Sign up & start saving!
Get our weekly newsletter for the latest in money news, credit card offers + more ways to save
Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own. Advertiser Disclosure
Porte Banking review
Get paid early and raise money for charity with every swipe, but you’ll only earn rewards with participating retailers.
finder.com’s rating: 3.8 / 5.0
★★★★★
Porte is an online-only banking account that matches 0.05% of every purchase you make and donates it to a participating charity of your choice. Porte also lets you get paid early and earn rewards through participating businesses. But it lacks in customer support if you’re not already a customer.$0 per month
Fee
Details
| APY | N/A |
|---|---|
| Fee | $0 per month |
| ATMs | Free withdrawals at 32,000 MoneyPass® ATMs located around the United States. |
| ATM transaction fee | $0 |
| Out-of-network ATM fee | $2.50 |
| Overdraft fee | $20 |
Review by
Michael Benninger
michael.benninger@finder.comMichael Benninger is a staff banking writer at Finder. He is a former credit analyst and longtime freelancer whose articles have been published by Intuit, Business Insider and the Los Angeles Times. Michael is passionate about all facets of personal finance and has written hundreds of articles about money management during the past decade.
Expert review
Porte Banking is best for those who want to give back by donating to charities because it lets you raise money for meaningful causes without costing you. We don’t know of any other checking account that offers this feature and lets you choose the charity. However, Porte limits you to choose between the four charities they’ve selected.With Porte you’ll also get paid early and you have the potential to earn up to 10% in cashback rewards. But unlike most checking accounts that allow you to earn rewards on most purchases, you’ll only earn cash back with Porte when you make a purchase through one of their participating retailers, which changes every four to six weeks.
If you don’t shop at any of its selected participating businesses, you might earn more with other rewards checking accounts like LendingClub Rewards Checking where you’ll earn 1% cashback on any online or signature-based purchase you make, plus up to 0.15% APY depending on your account balance.
Also, for an online bank, Porte lacks in customer service. I tried calling Porte several times, but the system doesn’t let you through if you’re not a current customer. If you have any questions before signing up for this account, you’re limited to email.
How do I open a Porte account?
Opening a Porte Banking account takes about five minutes.
- Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
- From the provider website, select Get the app or use your smartphone and search for Porte on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
- Download and install the app, then launch it and tap Sign me up.
- Enter your name and email address, then agree to the terms and tap Next.
- Enter the verification code sent to your email address.
- Complete the signup process and link a funding source.
Eligibility
To open a Porte Banking account, you must meet these requirements:
- At least 18 years old
- US citizen or permanent resident
Required information
Have this information ready when applying for an account.
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Driver’s license or government ID
What are the benefits of a Porte Banking account?
Porte‘s checking account comes with these attractive features.- Charitable giving. Porte will match 0.05% of every purchase you make with the debit card and donate it to the participating charity of your choice without costing you a cent. But you’re limited to four charities: Save the Children, The National Park Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States and GLAAD.
- No monthly fees. There’s no ongoing service fee associated with this account.
- Get paid early. If you get paid via direct deposit, Porte will process your paycheck up to two days early.
- Earn rewards. You’re automatically added to Porte‘s rewards program where you can earn up to 10% cashback. While this is a benefit, you’ll only earn cash back when you shop at a participating business. If you don’t shop at any of the available businesses listed on Porte‘s app, you may earn more with other rewards checking accounts.
- Accepts cash deposits. Unlike many other online-only banking accounts, Porte accepts cash deposits at participating retailers, but there’s a $3.95 fee per deposit.
- Overdraft Choice. Porte offers an optional overdraft service that costs $20 for every overdraft. This is lower than the penalty fee most banks charges, which is typically around $35. Plus, you can avoid Porte‘s $20 fee if you repay the overdrawn amount within 24 hours. If you elect to opt-out of this service, any purchases that would result in an overdraft will be declined.
- High-yield savings account. When you open a Porte Banking account, you open the Porte‘s options high-yield savings account that earns 3.00% APY on balances up to $15,000 and 0.50% after that.
What should I look out for?
Porte Banking also has a handful of drawbacks you should keep in mind before opening an account.- No joint accounts. Porte Banking doesn’t support joint accounts at this time.
- Can’t write checks. Although the account doesn’t offer check-writing capabilities, you can deposit checks using the mobile app.
- No branches or online chat. Many online banks offer support via chat, but Porte doesn’t. And because Porte doesn’t have any branches, you can only contact a support specialist by calling 800-267-7080 if you’re a current customer or emailing humansupport@cs.portebanking.com if you’re not.
If you’re after more customer service options or higher rewards, explore other rewards checking accounts.
Porte‘s ATM network and fees
Porte lets you access your money for free from more than 32,000 ATMs in the nationwide MoneyPass network. If you use an ATM that’s not in this network, you’ll pay a $2.50 fee to Porte, plus any ATM owner fees.Compare Porte with other checking accounts
Use this table to compare checking accounts based on fees, ATM networks and initial required deposits.
How do I deposit or withdraw my money?
Porte gives you several ways to move money into and out of your account.Deposit
You can deposit funds into your Porte Banking account in any of the following ways.
- Mobile deposits. Use your smartphone’s camera and the Porte app to deposit paper checks.
- Cash deposits. Make cash deposits at several national retailers, but there’s a $3.95 fee.
- Incoming ACH transfers. Link another bank and transfer funds into your Porte account.
- Incoming wire transfers. There’s no fee for incoming domestic wire transfers.
Withdraw
Withdraw funds from your Porte Banking account in any of the following ways.
- ATM withdrawals. Withdraw funds for free from any MoneyPass ATM.
- Outgoing ACH transfers. Link another bank and transfer funds out of your Porte account.
- Outgoing wire transfers. There’s no fee for outgoing domestic wire transfers.
How to contact Porte customer service?
If you have questions about Porte Banking or need help with your account, contact the company in the following ways.
- Call 800-267-7080 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT or weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT.
- Email humansupport@cs.portebanking.com.
- Send a direct message via Twitter to @portebanking.
Checking account ratings
★★★★★ — 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.