Chase First Banking review

Who is Chase First Banking best for?

Chase First Banking is best for:

• Parents who are existing Chase checking account customers
• Kids between the ages of six and 17
• Adult and child who share same residential address

Although the account is designed for kids aged six to 17 years old, they can continue using it once they turn 18. Unlike most kids’ checking accounts that transition to adult ones, this one remains the same, according to a customer rep we spoke to.

What we like about Chase First Banking

Chase First Banking is powered by Greenlight, a kids’ debit card platform known for its ease of use and flexible parental controls. But while Greenlight charges a monthly fee starting at $4.99, you get this kids’ Chase checking account for free. With no monthly fee, chore and allowance tracking and customizable parental controls, there’s a lot to like about this account.

Flexible parental controls

The Chase First Banking account has two mobile apps: one for your kid and the Chase Mobile app to manage your account.

Similar to many other kids’ cards, parents can set limits for spending and ATM withdrawals and get real-time alerts when their child makes a purchase.

And if your child is out and short on cash, they can send you a real-time request for more funds. Once you approve the request, funds are instantly transferred for free.

Chore and allowances

With Chase First Banking, parents can assign chores and pay one-time or recurring allowances. By earning money through the chore and allowance tracking, kids put those funds toward set savings goals and spend their money using their Chase First Banking debit card. And if you have multiple kids, parents can set up to five accounts.

Where Chase First Banking falls short

The Chase First Banking account has a few potential downsides. If you’re not already a Chase customer with one of the required Chase accounts, you can’t open the Chase First Banking account. And only one parent can open and manage a Chase First Banking account, so it can’t be co-managed by two parents unless you’re willing to share login information.

Lacking some key features for working teens

This Chase account has some limitations that make it not-so-great for older teens with jobs, since this account doesn’t support direct deposit or remote check deposit. Kids also can’t link their Chase First Banking debit card to Apple Pay or Google Pay or use their debit card for peer-to-peer transactions with Venmo, PayPal or Cash App.

Features and services unavailable with the Chase First Banking account include:

Chase First Banking‘s fees and access

Type of fee	Fee details
Monthly service	$0
Opening deposit	$0
ATMs	Domestic: $0 with Chase ATMs, $3 out-of-network fee International: $5 per withdrawal, $3 for inquiries or transfers
Debit card fees	Cash withdrawals: $0 with Chase ATM Foreign transactions: 3% after conversion to US dollars Card replacement: $5
Overdraft or nonsufficient funds	$0
Wire transfers	N/A
Other fees	Paper statements: $6 Account closure: $0

Compare Chase First Banking to other top bank accounts

Check out more checking accounts by monthly fees, APY and minimum deposit to open.

How to open the Chase First Banking

Kids must be between the ages of six and 17 to be eligible for the account. Kids can’t open the account on their own and need a parent to open it for them. Also, parents must have one of these Chase accounts before they can open the Chase First Banking account for their kid:

• Chase Secure Banking℠
• Chase Total Checking®
• Chase Premier Plus Checking
• Chase Sapphire Checking
• Chase Private Client Checking℠

Customer experience

JPMorgan Chase has a lot of customer feedback, but the majority of the reviews are in reference to other products and services. Chase sports the highest Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of A+, but it’s not accredited by the BBB. The BBB rating is based on how well Chase responds to customer complaints and feedback, so the bank appears to make a significant effort to resolve issues.

Like other long-standing banks, Chase has a large number of complaints — over 4,000 in the last few years. Its reviews are largely poor on BBB and Trustpilot, with most negative experiences and reviews referencing issues resolving fraud, account closures, issues with auto loans and poor customer service. Based on the sheer number of complaints around its fraud resolution, Chase’s fraud department may need improvement.

Chase has over 4,700 physical branches across 48 states, so your customer support is likely to vary.

Chase First Banking is not currently available on Finder

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Learn more

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