Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems in Maryland

Features & Benefits

• Sign-up bonus up to $250 with qualifying direct deposits
• No monthly fee
• Earn up to 4.50% APY on savings
• Over 55,000 fee-free ATMs

Features & Benefits

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

Features & Benefits

• Build credit just by using your debit card
• No minimum balance or monthly fees
• 40,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs in the U.S.
• Get paid up to 2 days faster
• No credit check or ChexSystems

Features & Benefits

• No ChexSystems or credit check
• 4.50% APY on savings
• Over 19,000 fee-free ATMs
• $5 monthly fee can be waived

Features & Benefits

• $100 bonus after 10 purchases
• No credit check or ChexSystems
• Over 16,000+ fee-free ATMs
• Over 4,700 branches nationwide
• $4.95 monthly service fee

CCU of Maryland offers members Renew Checking, which is specifically designed for those who have had already had trouble opening a checking account. You could potentially qualify for the account even if you have a ChexSystems record.

To open the account, you must sign up for direct deposit and there’s a monthly fee. After you’ve responsibly managed your account for 12 months, you can upgrade to free Central Checking.

To qualify for membership, you must be an employee of an affiliated business. There are two branch locations, one in Baltimore and one in Perry Point.

StartFresh Banking from Clear Mountain Bank is another way to get a checking account despite your financial past. There are two options to choose from: StartFresh First Step and StartFresh Checking.

First Step doesn’t allow check writing, but it does come with a debit card. There’s a $9.95 monthly fee, which is reduced to $6.95 if you sign up for direct deposit.

The minimum opening deposit is $50. There is no minimum balance requirement. After 12 months in good standing, you can apply for StartFresh Checking.

This account is similar to First Step, but you also get unlimited check writing. After 18 months of successfully managing this account, you can apply for a traditional account. The bank is headquartered in West Virginia, but has a Maryland branch in Oakland.

Greenbelt Federal is a non-ChexSystems Bank that instead uses Telecheck. They’re located in Greenbelt, Maryland and to qualify for membership you must live, work, worship, or attend school there.

For checking, Greenbelt FCU offers a convenience share draft checking account that doesn’t require a minimum balance. You’ll also need a share savings account, which does come with a minimum balance requirement of $25.

Security Plus Federal offers second chance checking called Revive Checking. The monthly fee is $5, but that can be waived entirely as long as you receive at least one electronic ACH deposit into the account each month.

To open the account, you’ll need to make a deposit of at least $25. You’ll receive a Visa debit card 30 days after you open your account, plus you’ll get your first order of checks for free. Revive Checking comes with online and mobile banking features.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in the city of Baltimore. You can also be an employee of a select employer or be a family member of an existing SPFCU member. Branches are located in Baltimore and Owings Mill.

Tower Federal Credit Union is the largest federal credit union in Maryland. They serve DOD employees, contractors, and their families.

TFCU offers a free checking account with no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement. Plus, account holders can use up to 30,000+ unlimited fee-free ATMs.

TFCU has locations in Annapolis, Annapolis Junction, Columbia, Ellicott City, Gambrills, Hanover, Laurel, Millersville, Owing Mills, and Pasadena.

United Bank doesn’t use ChexSystems or a credit report to approve applicants. They offer three different checking accounts: United Free Checking, Platinum Checking, or United Rewards Checking.

United Free Checking has no minimum balance requirement and doesn’t charge a monthly fee. You will need a $50 deposit to open your account.

Woodforest offers a second chance bank account to members at over 700 branches in 17 states.

The minimum opening deposit is just $25 and you’ll also have to pay a one-time setup fee of $9.

It also comes with a monthly fee of $11.95. You can get it reduced to $9.95 by enrolling in direct deposit. Another small fee is a paper statement fee of $3 per month. It can be waived completely by signing up for e-statements.