Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems in Texas

Features & Benefits

• Up to $450 bonus
• Minimum opening deposit of $25
• Monthly service fee: $0 or $6.95
• Over 40,000 surcharge-free MoneyPass ATMs

Features & Benefits

• Up to 5.21% APY on savings
• Up to 2% cash back
• No minimum balance requirement
• No monthly fees or overdraft fees

Features & Benefits

• Sign-up bonus up to $300 with qualifying direct deposits
• No monthly fee
• Earn up to 4.60% APY on savings
• Over 55,000 fee-free 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

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

Features & Benefits

• Up to $300 sign-up bonus with direct deposit
• No minimum balance requirements
• Earn up to 5.00% APY
• Over 30,000 fee-free ATMs

Employees in the airline industry can become a member of American Airlines CU and apply for their second chance account, which is called Ascend Checking. It’s a great way to rebuild your checking history.

The monthly fee is just $12.75 per month, but you can get that reduced to $9.75 if you sign up for direct deposit. It comes with online account management and mobile banking.

However, you won’t be able to use checks with this account. You’ll also need to complete a free credit education course to qualify.

Bank OZK offers a second chance checking account called Pathway Checking. There’s a $50 minimum opening deposit, but no minimum balance requirement.

The monthly service fee is $10, and you won’t earn interest like some of Bank OZK’s other checking accounts.

Pathway Checking comes with a Visa debit card, plus unlimited check writing, online banking, and mobile banking. You also get bill pay, with 15 free payments a month and each one costing $0.50 after that. 

Cadence Bank offers several checking accounts that don’t use ChexSystems. Minimum opening deposits range from $25 to $1,000. However, for some checking accounts, you can get the monthly fee waived by meeting certain requirements.

The accounts come with the basic features you’d expect, like a free debit card, online banking, and bill pay.

Located in Houston, Dallas, and Corpus Christi, Texas, Chemcel FCU uses Telecheck to approve applicants rather than ChexSystems.

There are a couple of different checking options, including Free Kasasa Cash Back Checking and Free Kasasa Tunes Checking.

There’s no monthly maintenance fee for either account. Moreover, you can get up to a $25 refund on ATM fees each month. The minimum opening deposit for both is just $25 but you may be able to qualify for a promotion waiving that amount.

Clean Slate Checking from Chocolate Bayou can help get your checking history back on track. The cost is low for a second chance account, coming in at just $5 per month.

You also get unlimited check writing, an unlimited cash back rewards program, and you’ll earn dividends if you keep at least $50 in your account.

They have branch locations in both Alvin and Pearland. To become a member, you just need to bring in a qualifying form of identification and open a savings account with just $5. It’s an easy process to get back to banking with the Clean Slate Checking.

CCU is located throughout the greater Dallas area in Texas. They use Telecheck rather than ChexSystems to open new bank accounts, so depending on your history there, you could get approved. Basic Checking is free and requires just a $25 deposit to get started.

Plus, you’ll get a range of perks, including online and mobile banking, free cashier’s checks, and free notary services. You can also sign up for overdraft protection.

Members of Corporate America Family Federal can apply for Fresh Start Checking. You’re required to keep $100 in your Regular Share Account, and the monthly fee is $10.

You can also sign up to take an online class called Get In Balance. Use it to learn the most effective ways to become a successful account holder.

For $20 a month, Neighborhood CU offers an account intended for applicants who have been denied access to other banks because of their history with ChexSystems. It requires an initial deposit of $25.

After six months of maintaining their account in good standing, and completing a financial educational workshop, applicants are eligible for standard checking at NCU.

To qualify for membership, applicants must either live or work in Texas’s Dallas County, Ellis County, or the City of Arlington. Applicants can also either live, work, worship, or attend school within ten miles of the following branches: Coppell, Grand Prairie, Highland Village, or Richardson.

Pantex Federal uses your credit report instead of your data from Telecheck or ChexSystems. To become a member, you have to work, live, go to school, or worship in Hutchinson County or the Pampa area of Texas.

You also get free access to over 64,000 surcharge-free ATMs across the world, as well as automatic overdraft protection.

Primeway FCU uses Telecheck during an applicant’s screening process instead of ChexSystems. They offer three checking options for new members: Youth Checking, eChecking, and Premier Checking.

eChecking doesn’t require a minimum balance, but if you’re able to keep high balances, Premier Checking may be for you. Premier Checking gives monthly dividends with no service fees.

For applicants who have past ChexSystems records on their account, Premier America CU offers Fresh Start checking.

It’s $25 to get started and there is a monthly service fee of $13. This amount can be reduced to $10 if the applicant can have $200 or more directly deposited into the account.

All accounts must be opened directly in a branch, which are located in two locations in Houston, Texas. Members get access to online and mobile banking (including remote deposit) and over 30,000 fee-free ATMs.

Prestige Community CU offers an account called Fresh Start Checking. It’s an account for applicants who need to repair their financial checking history.

It has a monthly service fee of $15 without direct deposit, and $10 with it, but there is no minimum balance requirement. Members get instant access to a range of features, including:

• Free bill pay
• Free online banking
• Free ATM withdrawals
• Free unlimited Check writing
• Free unlimited debit card use

Applicants who keep their account in good standing for six months are eligible to apply for a standard checking account.

Rio Bank offers second chance checking called Fresh Start Checking. An initial deposit of $100 is required to open a bank account. Additionally, members are required to pay a monthly service of $11.56, as well as a monthly debit card fee of $1.46.

All members get access to over 64,000 surcharge-free ATMs worldwide. Currently, they have eight branch locations located in Palmview, McAllen, San Juan, Weslaco, Harlingen, and Brownsville, Texas.

In contrast to most banks, River City uses Telecheck in lieu of ChexSystems. It’s primarily based in San Antonio, but there are numerous CO-OP shared branches nationwide.

They also offer Fresh Start Checking if needed. You get all the same benefits and only have to pay a small monthly service charge. This allows you to improve your financial history while also getting to use all of their modern banking technologies.

SELECT Federal offers a second chance checking account called Fresh Start Checking. A $25 deposit is required, as well as a $10 monthly service fee. To join, you’ll need to either live, be employed, worship, or study in Eastside San Antonio, Texas.

After 12 months has elapsed, you should qualify for a standard bank account with SELECT FCU.

Next Checking is a second chance account from SouthSide Bank. A $50 deposit is required to open an account with Next Checking, and after that, there is a $9.95 monthly fee.

Currently, SouthSide Bank has nine Texas branches located in Palestine, Jacksonville, Flint, Bullard, Tyler, Chandler, and Gun Barrel City.

Shell Federal uses Telecheck instead of ChexSystems. It’s primarily based in San Antonio, but there are numerous CO-OP shared branches nationwide.

If needed, Shell also offers Fresh Start Checking. You get all the benefits of banking with Shell, and only have to pay a small monthly service charge.

Smart Financial uses Telecheck while screening new applicants. It’s a great alternative that currently offers three types of checking accounts.

All accounts require different minimum deposits but come with the same modern perks: bill pay, mobile and online access, and remote deposit. The monthly service charge is $10, but this can be waived if you have $500 or more directly deposited into your account each month.

Texas Bay uses Telecheck instead of credit reports and ChexSystems while screening new applicants. Branches revolve mainly around the Houston area, but members get shared branch access with other credit unions across the U.S. with their Texas Bay membership.

All members get the following:

• Free sign-gift
• Free mobile banking
• Free remote deposit
• Free online banking
• Free debit card
• Free Apple Pay

The account is entirely free. Members also have access to the Allpoint Surcharge-free ATM network. This network has over 64,000 ATMs across the world.

Texas Gulf Bank uses Telecheck instead of ChexSystems while screening new applicants. If you’ve been denied membership to other banks because of information on your ChexSystems account, a Telecheck oriented bank may be your answer.

TGB currently has nine branch locations, which start in Houston and proceed south to Freeport.

Though it’s physically focused on the Houston area, TGB is a very tech-oriented bank. Everything can be done online or via mobile, but they also have a sophisticated phone center, too.

Texas Gulf Bank gives members everything they could ever expect from a modern bank. If you are in the Houston area, put this bank on your shortlist.

Tarrant County offers Fresh Start Checking for applicants whose credit report has a few negative entries on it.

There’s no minimum deposit to open, nor is there a monthly service fee. You get free online banking and bill pay, a free MasterCard debit card, unlimited check writing, and access to thousands of non-surcharge ATMs across the nation.

The only drawback is that you have to be associated with Tarrant County in some way. You must live, work, worship, or attend school in Tarrant County to be eligible. If you are, a completed application with a $5 savings deposit is all that’s needed to join.

United Texas provides a Do-Over Checking Account. With membership, this second chance checking account is still a part of the ChexSystems network, so if you maintain a good account with them, you’ll also strengthen your financial history.

You only need to make an initial deposit of $25. The monthly fee is only $10, but membership gets you a free MasterCard debit card, unlimited checking, and 24/7 online access. Keep your account in good standing, and you’ll be able to upgrade to a no-fee checking account after 12 months.

If you have a proper ID, as well as a healthy Telecheck history, United Heritage CU offers a second chance checking account. With branch locations in Austin, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Kyle, Lakeway, River Place, Round Rock, and Tyler, it’s one of the more accessible banks in Texas.

They’re also a part of 5,000 shared branches nationwide and are in the national Co-Op ATM network, which means you have access to over 35,000 surcharge-free ATMs across the nation.

Unity One offers second chance checking called Clean Start Checking. It only requires a $50 deposit to open, but from then on, only costs $10 a month with direct deposit and doesn’t require a minimum balance.

After just 12 months of keeping your account in good standing, you can qualify for a free account with Unity One. Meanwhile, Clean Start comes with a wide array of features to keep you happy, including:

• Free Bill Pay
• Free Overdraft Protection (up to 6 a month)
• Access to thousands of surcharge-free ATMs
• Online and mobile friendly
• Free E-Statements
• Free E-alerts

Velocity uses ChexSystems, but offers second chance checking called Access Checking. There is a one-time fee of $10 to open up the account, and thereafter a $15 per month.

It’s designed to help applicants get back into a traditional bank account, such as Totally Free Checking or Check Plus, which don’t have any monthly fees.

Maintain a good account for 12 months, and Velocity allows applicants to switch over to one of their other checking accounts. Velocity is primarily an Austin-based bank but allows applicants from Travis and other surrounding counties to join.