Six Easiest Checking Accounts To Open Online in 2024 for Free

Banking is a part of modern life that's often synonymous with bureaucracy. And perhaps no part of banking has traditionally been more complicated than the very act of opening a checking account itself, filled with all its stringent requirements, waiting times, and fine print!

It should come as no surprise, then, that more people than ever before are looking for a quick and easy way to open a checking account. And in 2024, as more and more of our financial lives rest on the internet, fintech platforms like Chime®, Current, and many more are increasingly easy to do so.

In this guide, we detail six of the easiest checking accounts to open online in 2024, providing our assessments of each along the way.

The Easiest Checking Accounts To Open Online

Before we look at the rankings, it's worth trying to understand what we mean by a bank account being 'easy' to open. Simply put, the ease of opening a new bank account is contingent on four overarching factors:

1. Ease of application: This relates to how to open a bank account. For example, opening a bank account online or over the phone tends to be far more accessible than in person at a bank branch. Also relevant are how many IDs and documents you must submit, contracts you must sign, or tests you must undergo to open your account.
2. Speed of verification: Once you've applied for a bank account, your application is not guaranteed to be approved. (That being said, if you're eligible to open the account you're applying for, have all your documents in order, and aren't a fugitive, your application will probably be approved!) Verification speed varies dramatically from bank to bank, with some automated processes taking just seconds and longer manual verifications taking days or weeks.
3. No opening deposit: Some banks require opening deposits. Others have penalties if you do not keep your balances over a certain threshold. The accounts we review in this guide neither have opening deposit nor minimum deposit requirements.
4. No credit check: If banks issue lines of credit, overdraft facilities, or other forms of debit, they will often pull a hard credit check on your credit history, which can negatively impact your credit score. Banks can reject your application for an account if your credit score is below their internal requirements.

Our Rankings of Easy Online Checking Accounts With Mobile Deposit

Here is our easy-to-compare ranking of the best, no-hassle US checking accounts to open online for free. All of the accounts in this guide come with excellent mobile apps that accept bank transfers and direct deposits.

6 Free Online Checking Accounts With No Opening Deposit and No Credit Check

In the rankings below, we've provided broad information about the ease of application and verification speed for various banks and fintech providers to help you decide which bank account might be easiest to open for you.

So, without further ado, here are our rankings for the six easiest bank accounts to open online in 2024:

Founded in 2013, Chime® is one of the most popular mobile financial apps and debit cards in the US, as its 12 million customers can attest. You can open an account online through Chime in just two minutes with no credit check or minimum balance.

Once you're signed up, Chime will charge you no monthly fees¹ and give you a panel of features, including overdraft on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals⁵ offered via a special optional service called SpotMe®.

Chime also provides free in-network ATM withdrawals¹ and offers APY of 2.00% via its Chime Savings Account³ (to open this, you need to have opened a Chime Checking Account). There are a few downsides, most notably the fact that you won't be able to send or receive wire transfers, and you can pay a lot in fees if you need to add cash to the app. On the whole, though, Chime offers simple online checking that's well-liked by its users, and if you're looking for a mobile financial app and you don't need an extensive list of features, we believe that Chime is probably the best choice you could make.

To learn more, see our Chime review or visit their website.

UK-based fintech giant Revolut is growing increasingly popular in the US. Revolut is not a licensed bank in the US; instead, it operates as an electronic money institution.

Revolut offers a mobile checking account and debit card in partnership with Metropolitan Commercial Bank and its savings and APY with Sutton Bank. On top of a host of personal finance features like early direct deposit, free ATM withdrawals or an interest-earning savings account, you can open junior accounts. Revolut also offers many internationally-oriented features, like ten free foreign transfers a month, free foreign exchange up to $1,000 a month, and the ability to hold a balance in foreign currencies, making it a good choice for those who frequently travel abroad.

For more information, see our Revolut review.

Exceedingly cheap to use — even when travelling abroad — and offering solid functionality with the peace of mind afforded by a reputable financial institution, Capital One's 360 Checking Account is one of the easiest bank accounts to open and provides US residents with a cheap, accessible and online way to bank. What's more, the application process is quick and can be done entirely online.

For more information, see our Capital One review or visit their website.

Current’s checking account doesn’t have as much functionality as some other banks in this ranking, so if you’re looking to make use of its premium features, it might be worth weighing other options before subscribing to the paid plan, especially if their rewards program doesn’t seem to offer much in your area. There’s one area where we think Current as the edge, however: if you’re looking to open a monitored account for your teens, they’re one of the better options.

See our Current review or visit their website to learn more.

You might be familiar with Wise if you often need to send or receive money abroad. Formerly known as TransferWise, this UK-based fintech made its name by enabling cheap and fast international money transfers, bypassing traditional SWIFT transfers — which makes it a frequently featured player in Monito’s comparison engine!

Aside from its money transfer product, Wise also offers a multi-currency account, which comes with a debit MasterCard. Its main feature is that it allows you to hold money in more than 50 currencies and gives you account details for 10 of them, including USD, EUR or GBP (though note that you will have to pay a small fee actually to exchange money).

To learn more, read our Wise Account review or visit their website.

Focused on immigrants and newcomers, Majority is a secure digital banking platform that offers multi-lingual support to its clients via a powerful mobile app with international calling features to help them connect with family back home and low-cost international transfers.

One reason why we highly recommend Majority is because you can open an account without a social security number or ITIN. Instead, you will need to show proof of US residential address and a government-issued ID (can be issued from your home country).

Just take note that “Know Your Customer” (KYC) laws require Majority to verify your identity. If you use fraudulent ID cards or social security numbers associated with multiple dates of birth, your application will be rejected. Also refrain from using Voice over IP (VoIP) phone numbers, which are assigned to a user but not to a physical location.

A great option for residents in the United States and those who get paid in US dollars, Majority is a debit card and checking account for foreigners that we recommend, especially for newcomers to the US and those with family living abroad.

For more information, see our Majority review or visit their website.

Disclaimers

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Credit Builder card issued by Stride Bank, N.A.

¹ Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over-the-counter advance fees may apply. See here for details.

² To apply for Credit Builder, you must have received a single qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more to your Chime Checking Account. The qualifying direct deposit must be from your employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, or benefits payer by Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposit OR Original Credit Transaction (OCT). Bank ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, verification or trial deposits from financial institutions, peer to peer transfers from services such as PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash loads or deposits, one-time direct deposits, such as tax refunds and other similar transactions, and any deposit to which Chime deems to not be a qualifying direct deposit are not qualifying direct deposits.

³ The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change anytime. The disclosed APY is effective as of September 20, 2023. No minimum balance is required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest.

⁴ On-time payment history can have a positive impact on your credit score. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Results may vary.

⁵ SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no-interest/no-fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account available to qualifying members with an active Chime Credit Builder Account. SpotMe on Debit is an optional, no-fee overdraft service attached to the Chime Checking Account available to qualifying members after Visa debit card activation. Both SpotMe on Credit and SpotMe on Debit are sometimes collectively referred to as "SpotMe" or, if you have signed up to use SpotMe with only one account, "SpotMe" means the elected service. To qualify for SpotMe, you must receive $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account monthly. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or Secured Deposit Account (associated with your Chime Credit Builder credit card) up to $20 but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. The SpotMe limit will be displayed within the Chime mobile app and is subject to change at any time, at Chime’s sole discretion. Although Chime does not charge any overdraft fees for SpotMe, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe Debit Terms and Conditions and SpotMe on Credit Terms and Conditions.