Chase Bank Review [2023]: How Much Can I Earn?

Chase Bank is one of the largest banks in the U.S. by asset holdings and has branches in almost every U.S. state, as well as international locations. It has a variety of products and accounts to choose from and a solid financial footing to help you rest easy about the safety of your money. But Chase also charges monthly account fees and offers low interest rates on savings compared to other banks.

Because of this, we recommend Chase Bank for people looking for an easy-to-access bank with a solid checking account but who aren’t concerned with earning as much interest as possible on their savings.

Keep reading this Chase Bank review to learn more about the company, what it offers, and if it’s the right bank for you.

Key takeaways

• Chase Bank is the largest bank in the United States by asset holdings.
• It offers a good basic checking and savings account if customers can maintain the minimum daily balance or deposit requirements to avoid fees.
• There are over 4,700 Chase branches and more than 15,000 ATMs nationwide.
• Chase only offers a standard interest rate of 0.01% (as of May 31, 2023) APY on all balances for its standard savings account and 0.01%-0.02% (as of Aug. 4, 2023) on its Premier Savings account.
• Chase charges a $34 overdraft fee per transaction up to three times daily ($102 total) if you’re overdrawn $50 or more unless you meet certain conditions.

Chase Bank overview

Chase Bank is the largest bank in the U.S., holding $3.38 trillion in total assets as of 2022. It is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, a financial services company with roots dating back to 1799. Chase Bank was founded in 1955 as Chase Manhattan Bank and has evolved through the decades to become simply Chase Bank.

Chase Bank is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) member, and all of its deposit accounts are insured for up to $250,000 per depositor. In 2022, Chase Bank ranked second among J.D. Power’s National Banking Satisfaction Study and was named one of the Time100 Most Influential Companies in 2023. Chase Bank's financial stability was a key factor in its purchase of First Republic Bank after its collapse in the first half of 2023.

Since Chase is such an established bank, its checking and savings accounts are a good option for people worried about bank stability and easy access.

Branches are generally easy to find, and multiple account options are available, including checking, savings, CDs, mortgages, car loans, credit cards, business checking accounts and other options, and private banking, among others. While Chase does have account fees on many of their products, you may be able to get them waived by meeting specific criteria.

Chase Total Checking

Annual percentage yield (APY)	0% (as of Aug. 29, 2023)
Minimum deposit requirement	$0
Monthly maintenance fees	$12 or $0 if you meet specific criteria2 1
ATM access	More than 15,000 ATMs and more than 4,700 branches nationwide
FDIC insured	Yes

The Chase Total Checking account has many features that you’ll find with some of the best checking accounts. It allows for early direct deposit, online bill pay, and links to Zelle to easily allow you to send and receive money from others.The Total Checking account also provides Zero Liability Protection, which reimburses customers for unauthorized debit card transactions if reported promptly.

You won't earn interest with the Chase Total Checking account, and you will pay a $12 monthly account fee unless you set up a direct deposit of $500 or more, such as your paycheck or government benefits. The account fee can also be waived if you maintain a daily balance of $1,500 or an average daily balance of $5,000 in combination with other qualifying Chase accounts.

In addition to the Total Checking account, Chase also offers different types of checking accounts.

Chase checking account comparison

Checking account	Type of account	APY	Monthly fee
Chase Secure Banking	Basic checking with no overdraft fees but does not support check writing or wire transfers	0% (as of Aug. 23, 2023)	$4.95 fixed fee
Chase Premier Plus Checking	Interest bearing checking account	0.01% (as of Aug. 4, 2023)	$25, waived if minimum balance over $15,000 or other criteria are met
Chase First Banking	Kids aged 6-17 when a parent has a qualifying Chase checking account	0% (as of Aug. 23, 2023)	$0
Chase High School Checking	For students aged 13-17 with a parent or guardian as a co-owner and linked to the parent’s Chase checking account	0% (as of Aug. 23, 2023)	$0
Chase College Checking	College Students aged 17-24 with proof of student status	0% (as of Aug. 23, 2023)	$6, waived for up to five years if attending college or with a qualifying direct deposit into the account
Chase Sapphire Banking	Premier checking with fewer fees, including less frequent overdraft fees	0.01% (as of Aug. 4, 2023)	$25, but can be waived with a daily account balance of $75,000 across qualifying banking and investment accounts
Chase Private Client Checking	Priority service with fewer fees, higher daily transaction limits and access to a private banker and other premium features	0.01% (as of Aug. 4, 2023)	$35 but can be waived with a daily account balance of $150,000 across qualifying banking and investment accounts

Chase Savings

Annual percentage yield (APY)	0.01% (as of May 31, 2023)
Minimum deposit requirement	$0
Monthly maintenance fees	$5, or $0 if you meet specific criteria
ATM access	Yes
FDIC insured	Yes

Using a Chase Savings account can be a good option for cash that you want to have immediately available. However, you won’t earn much interest on funds in a Chase Savings account. Chase pays just 0.01% (as of May 31, 2023) interest on all balance levels for its Chase Savings account, compared to the national average of 0.45% (as of Sep. 20, 2023).

Customers can access mobile and online banking with just a Chase Savings bank account, which allows for quick deposit of checks using the mobile app rather than visiting a branch or ATM. You can even access your savings account from a Chase ATM. Customers can also easily link to a Chase checking account, which can help you prevent overdraft fees if Overdraft Protection is enabled.

Using a Chase Savings account also provides you access to 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, as can keeping a daily balance of $300 or more in the account.

Chase Premier Savings

Annual percentage yield (APY)	0.01%-0.02% (as of Aug. 4, 2023)
Minimum deposit requirement	$0
Monthly maintenance fees	$25 or $0 if you meet account requirements
ATM access	Yes
FDIC insured	Yes

Chase’s Premier Savings account provides the basic features of its regular savings account with the possibility of a little more. You may qualify for a higher interest rate if you link your savings account to one of Chase’s premium checking accounts (known as a relationship rate) and make at least five customer-initiated transactions within a statement period. Otherwise, you just earn the same rate as a Chase Savings account.

Premier Savings also provides the same access to online and mobile banking, Autosave, and quick deposit through the Chase Mobile app. And customers also have access to their savings accounts through Chase’s network of ATMs.

The $25 monthly fee may be waived if you maintain a daily balance of $15,000 or more or link to a Chase Sapphire or Chase Premier Plus Checking account. The account may be subject to other fees for wire transfers, money orders, stop payments, or other services.

Chase CDs

Annual percentage yield (APY)	0.01%-4.50% (as of Aug. 4, 2023)
Minimum deposit requirement	$1,000
Monthly maintenance fees	$0, but you will be charged a fee for early withdrawal
ATM access	No
FDIC insured	Yes

Chase Bank offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs) with various term lengths and interest rates. If you have $100,000 to invest in a CD for six months, you may earn a higher interest rate. However, if you have less than $100,000 or only the minimum required balance of $1,000, you’ll earn a lower interest rate.

Chase offers CDs with terms ranging from 1 month to 120 months. As of Aug. 22, 2023, 6-month CDs have the highest CD rate.

If you need to withdraw funds before the set term of your CD is complete, 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.

What we like about Chase Bank

Easy access to branches and ATMs

Chase Bank is one of the biggest 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, and the Chase mobile app can make it even easier to access your money, deposit checks, and pay bills.

Overdraft protection

Although Chase charges an overdraft fee of $34, with a maximum of three charged per day (up to $102 total per day), the bank also provides options to help you avoid overdrafts in the first place.

Chase won't charge an overdraft fee if a purchase is less than $5. It also won’t charge a fee if you overdraw your account by less than $50 or if it’s more than $50 and you can cover the negative amount with a deposit or transfer before the end of the next business day.

Customers can also enable Overdraft Protection coverage, which 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.

What Chase Bank could improve

Low interest rates

Chase offers interest rates well below the national average on their savings accounts and most CDs. While using Chase may be convenient, you can likely earn significantly more at some of the best banks online, especially when interest rates are high.

Multiple fees

Chase accounts have monthly maintenance fees, and Chase also charges fees for other services like money orders, wire transfers, using a non-Chase ATM, withdrawing cash from a bank other than Chase, stop payments, and cashier's checks, among others. These are fees that other banks charge as well, however.

Although customers can avoid many fees, you may need to jump through some hoops to ensure you’re not paying more than you need to.

Who is Chase Bank best for?

Chase Bank is best for people who want to bank in person from pretty much anywhere. While there are fees, and you won't earn as much interest as you would at other banks, Chase offers convenience and easy access for frequent travelers by having more than 15,000 ATMs and 4,700 branches available. Customers can also complete their banking needs online or through their highly rated mobile app.

Chase Bank may also be a good fit for those concerned with the stability of the financial institutions in the U.S., especially after bank failures in the first part of 2023. By many measures, Chase is the largest bank in the United States, including by assets held, and is highly unlikely to encounter many of the problems that a smaller specialty or regional bank may face.

How to open an account with Chase Bank

Opening an account with Chase Bank is simple and can be done entirely online. You’ll need to provide some basic information, like your full name, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification, and contact information like your phone number, email, and mailing address.

1. Start by clicking the green Open an Account button on chase.com:

If you are an existing Chase account holder, you can open a new account by logging in to the Chase website and selecting the account you want to open.

2. Provide your full name, birthday, email address, phone number, and street address.

3. Answer whether you are a U.S. citizen.

4. Provide your Social Security number.

5. Use your driver’s license or state ID to verify your identity.

6. Authorize Chase to request verification of your identity.

7. Select the account you want to open and your preferences.

8. Complete the application and hit submit. Depending on the account you want to open, you may receive instant verification or wait for Chase to approve your account.

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 may be waived. Its fees tend to be comparable to Chase’s fees, 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 0.01% (as of May 31, 2023), similar to Chase, but it also has a checking account that accumulates interest. While it's not much, it’s a nice account feature. U.S. Bank also offers CD accounts starting at a minimum balance of $500 and varying interest rates depending on term length.

Visit U.S. Bank

SoFi Checking/Savings

SoFi is an online-only bank, so there are no physical branches to visit. Its checking and savings accounts earn considerably more interest than Chase accounts, up to 4.50% (as of Aug. 2, 2023) on savings account balances with direct deposit and 0.50% (as of Aug. 2, 2023) for checking with direct deposit. SoFi is FDIC insured and has no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees.⁵

SoFi uses the All-Point Network, which provides access to more than 55,000 ATMs nationwide without fees. Customers who set up a qualifying direct deposit don’t need to worry about overdraft fees on overdrafts of up to $50, and you can earn cash back when using the SoFi debit card.

Read our full SoFi Checking and Savings review.

FAQ

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.

Before you sign up with any bank, research the account options available and be sure you understand the associated fees, disclosures, and requirements for each account.

Disclaimer: All fees are accurate as of August 29, 2023, unless otherwise noted.