11 Best Checking Accounts of August 2026

In 2026, SoFi® Bank, N.A. won NerdWallet’s annual award for best overall bank; for all categories, it earns some of the highest scores among financial institutions we’ve rated.

Its one combination account — SoFi Checking and Savings — is genuinely good. It pays 0.50% on all checking balances but the account works best for those who can get at least $1,000 in direct deposits each month. Meeting that threshold gets you your paycheck up to two days early and gives you access to one of SoFi’s best features: its overdraft program. Plus new customers could earn a bonus of either $50 or $400, depending on how much you receive in direct deposits. (See our roundup of the best bank promotions to learn more.)

One of the few drawbacks to banking at SoFi is that making cash deposits will cost you up to $4.95 for each deposit. If you want to deposit cash regularly — if you work a tip-based job, for example — those fees could add up quickly.

Note that you’re under no obligation to use the savings portion of your account if you don’t want to, though it pays a competitive APY of

3.10% if you meet direct deposit requirements.

Minimum opening deposit: None.

How to earn the interest rate: You’ll earn 0.50% APY (variable and subject to change) on the balance in the checking portion with no requirements, which is more than decent for checking.

ATM access: More than 55,000 free ATMs with Allpoint.

Overdraft policy: SoFi doesn’t charge overdraft fees but you’ll need minimum monthly direct deposits of $1,000 to qualify for overdraft coverage and protection program, which is particularly strong: the bank allows up to $50 in overdrafts with no fees; the overdrafted amount will be “repaid” from your next deposit.

Phone customer service: You can reach someone by phone Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT; Friday through Sunday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

SoFi says: "Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary." "Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website."

The Capital One 360 Checking Account has no monthly fees or no minimum balance requirements. It pays a small amount of interest — 0.10% APY on all balance tiers with no requirements (but it’s not likely to make much of an impact on your balance). Capital One stands out because it’s one of the few banks on our best checking list that has branches, though only in select states and Washington, D.C. If you want the option of once-in-a-while or just-in-case banking in person and live near a location, this could be a good account for you.

And new customers can earn a bonus of $250 after meeting requirements. (See our roundup of the best bank promotions to learn more.)

Minimum opening deposit: No minimum to open.

How to earn the interest rate: There are no requirements to earn the APY.

ATM access: More than 70,000 free nationwide ATMs.

Overdraft policy: Capital One scores well on our overdraft star rating rubric because they offer a few overdraft coverage options, including free overdraft protection transfers and no-fee overdrafts on Capital One-approved transactions.

Phone customer service: You can get in touch with someone 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, seven days a week.

The Everything Account from nbkc doesn't charge a monthly fee and offers a 1.75% APY with no requirements to earn the rate. In addition to broad ATM access and ATM fee reimbursements, the account comes with the ability to set savings goals. The bank will tell you how much you need to save every month to meet them. That’s a nifty tool, but you can find similar features in other savings accounts (like Ally Bank’s “buckets”) that offer better returns on your savings.

And though it does have four branches in Kansas City, nbkc is an online bank so you’ll want to be comfortable with remote customer service to bank here.

Minimum opening deposit: $0.

How to earn the interest rate: There are no requirements to earn the rate.

ATM access: More than 90,000 global ATMs, and also offers up to $12 per month in reimbursements for out-of-network ATM fees.

Overdraft policy: There are no overdraft fees here and you can set up overdraft protection transfers.

Phone customer service: You can call Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. Though there are no weekend phone hours, you can chat with a customer service representative on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST.

American Express Rewards Checking is available to American Express customers who have had a consumer credit card, high-yield savings account or certificate of deposit for at least five days. The account has a 1.00% APY and no monthly fees or minimum deposit requirements. In addition to earning interest, you can also earn American Express Membership Rewards® points with qualifying purchases.

Minimum opening deposit: No minimum required.

How to earn the interest rate: American Express doesn’t have any requirements for customers to earn interest.

ATM access: More than 70,000 MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs.

Overdraft policy: Customers don’t have access to overdraft services. American Express won’t charge you if you attempt a purchase that puts you in the negative, it just won’t allow it to go through.

Phone customer service: American Express has a particularly strong customer experience, with 24/7 access to customer service representatives via phone, a highly rated mobile app and chat support.

Upgrade’s checking account has a lot of the features NerdWallet writers and editors look for in a checking account: no monthly fee, no overdraft fee and direct deposit up to two days early. Plus, it offers 2% cash back — up to a maximum of $500 per year — on qualified purchases as long as you make at least $1,000 in direct deposits per month. To maximize the rewards, you’ll need to do $25,000 in eligible category spending. If you want this account for the cash back, analyze your spending and match it up to the qualifying categories to see if the cash back will be worth it for you.

Minimum opening deposit: $0.

How to earn the cash back: Get at least $1,000 in direct deposits per month and spend on qualifying categories, which include gas stations, utilities (e.g., electric, gas), phone and streaming subscriptions. Categories that don’t qualify include grocery stores, travel, medical bills and insurance.

ATM access: Fee-free access to more than 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network.

Overdraft policy: The bank will likely deny any transaction that would put you in the negative but in the chance it does pay the overdraft, it won’t charge you an overdraft fee.

Phone customer service: You can contact customer service by phone Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., PT; Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

Zynlo Bank customers can earn 2.00% APY on their spending account on any balance of a penny or more, which is a relatively high interest rate for a checking account. You also get no monthly fees, access to a big ATM network and a savings habit builder feature: a program that rounds up the change from Zynlo debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers the difference from checking to the Zynlo savings account. The savings account earns a competitive interest rate and Zynlo will match the roundup contribution, up to a certain amount.

Minimum opening deposit: $0.

How to earn the interest rate: Keep at least a penny in the account.

ATM access: More than 55,000 free ATMs with the Allpoint network.

Overdraft policy: You won’t pay overdraft fees here but there is no overdraft protection program where you could transfer money from a linked account to cover an overdrawing transaction.

Phone customer service: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET; on Saturday and Sunday, you have a shorter window to get in touch, especially if you’re on the west coast, as phone customer service is only available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.

Axos Checking has what NerdWallet writers and editors value in a checking account: no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements and no overdraft fees. The bank also offers early direct deposit, which means you get paychecks up to two days early, and your money will earn some interest here. But where this account stands out is for its ATM reimbursement policy: unlimited reimbursements for domestic ATM use, so you can use any ATM, any time without worrying about fees.

Minimum opening deposit: None.

How to earn the interest rate: Set up direct deposits of at least $1 per month.

ATM access: Fee-free access to more than 95,000 nationwide ATMs and unlimited ATM fee reimbursements if you have to use an out-of-network domestic ATM.

Overdraft policy: No overdraft fees and fee-free overdraft protection.

Phone customer service: You can contact a person by phone 24/7.