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Our verdict

Get paid early, earn cash back and more — but the best perks require a paid subscription.

Albert is a fintech company with online banking and financial services provided by its bank partners. The checking account, Albert Cash, has a free plan with no opening deposit and no monthly or overdraft fees. But to get access to the best perks with Albert Cash, you need the paid plan Genius, which costs $14.99 per month. The paid plan gets you cashback rewards, a savings account, a smart money auto-savings feature and the opportunity to invest in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). But Albert doesn’t offer mobile check deposits, there are no physical branches and many negative reviews complain about being auto-enrolled in its Genius paid plan during signup.

Best for: Those who want an all-in-one, modern banking experience.

Pros

  • $0 plan option
  • Albert Instant overdraft service
  • Up to two days early paycheck deposit

Cons

  • Auto-enrolled in free trial of paid plan
  • Need paid membership to access most perks
  • No physical branches
  • No mobile check deposits

In this guide

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  • Your reviews
  • Ask an expert

Who is Albert Cash best for?

Albert Cash is ideal for someone who doesn’t mind banking online and wants all the bells and whistles of a modern fintech. The free plan gives you access to early paychecks and an overdraft protection service called Albert Instant. But to access its other perks, such as automatic savings, investing options, cashback rewards and more, you’ll need to sign up for its paid plan, called Genius, which requires a $14.99 monthly fee.

If you were willing to pay for Genius to get the Albert Savings account, look elsewhere. You can save more with these top savings accounts.

Albert Cash plans and cost

PlanMonthly FeeFeatures
Free$0
  • Checking and debit card
  • Albert Instant overdraft service
  • Early direct deposit
  • No overdraft fees
Genius$14.99
  • Everything with the free plan, plus:
  • Cashback rewards
  • Investing features
  • Savings account
  • Smart Money savings feature
  • Financial advice chat feature

What we like about Albert Cash and Savings

Albert is a fintech company with banking services provided by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and Albert Savings accounts are held at FDIC-insured banks, including Coastal Community Bank, Axos Bank and Wells Fargo, N.A. Albert lets you use Allpoint’s extensive network of over 55,000 ATMs. But you’ll pay $2.50 per withdrawal unless you have the Genius paid plan.

The Albert Cash checking account requires no monthly fees or opening deposit and has no overdraft fees. And if you set up direct deposit with your employer, you can get paid up to two days early. Albert also offers a popular overdraft service called Albert Instant, which offers up to $250 in free overdraft protection with the free plan, depending on account activity, transaction history and direct deposits. Keep in mind you must repay the overdraft amount within 10 days.

Cashback rewards

If you’re under the paid Genius plan, you’ll earn cashback rewards with your Albert debit card. There’s no list of where you can earn cash back or the rates, but Albert states it’s a variety of restaurants, delivery services, shops and grocery stores.

To view cashback offers, head to the Albert app and select Checking, which lets you view available cashback rewards and select the one you want. But you can only activate one cashback offer at a time. Cashback rewards are deposited into your Albert Cash account usually within three business days.

Modern financial services

Albert offers three financial features that require the paid membership: Genius assistance chat, Albert Investing and Smart Money.

The Genius assistance feature lets you chat with financial experts and ask financial and investing questions.

Albert Investing lets you create a custom portfolio of stocks and ETFs, which you can manually invest in, or the app can create a portfolio for you. The investing feature works with the Smart Money feature, letting you automatically invest some cash in investment options.

Smart Money analyzes your spending habits and income to estimate how much money you save or invest each week. According to Albert, Smart Money typically saves or invests between $5 to $100 daily, but auto-transfers can be as high as $350 if Albert thinks you can afford it. This is an optional feature, so there’s no pressure to sign up if you prefer to save cash manually.

Where it falls short

Albert has some unique, modern banking features that make it stand out against competitors, but you’ll need the paid membership to access most of them — including a mediocre savings account, investing features, Smart Money and financial chat features.

Albert Genius is also way more expensive than it used to be, previously as low as $8 per month. New users pay $14.99 per month.

Mediocre savings

The Albert Savings account doesn’t have a set APY like most traditional accounts. Instead, it offers “bonuses,” which are set dollar amounts paid once a month based on your account’s average and ending balance each month. And the payouts aren’t worth the monthly cost you’ll need to keep the account open.

For example, if you were to maintain an average balance of $10 to $99 throughout the whole year, you’d only end up earning $0.36.

Account average and ending balanceMonthly bonus amount
$10 to $99.99$0.03
$100 to $999.99$0.10
$1,000+$0.35

Albert says it’s working on a more traditional savings account with a 4.95% APY and currently has a waitlist for this upcoming feature.

Reviews complain of free trial troubles

When you sign up for Albert, you’re automatically enrolled in a 30-day free trial for the paid plan, Genius. If you don’t cancel the paid subscription after the free trial, customers report you’re automatically billed for the yearly plan.

To Albert’s credit, these complaints are common with companies that offer limited free trials — they’re easy to forget about. But what’s not common is that you’re signed up for a paid plan, even if your intention was to sign up for Albert’s free plan.

Also, according to customers, it’s a struggle to navigate the app and find where to cancel the paid membership. Tack on the fact you’re automatically billed for the yearly plan — which would cost around $179.88 — that’s a big bill to get hit with if you weren’t expecting it.

Albert’s limited customer support doesn’t help the situation. Although Albert lists a customer phone number, it’s automated. You’ll need to send an email or use the app’s chat function to speak with a real person.

Albert’s fees and access

Type of feeFee details
Monthly service$0
ATMs
  • Domestic:$2.50 with Allpoin
  • International: N/A
Debit card fees
  • Cash withdrawals: $2.50 for in- and out-of-network, or $0 for in-network with Genius plan
  • Foreign transactions:
  • Card replacement: $0
Overdraft or nonsufficient funds
Wire transfers
  • Incoming
    • Domestic:
    • International: N/A
  • Outgoing
    • Domestic:
    • International: N/A
Other fees
  • Card purchase: $3
  • Incoming ACH transfer: $0
  • Outgoing ACH transfer: $0
  • Returned check: $30
  • Stop payment: $30
  • Estatements and paper statements: $0

Compare Albert Cash to other accounts

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Name Product Fee Minimum deposit to open Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Offer
Cash Card by Cash App
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$0
N/A
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Chime® Checking Account
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Chime® Checking Account
$0 per month
$0
N/A
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Revolut
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Revolut
From $0 per month
$0
4.25% on balances of $0+
3.25% on balances of $0+
Get a $10 cash reward when you first use you card on a qualifying $1+ transaction.
Revolut is a global fintech that offers up to 40% off international transfers.
SoFi Checking and Savings
Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5: ★★★★★
Bonus
SoFi Checking and Savings
$0 per month
$0
4.60% on balances of $0+
0.50% on balances of $0+
1.20% on balances of $0+
Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until June 30, 2024.
Earn up to 4.60% APY on savings by meeting deposit requirements, and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Members without deposit requirements will earn 0.50% APY on both savings and checking balances. Turn on automatic savings or use the Roundups feature to help you reach your savings goals faster. Get up to $2M of additional FDIC insurance through a network of participating banks.
Dave
Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★
Dave
From $1 per month
$0
4.00%
This digital-only deposit account features overdraft protection, interest-free cash advances and no minimum balance.
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Customer experience

Albert holds a decent B rating with the Better Business Bureau, and those ratings are given based on how well a business responds to complaints and customers.

But what’s not so great is Albert’s large number of customer complaints — over 1,000 in the last few years. Most are grievances over being charged for the Genius membership after the free trial ended, with a smattering of other typical banking complaints, like frozen accounts or issues resolving fraudulent charges.

On Trustpilot, Albert doesn’t do so hot either. Nearly every customer review is negative, and many customers cite difficulties transferring money out of the Albert Cash account and long processing times for transfers and deposits. Albert notes that deposits can take between five to six business days for deposits to clear and about two to three days for withdrawals.

Many other negative reviews express frustrations in contacting a real person for customer support. The Albert customer phone line is automated and offers instructions on how to contact a support representative through the Albert app chat function. Many other customers report disappointment with the Albert Instant feature.

To get in contact with Albert customer support, you can:

  • Text 639-37 for chat assistance
  • Call automated phone line for support help or leave a voicemail: 844-891-9309
  • Email support@albert.com

Savings account ratings

★★★★★ — Excellent

★★★★★ — Good

★★★★★ — Average

★★★★★ — Subpar

★★★★★ — Poor

We analyze top savings accounts and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include: interest rates, monthly fees, minimum deposits, customer service and account features.

Read the full methodology of how we rate savings accounts.

Albert says: Albert is not a bank. Banking services provided by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. The Albert Mastercard® debit card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the payer's submission of deposits. When you join Albert, you’ll set up an Albert Cash account and a 30-day trial for Albert Genius as part of the sign-up process. If you cancel within 30 days of signing up, you will not be charged for your subscription. Your subscription will auto-renew until canceled. Cash back terms apply. See app for details. Download to see if you qualify for Albert Instant. Repay the advance with your next paycheck. Fees may apply. All investments involve risk. Advisory services provided by Albert Investments, LLC. Brokerage services provided by Albert Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Albert Savings accounts are held for your benefit at FDIC-insured banks, including Coastal Community Bank, Axos Bank, and Wells Fargo, N.A. Savings bonus may vary.

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Bethany Finder

Writer, Banking and Loans

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