9 Best Second Chance Checking Accounts in the US

Banking

Banks and credit unions can check your banking history against the records maintained by ChexSystems, TeleCheck, and Early Warning Services. If you are listed in any of these databases, you may be turned down for a checking account.

These records are maintained for a period of five years. So, waiting for your entries to be cleared is not an option. You need a checking account, and you need it now.

Thankfully, there are banks and credit unions out there that offer second chance checking to customers listed in ChexSystems, TeleCheck, and EWS.

9 Best Second Chance Bank Accounts for 2023

Below is a list of our top recommended second chance checking accounts for people looking for a fresh start. These second chance checking accounts offer guaranteed approval and come with the lowest fees, and great features and benefits.

1. Chase

Our Top Pick
LetMeBank’s rating
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Features & Benefits

  • No credit check or ChexSystems
  • $100 bonus after 10 purchases in 60 days
  • Over 16,000+ fee-free ATMs
  • Over 4,700 branches nationwide
  • $4.95 monthly service fee

Chase offers a checking account called Chase Secure Banking. The checking account comes with a Chase debit card that gets you access to over 16,000 fee-free ATMs.

Some features of this checking account include free online bill pay, free money orders and cashier’s checks, no overdraft fees, and no minimum opening deposit. However, there is also a monthly service fee of $4.95.

When you open a Chase Secure Banking account and make 10 qualifying purchases within 60 days, you’ll get a $100 cash bonus.

Account approval is immediate, and the debit card typically arrives within days.

2. U.S. Bank

Our Second Pick
LetMeBank’s rating
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Features & Benefits

  • $600 sign-up bonus
  • Minimum opening deposit of $25
  • Monthly service fee: $0 or $6.95
  • Over 40,000 surcharge-free MoneyPass ATMs

U.S. Bank is now offering the Bank Smartly™ Checking account, which is currently available in 26 states across the United States.

If you live in one of the following 26 states where this account is available, you can apply online: AR, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OR, SD, TN, UT, WA, WI, WY

You can earn up to $600 when you open a new Bank Smartly™ Checking account, and complete qualifying activities. This offer is valid through April 11, 2023.

The Bank Smartly™ Checking account comes with a free debit card and the option to lock or unlock the card if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Plus, you’ll never have to worry about ATM transaction fees at U.S. Bank ATMs or surcharge fees at over 40,000 MoneyPass Network ATMs.

U.S. Bank uses ChexSystems, but it has a history of being more lenient with records than most banks.

As long as you don’t have a history of fraud, or you don’t owe any money to U.S. Bank, you may be able to open a checking account with them.

The minimum opening deposit for this account is just $25, and the monthly service fee is $6.95. However, you can avoid the monthly fee by maintaining a minimum balance of $1,500 or by having a minimum monthly Direct Deposit of $1,000.

3. Axos Bank

Our Third Pick
LetMeBank’s rating
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Features & Benefits

  • $100 sign-up bonus
  • No overdraft or NSF fees
  • Unlimited ATM fee reimbursements

The Rewards Checking account from Axos Bank is an excellent choice for those looking for a bank account with no monthly maintenance fees, unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements, and cash back rewards.

With this account, you can earn up to 3.30% APY and enjoy up to a $100 Welcome Bonus. Additionally, you’ll have access to unlimited free mobile deposits and your funds will be FDIC insured up to $250,000.

There are no overdraft fees or non-sufficient fund fees to worry about, and no minimum balance requirements.

All you need is a $50 deposit to open the account, and Axos Bank doesn’t use ChexSystems or pull your credit report to open your account.

4. Chime®

LetMeBank’s rating
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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 balance requirements

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.

5. Current

LetMeBank’s rating
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Features & Benefits

  • No minimum opening deposit
  • 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 are no 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.

6. SoFi

Features & Benefits

  • No monthly fee
  • No minimum balance fees
  • Up to 3.75% APY on savings, and 2.50% APY on checking balances
  • 55,000 fee-free ATMs

The SoFi Checking and Savings account offers numerous advantages, such as no overdraft fees, no balance requirements, and no monthly fees.

Additionally, account holders have access to 55,000 ATMs with no fees through the Allpoint® Network. Those who set up direct deposits can earn an annual percentage yield (APY) of 3.75% on their savings and 2.50% on their checking accounts.

Furthermore, direct deposit members can receive their paychecks up to 2 days early, and can earn up to 15% cash back at local establishments when using the SoFi debit card.

7. Aspiration

Features & Benefits

  • $10 minimum opening deposit
  • Up to 5% cash back on qualified debit card purchases
  • 55,000 fee-free ATMs
  • Get paid up to 2 days early

Aspiration’s Spend & Save Account 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.

8. Woodforest National Bank

Features & Benefits

  • $25 minimum opening deposit plus $9 setup fee
  • Monthly service fee as low as $9.95 with direct deposit set up
  • No ATM fees at Woodforest ATMs
  • Flexible overdraft options

Woodforest National Bank 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.

9. Wells Fargo

Features & Benefits

  • Minimum opening deposit of $25.
  • Online bill pay and mobile banking suite included.
  • Use over 13,000 ATMs free of charge.
  • Account alerts, 24/7 fraud monitoring, and zero liability protection for your debit card.

If Wells Fargo declines you for a standard checking account, you may still qualify for their “Clear Access Banking” account.

This second chance checking account has a monthly fee of $5. The only way to avoid it is if the primary account owner is 13 – 24 years old.

There’s a minimum opening deposit of $25. You get access to online bill pay, mobile banking, and over 13,000 ATMs free of charge.

What are ChexSystems, TeleCheck, and Early Warning Services?

ChexSystemsTeleCheck, and EWS are consumer reporting agencies that monitor and report the banking history of hundreds of millions of consumers. Those who are flagged by these agencies have records in their databases. ChexSystems is the largest of the lot.

Banks run your name through one or more of these databases when you apply for a bank account. If they pull up a record, you probably will not be able to open an account.

A wide range of offenses can get you listed with a consumer reporting agency. Here are some examples:

  • Unpaid fees (likely the most common reason to be listed)
  • Excessive overdrafts
  • Abuse of your debit card
  • Non-sufficient funds losses
  • Various forms of check-related fraud
  • Failure to pay other fees or service charges
  • Sometimes the offense is simply listed as “Undisclosed”

Thinking back, you may be able to figure out exactly what got you listed. But often, the incident may have been so small that you have forgotten about it—or never even been aware of it in the first place.

What is a second chance checking account?

Second chance checking accounts (sometimes referred to as “fresh start checking” accounts) are offered by financial institutions willing to give customers a second chance to prove that they’re a reliable banking customer.

If you are listed in ChexSystems, you will be hard-pressed to find a bank or credit union willing to consider you. There are options available. However, only a minority of financial institutions are willing to ignore your negative checking history.

Over 9,000 banks and credit unions in the US screen applicants through ChexSystems. In all, that adds up to over 100,000 branches. It also accounts for 80% of banking institutions in the country.

If you pick a financial institution at random and try to open a new bank account there, you only have a 2 in 10 chance of success.

Additionally, being listed in TeleCheck or EWS can further decrease your chances, as some banks may run these checks even if they do not pull your ChexSystems report. To avoid the disappointment and frustration of repeated rejections, it is recommended to open a second chance bank account.

Why get a second chance checking account?

Banks that offer second chance checking accounts do so in full knowledge of your ChexSystems, TeleCheck, or EWS record.

Based on the information they see on your file, there is a possibility that you will still be denied. If, for example, you committed repeated counts of check fraud, most banks will not want to risk dealing with you.

In most cases, however, approval for a second chance checking account is pretty much guaranteed. These banks know that sometimes good customers can go through lapses in judgment. They are willing to take a risk on you despite your past banking issues or bad credit.

Banks and credit unions that use ChexSystems may reject you for an unpaid overdraft fee or non-sufficient funds loss. However, second chance banks are willing to overlook these kinds of offenses and offer you a bank account.

In fact, approval rates for second chance checking accounts are very high, and most banks process customer applications very quickly. Features offered by these banks and credit unions are comparable to those of a regular bank account.

If you apply for a second chance checking account today, you could be banking again in no time. This is the simplest and fastest way you can start improving your banking history.

What should I look for in a second chance bank account?

The best second chance bank accounts come with features such as:

  • Low or no monthly fees
  • No minimum balance requirements
  • No overdraft fees
  • Free Visa or Mastercard debit card
  • A large fee-free ATM network
  • Online banking
  • Mobile banking

The goal is to find the perfect fit for your needs while paying the minimal amount of fees. If you sign up for an online checking account, you’ll want to find one that offers many locations where you can deposit cash.

Second Chance Checking vs. Non-ChexSystems Checking

Aren’t they basically the same?

Not quite. But, it really depends on how specific you want to get. They serve the same purpose, but technically a “second chance” checking account and a “non-ChexSystems” checking account are two different things.

  • When you apply for a non-ChexSystems checking account, your ChexSystems report is not screened.
  • When you apply for a second chance checking account, your report usually is still checked.
  • The other big difference is that second chance banking may come with some additional limitations or strings attached. The institution may require that you enroll in a course that teaches personal finance to open a checking account.

That being said, a lot of the time, the two terms are used interchangeably.

All in all, both of these types of bank accounts have a lot more in common than otherwise. This is the reason they tend to be grouped together, despite their differences.

Searching for a comprehensive list of the top banks without ChexSystems? Take a look at our in-depth non-ChexSystems banking guide.

See also: Credit Unions That Don’t Use ChexSystems

Conclusion

When you are declined a standard checking account because of ChexSystems, TeleCheck, or EWS, you may feel like the banking system has abandoned you.

But your situation is far from unique. Most customers with a negative banking history have committed minor infractions, often involving only a few dollars.

While it may not be as convenient, some banks recognize how absurd it is to decline reliable customers simply because of an insignificant incident in their past.

Why go another day without banking when you don’t have to? It’s time to open a second chance checking account and start building your banking history with a financial institution that recognizes your value as a customer!

Non-ChexSystems Banks by State

Looking for more information and additional options available in your area? Select your state from the list below to find out all your options for banking.

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 fees may apply with Chime except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM.

2. Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. Chime generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.