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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 is a NerdWallet authority on savings, who has been writing about bank accounts since before the Great Recession. Her work has been featured in The Associated Press, USA Today and other major newspapers. Before joining NerdWallet, Margarette was a freelance journalist with bylines in magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Black Enterprise and Parenting. She is based near Atlanta, Georgia.
Yuliya Goldshteyn is a former banking editor at NerdWallet. She previously worked as an editor, a writer and a research analyst in industries ranging from health care to market research. She earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago, with a focus on Soviet cultural history. She is based in Portland, Oregon.
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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: $12. (See below for ways to waive it.)
Minimum opening deposit: $25.
Chase Total Checking®
Monthly fee: $15. (See below for ways to waive it.)
Minimum opening deposit: $0.
Savings accounts
U.S. Bank Smartly Savings
APY: Up to 3.50% with qualifying linked account. Otherwise, 0.05% APY.
Monthly fee: $5. (See below for ways to waive it.)
Chase Savings℠
APY: 0.01% effective as of 05/07/2025. 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
U.S. Bank details U.S. Bank details
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.
Chase details Chase details
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 5,000.
ATMs: More than 15,000.
Customer service: Available by phone 8 a.m.-12 a.m. ET, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET on weekends.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
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.
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.
Receive over $1,500 in direct deposits each month.
Keep an average daily balance over $1,500.
Have an eligible U.S. Bank credit card.
Be in a qualifying customer group such as Youth, Young Adult, Senior or Military.
Qualify for the Smart Rewards Gold Tier (requires a minimum balance of $25,000).
$15.
3 ways to waive it 3 ways to waive it
Receive direct deposits of $500 or more monthly.
Maintain a minimum beginning day 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.
$3 fee for using out-of-network ATMs.
More than 15,000 free Chase ATMs.
$3 fee for using non-Chase ATMs in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and $5 fee for using non-Chase ATMs outside of the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Sign-up bonus
Up to $450 (expires 06/18/2026); our bank bonuses roundup explains how to qualify.
+ Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's checking accounts + Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's checking accounts
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.
Up to 3.50% APY with a qualifying linked checking account, credit card or debit card. Otherwise, 0.05% APY.
0.01% effective as of 05/07/2025. Interest rates are variable and subject to change.
Monthly fees
$5.
2 ways to waive it 2 ways to waive it
Have a qualifying linked checking account, debit card or credit card.
Have an account holder under age 18.
$5.
5 ways to waive it 5 ways to waive it
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
+ Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's savings accounts. + Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's savings accounts.
U.S. Bank offers stronger savings rates, especially if you have a qualifying linked account. 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.
+ Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's CDs + Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's CDs
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.
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.
+ Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's banking experience + Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's banking experience
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.
$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.
+ Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's overdraft fees + Click here for analysis of U.S. Bank and Chase's overdraft fees
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.
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.