U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Which Is Best for You?

These two large national banks have a lot in common, but there are some key differences. Here are the details to know if you’re deciding between them.
Margarette Burnette
By Margarette Burnette  
Edited by Yuliya Goldshteyn  

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

U.S. Bank and Chase are two of the largest banks in the U.S. They offer similar benefits, such as multiple account offerings and extensive ATM and branch networks. But which is best for you? To help you decide, we compared them side by side.

Snapshot comparison

U.S. Bank

Chase

Checking accounts

U.S. Bank Smartly Checking

  • Monthly fee: $6.95. (See below for ways to waive it.)

  • Minimum opening deposit: $25.

Chase Total Checking®

  • Monthly fee: $12. (See below for ways to waive it.)

  • Minimum opening deposit: $0.

Savings accounts

U.S. Bank Standard Savings

  • APY: 0.01% on all balances.

  • Monthly fee: $4. (See below for ways to waive it.)

Chase Savings℠

  • APY: 0.01% effective as of 07/02/2022. Interest rates are variable and subject to change.

  • Monthly fee: $5. (See below for five ways to waive it.).

Certificates of deposit

U.S. Bank Certificate of Deposit

  • 1 year: 0.05% APY.

  • 3 years: 0.10% APY.

  • 5 years: 0.25% APY.

  • Minimum deposit: $500.

Chase CD interest rates

  • 1 year: 0.01% APY.

  • 3 years: 0.01% APY.

  • 5 years: From 0.01% APY.

  • Minimum deposit: $1,000.

Overdrafts, ATMs, customer service

  • Overdraft fee: $36, maximum of four per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day. Customers can also have an overdraft fee waived if a deposit is made to cover the overdrawn amount by 11 p.m. ET on the day the overdraft fee was charged.

  • Overdraft protection transfer fee: $0.

  • Branches: Over 2,000.

  • ATMs: More than 37,000, including those in the MoneyPass network.

  • Customer service: Available by phone 24/7.

  • Overdraft fee: $34, maximum of three per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day. Customers can also avoid an overdraft fee if the account balance is overdrawn more than $50 but is brought down to being overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day.

  • Overdraft protection transfer fee: $0.

  • Branches: More than 4,700.

  • ATMs: About 16,000.

  • Customer service: Available by phone 8 a.m.-12 a.m. ET, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET on weekends.

    • U.S. Bank Overall Star Rating
    NerdWallet rating 
    Read review
    Chase Overall Star Rating
    NerdWallet rating 

    at Chase, Member FDIC

    Choose Chase if:

    • You want to open an account without having to meet a minimum deposit requirement.

    • You're looking for a checking account with a lower direct deposit requirement to waive the monthly fee.

    Choose U.S. Bank if:

    • You live in a state where the accounts are available (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin or Wyoming).

    • You prefer to have 24/7 access to customer support by phone.

    • You want access to a larger network of ATMs.

    Or go with an alternative

    Unlike these brick-and-mortars, online banks don’t have thousands of branches. But they do have excellent annual percentage yields (APYs) that make your savings grow faster. And fees tend to be low or nonexistent.

    » Want to know more? Check out NerdWallet's best high-yield online savings accounts and top online checking accounts

    U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Basic checking accounts

    U.S. Bank Smartly Checking

    Chase Total Checking®

    Monthly fee

    $6.95.

    • Receive over $1,000 in direct deposits each month.

    • Keep an average daily balance of at least $1,500.

    • Have an eligible U.S. Bank credit card.

    • Be age 24 or younger, or age 65 or older or in the military.

    • Qualify for a Smart Rewards tier (requires a minimum balance of $20,000 or a qualifying U.S. Bank loan product or line of credit).

    $12.

    • Receive direct deposits of $500 or more monthly.

    • Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500.

    • Maintain an average beginning day balance of at least $5,000 across eligible Chase accounts.

    Minimum deposit to open

    $25.

    $0.

    APY

    None.

    None.

    ATM fees and network

    • More than 37,000 free ATMs, including those in the MoneyPass network.

    • $2.50 fee for using out-of-network ATMs.

    • About 16,000 free Chase ATMs.

    • $3 fee for using non-Chase ATMs domestically ($5 internationally).

    Sign-up bonus

    Up to $600 (expires 02/07/2023); our bank bonuses roundup explains how to qualify.

    $200 (expires 04/19/2023); our bank bonuses roundup explains how to qualify.

    U.S. Bank’s monthly fee is lower, but Chase makes it easier to waive its fee. Neither bank pays interest on its standard checking account. In comparison, some online banks and credit unions offer checking accounts that are both free and pay competitive interest rates.

    Both banks offer a cash bonus for new accounts with direct deposit set up, but U.S. Bank offers a bigger bonus opportunity (expires 02/07/2023) than Chase (expires 04/19/2023).

    » See more options on our list of best checking accounts

    U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Basic savings accounts

    U.S. Bank Standard Savings

    Chase Savings℠

    APY

    0.01% APY.

    0.01% effective as of 07/02/2022. Interest rates are variable and subject to change.

    Monthly fees

    $4.

    • Maintain a daily balance of at least $300.

    • Maintain an average monthly balance of at least $1,000.

    • Have an account holder under age 18.

    $5.

    • Maintain a daily balance of at least $300.

    • Have a repeating automatic transfer of at least $25 each month from your Chase checking account.

    • Have a linked premium Chase checking account.

    • Have a linked Chase College Checking℠ account for Overdraft Protection.

    • Have an account owner who is younger than 18.

    Minimum deposit to open

    $25.

    $0.

    Sign-up bonus

    N/A

    N/A

    Neither bank has strong interest rates. Both banks charge monthly fees, but they are easy to waive. U.S. Bank and Chase also offer premium savings or money market accounts, but rates are the same or barely better and they require a qualifying linked account.

    » Looking for higher rates? Explore NerdWallet's list of top online savings accounts

    U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Certificates of deposit

    U.S. Bank

    Chase

    1-Year APY

    0.05%.

    0.01%.

    3-Year APY

    0.10%.

    0.01%.

    5-Year APY

    0.25%.

    0.01%.

    Minimum deposit to open

    $500.

    $1,000.

    Rates may vary by location.

    Both banks' CDs have low rates. Online banks offer five-year CDs with rates upward of 3.00%. But U.S. Bank gets the nod over Chase because most of U.S. Bank’s CDs earn more interest than similar Chase CDs. Also, U.S. Bank has lower deposit requirements for its regular CDs.

    » To compare, see the latest top CD rates

    U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Banking experience

    U.S. Bank

    Chase

    Branches

    Over 2,000.

    More than 4,700.

    Banking apps (ratings from app store users)

    • 4.8 out of 5 stars for iOS.

    • 4.7 out of 5 for Android.

    • 4.8 out of 5 stars for iOS.

    • 4.4 out of 5 for Android.

    Customer service

    • Available 24/7 by phone.

    • Chat support available.

    • Twitter support available.

    • Available by phone 8 a.m.-12 a.m. ET, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET on weekends.

    • Online messaging support available.

    • Social media support available.

    The banks have comparable mobile app ratings. Chase has more branches and it has extended customer service hours but U.S. Bank has 24/7 customer support.

    U.S. Bank vs. Chase: Overdraft fees

    U.S. Bank

    Chase

    Overdraft fee

    $36, maximum of four per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day. Customers can also have an overdraft fee waived if a deposit is made to cover the overdrawn amount by 11 p.m. ET on the day the overdraft fee was charged.

    $34, maximum of three per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day or if balance is overdrawn more than $50 and then brought down to being overdrawn by $50 or less by end of next business day.

    Overdraft protection transfer fee

    $0.

    $0.

    Extended overdraft fee

    None.

    None.

    Neither bank charges an overdraft fee if your account is overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the day. Chase customers can also avoid an overdraft fee if the account balance is overdrawn by more than $50 but is brought down to overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day. U.S. Bank customers who are charged an overdraft fee — which happens if the account balance is negative by more than $50 at the end of the day — can get the fee waived by depositing funds to cover the overdrawn amount by 11 p.m. ET on the day the fee was charged.

    Both banks offer checking accounts that don’t charge overdraft fees at all, but they each require a monthly fee that can’t be waived. If overdrawing your account is a concern for you, consider one of the increasing number of online banks and credit unions that offer free accounts and don’t charge overdraft fees.

    » Want to avoid penalties for overdrawing funds? See our list of the best banks for overdrafts

    Should you choose U.S. Bank or Chase?

    Chase has more to offer thanks to slightly easier ways to waive its basic checking account fee. If you’re looking to save money at high rates, neither bank is a great option. Consider shopping around at credit unions and online banks.

    » To see more options, see what other national banks have to offer

    On a similar note...
    Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
    Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.
    Sign up