Chase is one of the biggest banks in the country, while Capital One accounts hold their own in the online market. On the whole, Chase might be a much larger bank, but Captial One’s personal accounts often provide more value. However, if you need investing services, Chase remains the better choice.
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| Bonus | $250 bonus with 360 Checking when you use code CHECKING250 and receive at least two direct deposits of at least $500 each within 75 days of account opening. |
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| Savings | APY: Up to 3.6% | APY: Up to 0.02% |
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| Branches | Nearly 300 branches, including cafe locations | Around 5,000 branches in 48 states |
Capital One and Chase are both FDIC-insured banks with millions of customers between them.
Compared to Capital One, Chase Bank has significantly more customers, branch locations and services. Chase is also the largest bank in the US by asset size and the biggest bank among the Big Four. Chase offers nearly everything: lending, bank accounts, investing, business banking, certificates of deposit (CDs) and more.
Capital One holds its own against Chase, though. It is a mostly online bank, so Chase has more physical locations, but Capital One does have a few hundred physical branches across the states. And while Chase is larger, Capital One boasts a network of over 70,000 ATMs, significantly more than Chase’s modest 15,000. Capital One also offers lending services, multiple account options, CDs and business accounts.
There’s no question that Chase wins in terms of variety, but if you’re looking for affordability, Capital One might be the way to go. Chase’s personal bank accounts come with monthly fees — aside from the kid and teen options — whereas Capital One doesn’t charge monthly service fees at all.
Capital One’s bank accounts are:
Chase’s bank accounts include:
Chase and Capital One are neck-and-neck when it comes to borrowing options. With either bank, you’ll find a variety of credit cards, as well as business banking, auto loans and commercial lending options. However, neither Chase nor Capital One offers personal loans.
In 2019, Capital One exited the investing advisor business and retail brokerage services. So, if you’re looking for a bank with investing, Chase would be the one to pick between the two.
Chase is well-known for its investing services and wealth management options. It offers Self-Directed Investing, advisory services, IRAs, commission-free online trades and its renowned JPMorgan Wealth Plan.
When it comes to avoiding fees, there’s no question that Capital One is a better choice than Chase.
Capital One’s personal accounts don’t charge any monthly fees, while Chase offers the ability to waive monthly fees on some accounts. However, unless you can meet those requirements, you’ll be stuck paying to keep an account open — and those fees range anywhere from $4.95 to $35 per month.
Chase also charges out-of-network ATM fees and has a smaller ATM network than Capital One. Cap One’s network is over 70,000, and it doesn’t charge you if you use an ATM outside its network (though third-party fees may apply).
Chase has a mountain of customer feedback to sort through, which makes sense, considering it’s the largest bank in the country. It has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and isn’t accredited. Many complaints and reviews are about typical banking issues, such as deposits taking a while to clear, struggles to resolve fraudulent charges, problems with credit cards and so on.
Capital One is also an older bank with tons of customer reviews. It holds an A+ rating and is accredited by the BBB, so that’s slightly better than Chase. Capital One’s reviews are similar to Chase’s, which are mostly typical banking issues.
For Chase, many Redditors say the bank is fine if you can waive the fees. On the whole, the most common Chase praises for the bank are about its credit cards, investing services and decent loan APRs.
For Captial One, many Redditors specifically compare Chase to Captial One, saying they prefer Cap One over the larger banks. Additionally, many users mention that Capital One is more designed for the average Joe, thanks to its low credit score requirements on credit cards and no-fee bank accounts. Many Redditors mention the large ATM network and free cash withdrawals at retail locations.
Capital One is the better option for banking. Its 360 Checking and 360 Savings accounts are simply better — you’ll get higher APYs and fewer fees. Cap One also doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on its debit cards, making it a great bank for frequent travelers.
Chase has an edge in terms of branch locations, but if you haven’t been to a branch in years, that pro may not matter to you at all. Chase charges monthly service fees on almost all its accounts. If you can’t waive the fees, you’re nickeled and dimed just for having a bank account — which we think is unnecessary when there are so many fee-free accounts out there.
But, if you want investing services, Chase is the clear winner over Capital One, as it doesn’t offer these services anymore.
It’s great if you want fee-free checking and savings accounts, but it doesn’t offer investing.
Its credit cards and branch access are hard to beat, but banking with Chase isn’t guaranteed to be a fee-free experience.
Naturally, Chase and Capital One aren’t your only two options for banking. Consider these other top banks if you need something different.
SoFi Plus is a new membership option for SoFi customers that’s free with qualifying direct deposits and earns extra rewards and higher APYs.
Bank of America is a dependable and accessible bank network, but keep an eye out for monthly fees compared to other options.
Zelle transfer limits vary by bank. Some of the banks with the highest Zelle limits include Capital One, SoFi, Chase, PNC and Wells Fargo.
Zelle users can no longer use its standalone app to send or receive money.
Capital One does work with Zelle and has one of the highest Zelle transfer limits available. See how to get started here.
Popular online bank SoFi is one of the only fintechs that works will Zelle, a peer-to-peer money transfer app.
Chime offers a competitive $100 referral bonus and a $100 direct deposit bonus when you meet certain requirements. See details here.
Many banks offer early direct deposit up to 2 days early, including SoFi, Chase, Chime, Discover, Huntington and many more. See the full list.
A financial app with cash advances, banking and budgeting tools.
Cardless cash provides a convenient way to use an ATM without their card. If you often go out without your wallet, or want to make it easier for family members to take out money, this is a feature that deserves a second look.