting up an Autosave goal of at least $25 a month can help you avoid the $5 monthly service fee on the Chase Savings℠ account, while helping you reach your goals.

Chase CDs

Chase Bank offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs) with various term lengths and interest rates. Chase offers CDs with terms ranging from 1 month to 120 months.

Like most banks, if you withdraw funds before the CD expires, you'll pay a penalty. If your CD term is less than six months, you'll have to pay 90 days of interest on the amount withdrawn. If your term is six months to less than 24 months, you'll pay 180 days of interest on the amount withdrawn or 365 days of interest if your term is more than 24 months.

I suggest choosing a CD term you know you can leave untouched for the entire term. There's no sense in paying unnecessary penalties. If you aren't sure how long until you'll need the money, stick with a savings account until you have a clearer picture.

Benefits of banking with Chase

Easy access to branches and ATMs

Chase Bank is one of the largest banks in the country and has branches or ATMs in every state except Alaska and Hawaii (there is only one Chase ATM available in the entire state of HI). People who travel frequently can find a branch or ATM to use just about anywhere, which can cut down on ATM fees. You can also use the Chase mobile app to access your money, deposit checks, and pay bills. I love the convenience they offer, while combining the benefits of in-person and online banking.

Overdraft protection

Although Chase charges an overdraft fee of $34, it provides options to avoid overdrafts.

• No overdraft fees on transactions of $5 or less
• If you activate Overdraft Assist℠, there's no overdraft fee for transactions less than $50
• No overdraft fees on overdrafts over $50 that you cover by the end of the next business day

You also have the option to enable Overdraft Protection coverage. This links your Chase Savings account to your checking account. If you have enough in your savings account, Chase will automatically transfer the amount needed for the overdraft protection without a fee. If there isn't enough in your savings account to cover the transaction, overdraft fees may apply.

I always recommend looking into your overdraft protection options and choosing the one that makes the most sense or turning off the option to approve overdrafts. The fees can add up faster than you think.

Welcome bonuses

Chase frequently offers sign-up bonuses or promotions to attract new customers. You must meet the account requirements, which vary by promotion to qualify. You can receive a new bonus every 24 months, but only one per account.

For example, they are currently running a $300 sign up bonus if you open a new Chase Total Checking^® account and make direct deposits of at least $500 within 90 days (offer valid through 10/15/2025).

Alternatives to Chase Bank

Although Chase Bank may work well for some people, other options are available.

U.S. Bank

Like Chase, U.S. Bank has many physical locations and charges monthly maintenance fees on its checking account, which offer ways to waive them. Its fees are comparable to Chase's and it offers an Overdraft Fee Forgiven program that waives overdraft fees if your account balance, excluding the overdraft fee, is at least $0 by the end of the day.

U.S. Bank offers a savings account that earns 0.05% (as of 11/05/25), similar to Chase, but it also has a checking account that accumulates interest called U.S. Bank Smartly^® Checking. While it's not much, it's a nice account feature — to learn more about U.S. Bank Smartly^® Checking, visit U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank also offers CD accounts starting at a minimum balance of $500 and varying interest rates depending on term length.

Read our full U.S. Bank review.

SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi® is online-only, so there are no physical branches to visit. SoFi Checking and Savings accounts earn considerably more interest than Chase accounts, up to 3.30% APY on savings account balances with direct deposit and 0.50% APY for checking with direct deposit.³ <p>Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a></p> SoFi is a Member, FDIC⁴ <p><b style="font-family: Rubik, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;">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.&nbsp;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&nbsp;<a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms</a>. See list of participating banks at <a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks</a>.</b></p> and has no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees.⁵ <p>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 <a href="http://sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/">sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/</a></p>

SoFi uses the All-Point Network, which provides access to more than 55,000 ATMs nationwide without fees⁶ <p>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 may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.</p> . Customers who set up a qualifying direct deposit don't need to worry about overdraft fees on overdrafts of up to $50⁷ <p>Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website.</p> , and you can earn cash back when using the SoFi debit card.

Visit SoFi or read our full SoFi Checking and Savings review.

FAQs

Bottom line

Using Chase Bank is a good option for people who want a well-established, safe place to keep their money. While you will likely find significantly better interest rates on savings at other banks, Chase Bank is a good place for everyday banking and a safe place to keep any cash you want immediate access to for emergencies. It even made our list of the best checking accounts for young professionals. 

Before you choose a bank, research the account options available and be sure you understand the associated fees, disclosures, and requirements for each account.