Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Review [2025]: Lots of Branches, Lots of Fees

Wells Fargo Everyday Checking basics

Who Wells Fargo Everyday Checking is right for

If the convenience of visiting an in-person branch is your biggest priority and you already have a Wells Fargo location near you, then the Wells Fargo Everyday Checking might be a perfect fit. That's particularly true if you don't care about how much it costs; chances are you'll end up paying more bank fees with a Wells Fargo Everyday Checking account than many of the best checking accounts out there.

Even though Wells Fargo's main benefit is its in-person service, it's not as widely available as you might think. It only operates branches in 36 states with a noticeable gap in the northeastern U.S. and along the Mississippi River. It's also better for people who don't use ATMs as much when out and about since its 11,000-strong ATM network is about a third to a fifth the size of other banks that partner up with more established ATM networks like Allpoint and Co-op.

Account features and benefits

Branch access

The main thing Wells Fargo offers that sets it apart from other banks is a ton of brick-and-mortar locations: 4,227 branches, to be exact. Aside from Chase Bank (4,970 branches) and Bank of America (3,669 branches), no other bank comes close. Banking entirely online has become more of the norm over the years, but 8% of people still visited an in-person branch last year, according to a survey from the American Bankers Association.

Sign-up bonuses

Wells Fargo, like most big banks, often runs promotions where you can get a cash bonus when you sign up for a new account and meet certain requirements. The details are always changing, but as of May 2025, you can earn up to $325 if you open a new Everyday Checking account and receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits within the first 90 days.

Mobile app experience

One thing Wells Fargo does get good marks on is its mobile banking app — ironic for a bank whose main value proposition is in-person service. According to J.D. Power's 2024 banking app survey, Wells Fargo's mobile app isn't terrible, ranking as solidly "average" when compared with other banks. Reviews on the app stores are even better with a near-five-star rating. Aside from basic checking account management, you can also use the app for things like checking your FICO score.

Early payday

More and more banks have been offering early direct deposit over the past few years, allowing you to access your paycheck up to two days early. It's nice that Wells Fargo offers this too. It's something, but don't think you can't get it elsewhere, either.

Drawbacks

Limited ATM network

Wells Fargo's network of 11,000 ATMs sounds impressive until you consider that other banks and credit unions offer three to five times that number. Maybe there are convenient machines located near you, but given this smaller footprint, there's no guarantee you'll find a fee-free ATM if you need cash somewhere else. Otherwise, Wells Fargo will charge you a $3 ATM fee to use other machines nationwide and $5 for international ATM withdrawals.

Fee-heavy structure

Like most big banks, Wells Fargo charges a lot of fees for its accounts: monthly fees, the aforementioned ATM fees, overdraft fees, etc. It's true that you can avoid the mandatory fees by meeting certain waiver requirements (like keeping $500 parked in your checking account). Even if you're good about remembering this each and every month, what happens if you run into a cash flow crunch? You'd be charged a fee, adding insult to injury amid everything else going on.

Consumer complaints

It's easier to find reviews from unhappy customers online than it is from happy ones. Since the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau began tracking customer complaints in 2017, nearly 30,000 people have filed official complaints against Wells Fargo's checking accounts. The bank has also been subject to many more lawsuits and government actions over the years than other banks, sometimes for serious violations against its own customers.

Limited availability in some regions

Wells Fargo has one of the largest branch networks nationwide, second only to Chase Bank. Even so, it's still not available everywhere. It only operates in 36 states, so if you live in certain states along the Mississippi from Michigan to Louisiana or in the Northeast, you're out of luck.

Wells Fargo customer service

Wells Fargo offers three main ways to get in touch if you need help with your account.

• In person: In a local branch location
• Phone: 1-800-TO-WELLS
• Live chat: Look for the red button with the comment icon in the lower-right of your screen when on Wells Fargo's website.

Wells Fargo customer reviews

Wells Fargo is not particularly well-known for creating happy customers; in fact, it's the opposite. It consistently gets rock-bottom scores every year in J.D. Power's annual survey of customer satisfaction. Reviews on independent sites also back that up, like on Trustpilot where it maintains a 1.2-star rating with over 1,300 reviews. Nearly 30,000 people have filed official complaints against Wells Fargo checking accounts with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2017.

The final bit you should know: Wells Fargo has been subject to numerous government actions in the past few years, paying billions of dollars for things like fraudulently opening accounts in people's names, charging too many fees, and not providing adequate security protections for people's deposits.

Alternatives

If you're willing to skip the physical branches and head online, you can find a wondrous world of better banking benefits and fewer charges among the best checking accounts with no monthly fees. In today's modern age, there's not really any reason why anyone should be paying a monthly fee, in my opinion.

SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi® offers a two-part online account package with a checking and savings account, and it's much better than the Wells Fargo checking and savings accounts (which also charges a minimum $5 monthly fee, by the way). SoFi offers a highly competitive annual percentage yield (APY) on all of your money — that's checking and savings — with even higher rates if you maintain a monthly direct deposit¹ <p>SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus">https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus</a>.</p> . Any direct deposit amount counts, too, unlike the $500 minimum required just to keep Wells Fargo from charging you a fee.

Reach Your Savings Goals Faster

5.0

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.

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

SoFi Checking and Savings Benefits

• Earn up to 3.80% APY¹ <p>SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus">https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus</a>.</p> and collect up to a $300 cash bonus with direct deposit or $5,000 or more in qualifying deposits² <p>New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/banking/">sofi.com/banking</a>. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.</p><p>SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.80% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement.&nbsp;Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet" >http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>.</p>
• No account, overdraft, or monthly fees³ <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>
• Get your paycheck up to two days early⁴ <p>Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.</p>
• Access additional FDIC insurance up to $3 million⁵ <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>

5.0

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 with SoFi® here

Discover® Cashback Debit

Discover, like Wells Fargo, doesn't offer any interest on its checking account. But Discover does offer something more akin to credit card rewards, sans the credit card part: each month, you'll earn 1.00% cash back on up to $3,000 worth of debit card purchases.⁶ <p>See website for details.</p> The Discover Cash Back Checking account also offers six times as many ATMs as Wells Fargo and doesn't charge any fees⁷ <p>See <a href="https://www.discover.com/content/dam/dfs/online-banking/documents/NationalDepositAccountAgreement.pdf">Deposit Account Agreement</a> for details on transaction eligibility, limitations, and terms.</p> .

Rare Checking Account That Offers Cash Back

4.5

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.

2025 award winner Best Online Checking Account

Discover® Cashback Debit Benefits

• Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month⁶ <p>See website for details.</p>
• No minimum deposit, no minimum balance, and no account fees
• Easily switch direct deposit via the Discover mobile app or online for Early Pay (get your paycheck up to 2 days early!)
• 60K+ fee-free ATMs and make cash deposits at Walmart stores nationwide

4.5

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.

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FAQs

Bottom line

There's something to be said for in-person service. If you like to do your banking face-to-face with another human being on your lunch break, on the way to and from work, or while out running errands, Wells Fargo delivers on that front, provided you live nearby a branch location.

But you should know about the problems a Wells Fargo Everyday Checking account comes with. While it may be a convenient place to store your money, there are other banks and accounts out there that won't charge you for the privilege of doing so.

In general, I'd recommend taking a look at some of the checking accounts offered by the financial institutions that made our list of the best banks. You might have to do your banking online, but you'll get a much better bang for your buck.

Reach Your Savings Goals Faster

5.0

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.

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

SoFi Checking and Savings Benefits

• Earn up to 3.80% APY¹ <p>SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus">https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus</a>.</p> and collect up to a $300 cash bonus with direct deposit or $5,000 or more in qualifying deposits² <p>New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/banking/">sofi.com/banking</a>. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.</p><p>SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.80% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement.&nbsp;Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet" >http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>.</p>
• No account, overdraft, or monthly fees³ <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>
• Get your paycheck up to two days early⁴ <p>Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.</p>
• Access additional FDIC insurance up to $3 million⁵ <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>

5.0

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 with SoFi here