You’ll need to apply for an account before you can set up your Joint Cards.
- Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
- From the provider site, select Get started.
- Enter your email address and choose Continue.
- Create a password and select Continue.
- Answer a question regarding how you learned about Zeta, then choose Continue.
- On the Welcome to Zeta screen, select Continue.
5 steps to set up your Zeta Joint Cards
Once you’ve created a Zeta account follow these steps:
- Provide your first name, last name and phone number, then select Continue.
- Pick your relationship status and enter your partner’s first name.
- Enter a team name for your Joint Cards account.
- Link an existing bank account using Plaid or manually enter your account details.
- Provide your partner’s email address so Zeta can invite them to create an account.
Once your partner has created a Zeta account and confirmed their connection to you, you’ll both receive Zeta Joint Cards tied to the same bank account. Together, the account and cards will let you both spend and save as a team.
Eligibility
To open a Zeta account, both you and your partner must meet these requirements:
- US citizens or legal residents
- At least 18 years old
- Permanent physical residential address in the US
- US phone numbers
Required information
In addition to meeting the above criteria, you and your partner must provide your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Zeta’s joint cards and checking account offers financial quizzes, articles and resources for couples and families. Plus these benefits:
- No monthly fee or minimum deposit. There are no monthly fees associated and you can open the account with as little as $0.
- Earns interest. All of the funds in your account will earn 0.2% APY, which is higher than the national average at 0.03% APY for interest-bearing checking accounts.
- Get paid early. If you or your partner set up direct deposit, you can get paid up to two days early.
- Flexibility and transparency. Both you and your partner can deposit and withdraw funds, and you’ll both receive notifications about any transactions.
- Free digital checks. Although there are no paper checks, you can write and send digital checks for no extra charge.
- Savings goals. You can define Goals and activate autosaving to set aside money regularly. Plus you can use Bill Reserve to set aside money for upcoming bills.
Zeta is a mobile account, so you can only access your account through the mobile app. Zeta Joint Cards also has these drawbacks:
- No phone support. The only way to get assistance is by messaging Zeta’s human concierge support through the app or emailing vip@askzeta.com.
- No individual accounts. If you and your partner split up, you’ll have to find a different bank because Zeta doesn’t support personal accounts.
- No bill pay. Zeta doesn’t offer bill pay functionality, but it plans to support it in the future.
- Lack of control. You or your partner are able to withdraw all funds from your account and close it at any time.
- No overdraft protection. Instead of offering actual overdraft protection, Zeta will draw funds from your Bill Reserve then your Goals if you deplete your Available to Spend balance.
- P2P payment restrictions. Venmo and some other peer-to-peer payment services only allow joint checking accounts to link to one user. However, you can connect your Zeta Joint Card to your Venmo account, and your partner could link your Zeta bank account to their Venmo account.
- Spending limits. During your first 30 days as a Zeta user, both you and your partner will be limited to spending $500 daily with your Joint Cards. Beyond 30 days, that limit rises to $2,000 daily per card.
You can use your Zeta Joint Card for free at any of the 32,000 ATMs in the MoneyPass network. If you use an ATM outside of that network, you’ll likely pay a fee to the ATM owner.
Zeta uses bank-level security to protect your data and your money. Plus your funds are insured by the FDIC up to $500,000 through Radius Bank and LendingClub Bank. But it lacks security in that either you or your partner can empty and close the account at any time without consulting one another.
You and your partner can deposit and withdraw money from your account in multiple ways.
Deposit
- Direct deposit. Deposit both your paychecks into your account.
- Incoming ACH transfer. Link another bank to your Zeta account and transfer funds at any time.
- ATM deposit. Deposit cash into your Zeta account at more than 30,000 ATMs in the US. Use the Zeta app to find ATMs where deposits are accepted.
- Mobile deposit. Use the Zeta app and your smartphone’s camera to deposit paper checks.
Withdraw
- ATMs. Withdraw funds from any ATM, though you’ll likely pay a fee if you use an ATM outside of the AllPass network.
- ACH transfers. Use the app to transfer money to an external bank account.
- Withdraw cash at retailers. Withdraw cash at some brick-and-mortar retailers after making a purchase.
- Outgoing wire transfers. Domestically or internationally wire funds, but you’ll pay a fee either way.
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.
Read the full methodology of how we rate checking accounts.