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★★★★★
Checking accounts provide easy access to your money when you need it for textbooks or dinner with friends. Students between the ages of 17 and 24 may want to consider the Chase College Checking account. There’s no monthly maintenance fee as long as you’re in school and get a signup bonus as a new customer. You won’t earn interest with this account, however, and Chase only has branches in 29 states around the country.
$6 per month
Monthly fee
0%
APY
$0
Minimum deposit to open
| Monthly fee | $6 per month |
|---|---|
| To waive the fee | Have any ONE of the following: • College enrollment for up to five years • OR a direct deposit made to this account (Direct deposits can be an ACH credit, payroll, pension or government benefits such as Social Security) • OR an average ending day balance of $5,000 or more in this account |
| Minimum deposit to open | $0 |
| Intro or bonus offer | New Chase customers can get a $100 signup bonus when they enroll in paperless statements and complete 10 qualifying transactions within 60 days of account opening. Offer expires 04/9/2020. |
| ATMs | 16,000 Chase ATMs and nearly 4,900 branches nationwide |
| ATM transaction fee | $0 |
| Out-of-network ATM fee | $2.50 in the US or $5 outside the US |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% |
| Overdraft fee | $34 |
| Nonsufficient funds fee | $34 |
Review by
Peter Carleton is a writer that covers banking and investing, breaking down what you need to know about where you put your money. When Peter's not thinking about cutting-edge banking apps and robo-advisors, he runs a creative agency and spends his spare time cooking or reading.
The Chase College Checking account is for college students between the ages of 17 and 24. The account offers standard mobile banking features and no monthly maintenance fee as long as you’re actively enrolled in college.
If you plan to study abroad, note that there’s a 3% foreign transaction fee and any out-of-network international ATMs come with a $5 withdrawal fee.
Chase Banking
$100 signup bonus when you open a new account
Offer valid for Chase College Checking through April 9, 2020, when you enroll in paperless statements and complete 10 qualifying transactions within 60 days of account opening.
Last verified
As the top bank in the US, Chase offers the security, services and customer support that you’d expect. This account, geared for students, sports features like free online bill pay and account alerts.
This account comes with a Visa debit card with access to the largest bank-owned ATM network, with over 16,000 across the country. While you won’t be charged fees at these locations, you will at non-Chase ATMs:
Despite multiple banking options and security features, watch out for Chase College Checking bank fees.
If you prefer an interest-bearing checking account with no foreign transaction fee, you’ll want to keep looking. As always, compare your options when looking for a checking account.
Dawn Daniels
Associate Editor
Chase branches are everywhere in major cities, and their in-person customer service has always been stellar. But calling customer service when you can’t get to a branch leaves a lot to be desired. Last time I needed a new debit card, it took me over four months to get one — the bank sent me a card in the mail with no PIN and refused to send a PIN or give me one over the phone. I couldn’t get a working card until I was able to visit a branch.
I moved to a city shortly after, so it made sense to keep my Chase card. But if I ever move back to an area with no local branches, I’ll switch banks to avoid hours on the phone getting transferred between customer service agents.
There’s no minimum deposit required to open this account and no monthly minimum balance.
Opening a Chase College Checking account can be done online or at a branch.
Follow these steps for applying online:
1. Visit the Chase website and click Checking accounts.
2. Click Are you a college student?
3. Click Open account and fill in your personal information including your name, address and Social Security number.
4. Proceed through each step and enter all required information, then click Next.
5. Once your application is complete, you’ll need to fund the account.
6. After your initial deposit has been made, you can submit your application.
To qualify for the Chase College Checking account, you’ll need to:
When applying for this checking account, be prepared to provide the following:
You’ll find a few other checking accounts at Chase, including:
Read about the Chase Total Business Checking account
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
We analyze top checking accounts and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include: monthly fees, the ease at which monthly fees can be waived, the breadth of ATM access, ATM and overdraft fees, and customer service.