Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems in Kentucky

Features & Benefits

• Over 14.5 million downloads
• No credit check or ChexSystems
• No minimum opening deposit
• Over 60,000 fee-free¹ ATMs

With Chime®, bad banking history is not an issue. They offer an award-winning financial app, a debit card, and a credit builder Visa® credit card, all with no credit check.

The Chime Checking Account is 100% free and has no monthly fees:

• no monthly maintenance fees
• no foreign transaction fees
• no minimum balance fees

You can also start building your credit with the Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card. It’s a secured credit card with no annual fees, no credit checks, and no interest charges.

Chime has over 60,000¹ fee-free MoneyPass® and Visa® Plus Alliance ATMs. Plus, you can get your paycheck up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit². You can also deposit cash for free at over 8,500 Walgreens.

You can see why Chime is our #1 choice.

Features & Benefits

• No credit check or ChexSystems
• No minimum balance or hidden fees
• Fee-free overdraft up to $200 with Overdrive
• 40,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs in the U.S.
• Get paid up to 2 days faster

Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. The company does not use ChexSystems or pull your credit report, and they have a lot to offer.

A Current mobile bank account includes fee-free overdraft protection of up to $200. Account holders also get access to over 40,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs with your Current debit card, and there is no minimum balance or hidden fees.

You can also get paid up to two days early with direct deposit with a Current Premium account. Plus, Current offers up to 4.00% APY with Current Savings Pods.

Features & Benefits

• No minimum balance requirement
• No monthly fees
• No overdraft fees
• Visa debit card, iOS and Android mobile app
• Up to 2% cash back

Upgrade doesn’t pull your ChexSystems report, but they do look at your credit report.

The Upgrade Rewards Checking account has no monthly fees and no ATM fees. You’ll also get up to 2% cash back on everyday debit card purchases.

Upgrade reimburses up to five out-of-network ATM fees per month if you meet certain conditions.

Upgrade is partnered with Cross River Bank, Member FDIC, and your funds are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. With an Upgrade checking account, you can also get up to 20% lower rates on Upgrade loans and credit cards.

Abound offers a checking account for eligible applicants. To join, you must either live or work in a Fort Knox serviceable county. Serviceable counties include Boyle, Breckenridge, Grayson, Hart, LaRue, Meade, Nelson and Taylor County.

Applicants must make a minimum deposit of $15 into a savings account before they can begin using the second chance checking account.

Abound has locations in Bardstown, Bowling Green, Brandenburg, Campbellsville, Danville, Elizabethtown, Fort Knox, Hodgenville, Louisville, Radcliff, Shepherdsville, and Leitchfield.

Appalachian Community Federal offers second chance checking for people looking to repair their ChexSystems history. It only requires a $10 opening deposit and there is a $10 monthly service fee.

The account comes with free bill pay as well as free online access, and the free visa debit card enables users to access over 85,000 free ATMs via the nationwide network.

Appalachian Community has locations in Berea and McKee, Kentucky.

Aspiration’s Spend & Save Account is a hybrid checking and savings account that is entirely online. There’s a $10 minimum opening deposit to get started.

With an Aspiration debit card, you get unlimited fee-free withdrawals at over 55,000 ATMs and one out-of-network ATM reimbursement per month. You can also get paid up to two days early with direct deposit.

You can earn up to 5.00% APY when you spend $1,000/month and deposits are FDIC insured.

Instead of running a ChexSystems, Telecheck, or EWS report on new applications, Bank of Clarkson runs a credit report.

They offer four checking accounts: Better Than Free Checking, Regular Checking, Now Account, and VIP Club Checking. Better Than Free requires a $50 minimum deposit, but there isn’t an account minimum nor is there a monthly service fee.

Account holders can write an unlimited amount of free checks and access their account for free either online or over the phone.

Bank of Clarkson has locations both in Clarkson and Leitchfield.

Cecilian Bank offers a second chance checking account called Choice Opportunity Checking. It only requires a $50 minimum deposit.

There is a $10 monthly service fee, but if users sign up for direct deposit, the fee drops to $8. The account offers unlimited debit transactions and written checks. It also comes with a free Visa debit card, as well as free online and mobile banking.

Cecilian Bank has seventeen locations in the following areas:

• Cecilia
• Rineyville
• Elizabethtown
• Sonora
• Vine Grove
• Leitchfield
• Radcliff
• Brandenburg
• Hardinsburg
• Irvington

Centra offers second chance checking to members who first open an Opportunity Savings Account. Once the savings account is open with a minimum deposit of $5, members are then eligible for Opportunity Checking.

The account comes with a host of benefits. These include free online banking, a free debit card, overdraft protection, unlimited check writing, free phone banking, free electronic statements, and free automatic bill pay.

Centra has numerous locations in and around Louisville, Kentucky. To become a member, applicants must live, work, study, or worship in Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, or Trimble County.

Central Bank offers applicants second chance checking called Clean Start. It only requires an initial opening deposit of $10 and there is a $10 monthly service charge. However, the fee can be dropped down to $8 if the account holder signs up for direct deposit.

The account comes with a free Visa debit card, free eStatements, free online and mobile banking, and a 0.50% loan discount when payments are auto-deducted from a Central Bank account.

Central Bank has locations in Lexington, Berea, Louisville, Crestview Hills, Nicholasville, Florence, Fort Mitchell, Winchester, Covington, Richmond, and Georgetown.

In lieu of ChexSystems, Citizens Bank and Trust of Jackson uses Telecheck to screen new applications. They offer seven different checking accounts for their members: Student, Elite, Regular, 55 Plus, Business, NonProfit, and Now.

Regular Checking comes with free online banking and free eStatements. There is a $100 opening deposit requirement, and a $7 monthly service fee. This fee can be waived if the balance stays above $700 during each day of the statement cycle.

Citizens Bank has two locations in Jackson and one in Beattyville. It also offers three ATM locations, all of which are also distributed across Jackson and Beattyville.

Citizens Guaranty offers a second chance checking account called Clean Slate Checking. It requires a $25 minimum opening deposit and there is a monthly service fee of $10. This fee can be reduced to $8 if the account holder signs up for direct deposit.

The account comes with a free Visa debit card, and each account holder gets free access to online and mobile banking. There are no limits to the number of checks or transactions that can take place, and eStatements are always free.

Citizens Guaranty Bank has six Kentucky locations distributed across Irvine, London, and Richmond.

City National Bank offers a second chance checking account to anyone who has been turned down because of their ChexSystems history.

It does not require a minimum balance nor is there a minimum opening deposit requirement. The monthly service fee is $8.99 unless the account holder signs up for direct deposit. Up to two non-sufficient fund fees may be waived while the account is open.

City National Bank has Kentucky locations in Lexington, Paintsville, Russell, and Ashland, but is also available in parts of Ohio.

Community Trust Bank uses EWS, or Early Warning Systems, instead of ChexSystems when screening new applications. They currently offer three different accounts: Unlimited Checking, CJB 55+ Club Checking, and Community Trust Flexible Checking.

Flexible Checking requires a $100 minimum opening deposit but does not have a monthly service fee nor a minimum account balance requirement.

It comes with 20 free checks, unlimited check writing, and a free Flex ATM card. Plus, Community Trust Bank currently has many locations throughout much of Kentucky.

C-Plant offers second chance checking, but to apply or get any information on it, applicants will have to speak to a C-Plant customer service representative. To be eligible, applicants must either work, live, worship, volunteer, or go to school in a C-Plant serviceable county. Serviceable counties include:

• Ballard County
• Caldwell County
• Crittenden County
• Graves County
• Hopkins County
• Livingston County
• McCracken County
• Muhlenberg County
• Todd County
• Union County

C-Plant has branch locations in LaCenter, Paducah, Smithland, Mayfield, Madisonville, and Morganfield.

First & People’s Bank and Trust Company doesn’t use ChexSystems, Telecheck, or EWS. Instead, they run a credit report to screen all new applications. You can choose from one of three accounts: Hometown Living Checking, Hometown Loyalty Checking, and Hometown Legacy Checking.

Hometown Living does not charge a monthly service fee nor does it have a minimum account balance requirement. Customers can write three free checks per cycle but thereafter must pay a $1 fee per check.

Debits cards are given upon request, and paper statements cost $2 a month, but eStatements are free. First & People’s Bank has locations in Russell, Flatwoods, Greenup, and South Shore.

First Financial Bank has a second chance checking account called CLEANslate Checking. It offers a fresh start regardless of your checking history.

There’s a $50 opening deposit, but no minimum balance requirement moving forward. The monthly fee is $10 and you get quite a few perks along with it.

You’ll receive a debit card along with free ATM access and you even get a free gift when you open at a banking center. There are also plenty of digital features, including mobile deposits and online and mobile banking.

First State Bank runs a credit report on all new applications instead of screening through ChexSystems. As long as there aren’t too many negative entries on the report, the applicant may be approved for an account.

First State Bank currently offers five types of checking accounts. They are:

• Free n’ Easy Checking
• Regular checking
• Now Accounts
• Super Now Accounts
• Senior Checking Account

Free n’ Easy is free as long as there is debit card activity each cycle, and the account holder elects eStatements instead of paper statements. It only requires a $50 minimum deposit to open and doesn’t charge a monthly service fee.

Plus, there’s no account balance minimum. It comes with free online and phone banking and a free debit card. First State Bank has locations in Hardinsburg, Irvington, and McDaniels, Kentucky.

First Southern National Bank doesn’t use ChexSystems to screen new applications. In fact, they don’t even use Telecheck or EWS. Instead, they only require two forms of ID, one of which must be government issued.

If applicants don’t owe any money to First Southern, he or she may be able to open an account. You can either apply online or by visiting a nearby branch.

First Southern has locations throughout the state of Kentucky, including Somerset, Nicholasville, Bethel, Bowling Green, Richmond, Stanford, Princeton, Wilmore, Russellville, Lancaster, Monticello, Central City, Lexington, Greenville, Bremen, and Wickliffe.

First United Bank & Trust Company offers a second chance checking account called Fresh Start Checking. It only requires an initial opening deposit of $50. There’s also a $10 one time set-up fee, and the account has a $14 monthly service fee.

It does come with free online and mobile banking, and users can also take advantage of free online bill pay. You’ll also get a free debit card and can write an unlimited number of checks free of charge.

First United Bank has locations in Beaver Dam, Earlington, Madisonville, and Marion.

FNB Bank offers an account called Start Again Checking, there is a $100 minimum deposit requirement, as well as a $10 one-time setup fee. It comes with free eStatements, which can be received via email, plus free online access.

The monthly service fee is $12. After an account has been open for a year and maintained a positive balance for the entire duration, account holders may be eligible to transition to a standard account.

FNB Bank has locations in Mayfield, Paducah, Murray, Cadiz, and Wingo.

Forcht Bank doesn’t use ChexSystems, Telecheck, or EWS to screen new applications. They also don’t even run a credit check.

As long as you don’t owe Forcht Bank any money and you’re able to provide two forms of identification, you may be able to open a checking account.

Forcht Bank offers five types of checking accounts:

• Easy Checking
• Forcht Friend Checking’
• iStudent Checking
• 55 Advantage Checking
• Everyday Heroes Checking

Easy Checking requires a $50 minimum deposit to open and a $100 account minimum. If the account falls below $100, you’ll have to pay a monthly service fee of $6.

Checks are available upon request, and account holders get free eStatements, as well as free online and mobile banking. Forcht Bank has locations in both Richmond and Lexington, Kentucky.

Home Federal Bank also offers a second chance checking account called Square One Checking. It requires a $50 opening deposit and has a one-time setup fee of $10.

The monthly service fee is $12.99 if the account holder signs up for direct deposit. If not, the monthly service fee jumps up to $19.99. It comes with free online access, free bill pay, and free phone pay.

Home Federal Bank has locations Middlesboro, Harlan, New Tazewell, Jacksboro, Harrogate, and Knoxville.

Midwest America Federal Credit Union uses Telecheck instead of ChexSystems when screening new applications.

It offers three types of checking accounts: Reward Checking, Benefits Plus Checking, and Freedom Checking.

The Freedom Checking account has no monthly service fee and no minimum balance requirement. It also offers overdraft protection options, and free online and mobile banking.

Another option for a second chance bank account is Park Community. There is a $12 monthly service fee, and sign up with direct deposit is required. However, this account is intended for people looking to repair their checking history.

Park Community also offers standard checking for those willing to undergo a credit report check. A score of 570 is all that’s required to qualify for free checking. Park Community has nine locations in Louisville, as well as locations in Richmond, Berea, and Lexington.

Republic Bank has a second chance checking account called Checking Builder Account. It requires a $50 deposit, a social security number, and government ID.

If you’re in ChexSystems, you may need to provide documentation that you have satisfied any debt you may have had with a former financial institution.

The monthly fee is $12.95 a month. However, this amount can be reduced if you sign up for direct deposit, or have at least 20 debit transactions a month.

Checking Builder doesn’t require a minimum balance, and comes with free internet banking, free bill pay, and unlimited check writing. You get free ATM transactions with Republic Bank, Presto, Sum, MoneyPass, or Allpoint ATMs.

Transcend, formerly known as Kentucky Telco, offers a checking account called NewStart Checking. It only requires a $5 opening deposit and has a $12 monthly service fee.

After the account the trial period ends, account holders may be eligible to open a standard checking account with Transcend. To become a member, applicants must live, work or worship in a Transcend serviceable area of Kentucky. These include:

• Bullitt
• Henry
• Jefferson
• Oldham
• Shelby
• Spencer
• Trimble
• Daviess
• Anderson
• Franklin
• Woodford
• Mercer
• Boyle
• Lincoln
• Garrard
• Jessamine

Transcend Credit Union has five locations throughout Louisville and Shively.

UNIFY Financial doesn’t use ChexSystems to screen new applications. They offer four different checking accounts: Free Checking, Right Start Checking, eChecking, and Premier Checking.

There’s a $25 minimum opening deposit. Each checking account comes with a free Visa Debit Card, free check writing, and free access to online and mobile banking.

Wilson and Muir Bank and Trust uses credit reports to screen new applications instead of ChexSystems. As long as the credit report doesn’t have too many negative entries on it, the application may be approved.

Wilson and Muir offer four types of checking accounts: Banclub Plus Checking, Free & Easy Checking, Advantage Checking, and Premium Advantage Checking.

Each account comes with free online banking, a free Visa card, free email statements, as well as free online bill pay. Overdraft protection is also available.

Account holders get access to thousands of surcharge-free ATMs across the nation. Free & Easy checking requires a $100 opening balance but is completely free thereafter.

Wilson and Muir have locations Bardstown, Bloomfield, Vine Grove, Elizabethtown, Leitchfield, Big Clifty, and Louisville.