Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems in Illinois

SoFi doesn’t use ChexSystems and offers a no-fee checking and savings account with solid perks.

You can earn up to 3.30% APY on savings, access over 55,000 fee-free ATMs, and get paid up to two days early with direct deposit.

There are no overdraft fees, balance requirements, or monthly charges. You can also earn a sign-up bonus of up to $400 when you set up qualifying direct deposits.

Current doesn’t use ChexSystems or run credit checks, so approval is easy—even with a rough banking history.

There are no monthly fees, no minimum balance, and you get access to 40,000 fee-free ATMs.

You can also build credit by using your debit card—no loans, credit pulls, or interest charges.

Current includes fee-free overdraft protection up to $200 and lets you get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Optional Savings Pods earn up to 4.00% APY.

Chime doesn’t use ChexSystems or run credit checks, so anyone can open an account.

There’s no monthly fee, no minimum opening deposit, and access to over 47,000 fee-free ATMs.

You can also build credit with the Chime Card, a secured Visa credit card with no annual fees, no interest charges, and no credit check required.

Direct deposit users can get paid up to two days early, and cash deposits are free at over 8,500 Walgreens locations.

Stash offers a checking account that doesn’t require a credit check or ChexSystems approval, making it accessible if you’ve faced banking challenges in the past.

Each time you make eligible purchases with your Stash debit card, you can earn Stock-Back® rewards in the form of fractional shares.

You can also receive your paycheck sooner with early direct deposit, and there are no overdraft fees to worry about.

The account includes access to over 55,000 fee-free ATMs and is managed through the Stash app, which also features investing and money management tools.

Membership is open to individuals living, working, worshiping, or attending school in Bureau, Carroll, Henry, Lee, Ogle, Rock Island, or Whiteside County.

Checking accounts come with a free Mastercard debit card, unlimited check writing, and 24/7 access to online banking.

Advantage One has one branch in Illinois, located in Morrison.

Instead, they use TeleCheck, which may make it easier to get approved if your past banking issues are showing up in ChexSystems but not through check-related records.

Their Free Checking account has no monthly maintenance fee, no minimum balance requirement, and no extra requirements to keep the account open.

It also includes online and mobile banking, bill pay, mobile check deposit, a debit card, and access to fee-free ATMs.

Membership is open to people who live or work in St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, or Randolph County. Family members of eligible members may also qualify.

Branches are located in Swansea.

They offer a range of checking accounts, starting with Totally Free Checking, which requires a $50 minimum deposit.

This account does not have a minimum balance requirement or service fees, and account holders can write unlimited checks and use their debit card for purchases both online and in-store.

Other options include Basic Checking with Interest, which requires a $200 minimum deposit; Super Checking with Interest, which requires $2,500; and Preferred Checking with Interest, which requires $5,000.

Central Federal serves the areas of Cicero, Berwyn, and La Grange Park.

It offers four different checking accounts, with Regular Checking being one of the main options.

This account requires a minimum deposit of $50 to open and must maintain a balance of at least $500 to avoid a $5 monthly fee. However, the fee is waived if the account holder has a savings account with a minimum of $1,000.

Chester National Bank has four locations, serving Chester, Sparta (at West Broadway and Northtown Shopping Center), and Perryville.

Rather than relying on ChexSystems, Dupaco reviews your credit report when deciding whether to approve a new checking account.

Membership starts with a $25 deposit into a savings account. From there, members can open a checking account with access to debit card purchases, online banking, mobile banking, bill pay, and other everyday account tools.

In Illinois, membership is available to people who live or work in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Rock Island, Stephenson, or Whiteside County. Immediate family members of current members may also be eligible.

Branches are located in Galena.

Many accounts may come with service fees, but Momentum Checking is a free option with no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirement.

It also has features like unlimited check writing and Fifth Third Extra Time for avoiding overdraft fees.

Fifth Third operates 131 branches across Illinois, with locations in major cities like Aurora, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Cicero, Elgin, Evanston, Joliet, Naperville, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Rockford, Schaumburg, Skokie, and Waukegan.

They offer a few different checking options to their members: Totally Free Checking, Free Checking Plus Interest, Senior Checking, 1st Checking, and E-Account.

Both checking accounts are completely free, don’t require a minimum account balance, and only require a deposit of $10 to open.

Hegewisch has branch locations in Chicago, Calumet City, Frankfort, Homewood, Lansing, Lynwood, Oak Forest, and Tinley Park.

It offers several different personal checking options designed to meet your needs.

All accounts include 24/7 mobile and online access, remote deposit, online bill pay, free statements, and phone banking.

Debit cardholders can access over 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide.

GN Bank has two locations on South King Drive in Chicago.

If the applicant’s credit report has minimal negative entries, they may be approved.

R.I.A. offers four types of checking accounts: Smart Checking, Basic Checking, Business Checking, and Perks Checking.

Basic Checking allows 40 free checks per month, requires no minimum balance, and comes with a free debit card, as well as online and phone banking at no additional cost.

All accounts require a $25 initial deposit to open. R.I.A. Federal Credit Union has branches located in Rock Island, Moline, Savanna, Milan, and Silvis.

To be considered, the credit report must have minimal negative entries, and the applicant needs a credit score of at least 620 for potential approval.

They offer three checking account options: Beyond Free Checking, Beyond Interest Checking, and I-Check Checking. Beyond Free Checking requires an initial deposit of $200, but has no monthly fees.

All accounts include a free debit card, free online banking, free bill pay, free check printing, and a complimentary safe deposit box, regardless of which option you choose.