Banking Checking Accounts

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking Review [2025]: Best for Bonuses

The U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account offers relationship benefits and unique perks, but it probably stands out most for its welcome bonuses.

Updated April 9, 2025
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2025 award winner Best for Bonuses

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking

OUR VIEW

The U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account is a solid standard checking account from a brick-and-mortar bank. Like most checking accounts, it pays almost no interest (0.001%-0.005% (as of Jan. 31, 2025) depending on the balance, to be exact). But it does tend to offer impressive welcome bonuses, plus complimentary access to Greenlight and relationship banking perks if your balance qualifies.

In this review of U.S. Bank Smartly Checking, we dig into what makes this account stand out and what makes it fall flat, as well as who we most recommend it for.

Pros

Overdraft protection options to help mitigate fees1
Branch presence makes it a good fit for those who frequently deposit cash
Mobile app has budgeting features that could eliminate the need for a separate budgeting app
Member FDIC for peace of mind

Cons

Charges overdraft fees in certain circumstances
$6.95 monthly maintenance fee, but can be waived if you meet direct deposit requirements or if you’re in certain customer groups (seniors age 65 and older, military personnel, age 24 or younger) 2
Only open to prospects in 26 states
How we evaluate products

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking details

Annual percentage yield (APY) 0.001%-0.005% (as of Jan. 31, 2025)3
Minimum deposit requirement $25
Monthly maintenance fees $6.95 (can be waived)21
Overdraft fees
  • $36 for each overdraft paid
  • Fee is charged when the overdraft item is $5.01 or more and your negative balance is $50.01 or more
Number of branches 2,000+ branches in 27 states4
ATM access
  • 40,000+ ATMs
  • Fee for using a non-U.S. Bank ATM: $2.50
FDIC insured Up to $250,000

Who is U.S. Bank Smartly Checking best for?

Two groups will benefit most from a Bank Smartly Checking account:

  • People who live near a branch and value having that access
  • People who qualify for a promotional bonus U.S. Bank is offering (more details on qualifying below)

First, while I aim to never set foot in a bank, I know other folks need to deposit cash or otherwise value face-to-face interactions. So if one's convenient to you, I'd consider applying to open a checking account.

It's not a great account for earning interest, but checking accounts generally aren't. For example, I think SoFi®'s 0.50% (as of 01/24/25) APY on its checking account (if you have direct deposit) is a pretty good rate.5

Let's face it — it's a hassle to change banks, especially if you like to put bills on autopay. Which is why I needed a bonus to nudge me into taking action and moving my banking. U.S. Bank frequently offers bonuses for opening this account, though the amount and exact requirements vary.

Account features and benefits

Smart Rewards®

When you have a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account, one of the top advantages it gives you is access to the U.S. Bank Smart Rewards® program. 

As the name indicates, the Smart Rewards Program rewards you for your account balances. U.S. Bank will consider more than just your checking account balance, though. It will also factor for checking, savings, money market, CD, and IRS accounts, along with U.S. Bancorp investments and certain personal trust accounts.

Here are some of the benefits Smart Rewards offers and the balances you need to qualify for each tier:

Primary Plus Premium Pinnacle
Minimum total qualifying balances $20,000 $50,000 $100,000 $250,000
Monthly maintenance fees waived Yes Yes Yes Yes
ATM fees waived First two non-U.S. Bank ATM fees waived First four non-U.S. Bank ATM fees waived All non-U.S. Bank fees waived All non-U.S. Bank fees waived
Overdraft fees waived N/A N/A One overdraft Paid Fee waived per statement period All overdraft fees waived
Savings interest rate lift 5% 10% 15% 15%
Discount on Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) annual fee $25 off $50 off No annual fee No annual fee

There are additional benefits in addition to these, such as complimentary consultations with wealth management professionals for members of any tier, IRA fee waivers, and exclusive cash back on qualifying U.S. Bank credit cards. If you're interested in relationship banking because you want perks for different account types and special treatment for sticking with a bank, the Smart Rewards program would probably appeal to you.

Greenlight access

All U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account holders get complimentary access to Greenlight kids' debit cards and banking services through a partnership between the companies. If you take advantage of this offer, and you should if you have kids and want to teach them money management and financial literacy skills, you'll be given a Greenlight Select plan. This isn't a membership tier available to the general public, but it most closely resembles the base Greenlight Core plan (which normally costs $5.99 a month).

You'll need to link a U.S. Bank checking account as your preferred account for funding. Greenlight Select supports up to five kids.

Overdraft options

Unfortunately, U.S. Bank charges overdraft paid fees when it covers overdrafts on your behalf. So, if you tend to run your checking account pretty low, you may want to opt out of overdraft coverage with U.S. Bank to have overdrawn transactions automatically declined. Alternatively, you can choose a different checking account that doesn't have overdraft fees at all. SoFi® and Discover both have checking accounts with no overdraft fees.6

That said, U.S. Bank has an Overdraft Fee Forgiven program. If you deposit enough to bring your balance up to at least $0 by the end of the first day you're charged a fee, you won't pay the fee. This is fairly standard practice in banking today but better than no flexibility.

Pro tip
You can also link another account, like a savings account, to cover transactions that overdraw your checking account.

Monthly maintenance fees

There's a $6.95 monthly service fee. It's possible to waive this fee if you meet certain criteria, but it would be better if you didn't have to worry about a service charge at all. Especially since many banks and fintech companies have gotten away from service fees altogether.2

Moving money

I've been able to move money into and out of my Bank Smartly Checking Account with no problems. I've done external transfers, but U.S. Bank also offers Zelle transfers and mobile check deposits using U.S. Bank's mobile app. And the mobile app is pretty user-friendly and has some useful features like tracking your spending.

Mobile app

The U.S. Bank Mobile Banking app has a rating of 4.8 out of 5, with over 1.8 million reviews in the App Store. On Google Play, the U.S. Bank mobile app has a 4.7 out of 5 rating with over 450,000 ratings. I agree with that assessment. It's a solid app, but it hasn't changed my life or anything.

Welcome bonus requirements

Smartly Checking may be known for its welcome bonuses, but be sure to read the fine print on any offer before you put in an account application.

In general, bonus offers are paid based on how much you direct deposit in a certain time period, the balance you have over a certain time period, or both. You may also need to open a savings account.

One key factor to consider is the type of direct deposits you receive. Typically, only employer and government benefit direct deposits count, but some banks may allow other deposits to qualify.

You'll also have a specific timeframe to meet the bonus qualifications, so be sure to note that as well.

Here's the fine print on U.S. Bank's current offer, for example:

  • Earn up to $400 when you open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account and complete qualifying activities

    • To qualify, you need to enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking within 90 days of opening your account
    • You also need to make two or more direct deposits totaling $3,000 to $4,999.99 to earn $200, or $5,000 or more to earn $400.
  • Paychecks and deposits of government benefits count
  • Fund your new account within 30 days to start qualifying activities
  • Other electronic deposits or person-to-person payments don't count
  • You must open an account by May 6, 2025, with a minimum deposit of $25 online to qualify 
  • It's not available if you live outside of the U.S. Bank footprint (see states served by U.S. Bank below)
  • May not be available if you're a current U.S. Bank or State Farm customer
  • U.S. Bank branches

    You can apply for a Bank Smartly Checking account if you live in U.S. Bank's branch network. States with U.S. Bank branches include:

    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Mexico
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Washington
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming

    FAQs

    Is U.S. Bank a good bank to use?

    U.S. Bank is fine. It's a traditional bank with standard account options. It does offer services beyond banking like personal loans and mortgages, if you're the type that likes all their financial accounts in one place.

    Are U.S. Bank accounts safe?

    Yes, eligible U.S. Bank accounts provide FDIC insurance of up to $250,000. That includes checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, IRAs, and more. Note that certain investment products that aren't deposits, such as mutual funds and stocks, aren't covered by FDIC insurance.

    Why would U.S. Bank deny me a checking account?

    If U.S. Bank denied you for a checking account, you might have negative information on your checking account report. Many banks and credit unions use reports from checking account screening companies, such as Early Warning Services, to help with application screening processes.

    You can typically check these reports and dispute any information you believe to be inaccurate.

    Bottom line

    I have no complaints about my U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account. It does its job. And the bonus I earned when I qualified definitely came in handy. If you see a bonus for opening a U.S. Bank account, review the criteria carefully, and if you meet them, I'd consider submitting an application.

    If this account doesn't seem like the right fit for you, though, check out our list of the best banks to find an account that makes more sense for you.

    Learn More
    4.3
    info
    Financebuzz awards badge

    2025 award winner Best for Bonuses

    Overdraft protection options to help mitigate fees1
    Branch presence makes it a good fit for those who frequently deposit cash
    Mobile app has budgeting features that could eliminate the need for a separate budgeting app
    Member FDIC for peace of mind