Chase Secure Banking℠ account review
- Fee
- $4.95 per month
- Minimum deposit to open
- $0
Our verdict
A checking account with minimal fees and $100 signup bonus, snarled by an unavoidable monthly fee.
Chase Secure Banking is a checking account that touts no fees for overdrafts, money orders or cashier's checks. It also has no minimum opening deposit requirement and lets you get your paycheck up to two business days earlier when you sign up for direct deposits.
Best for: Consumers looking for an account with no overdraft fees.
Pros
-
No minimum opening deposit
-
No overdraft fees
-
$100 signup bonus
Cons
-
Unavoidable $4.95 monthly fee
-
No check-writing privileges
-
No wire transfers
Who is Chase Secure Banking℠ best for?
Chase Secure Banking is best for consumers who are looking for an account free from overdraft fees. Compared to other checking accounts, it’s light on fees as there are none for money orders, cashier’s checks or overdrafts. But the tradeoff is its unavoidable $4.95 monthly fee and its lack of check-writing privileges and wire transfers.
What makes Chase Secure Banking account shine
The Chase Secure Banking℠ account shines for many of the same reasons Chase’s other checking products shine: a dependable network of branches and a straightforward account. Like the Chase Total Checking, the Secure Banking comes with a solid signup bonus after you open your account and complete 10 qualifying purchases within 60 days. To qualify for this offer, you must request a coupon code by email and apply it when you open the account. Promotion is valid until January 22, 2025.
There’s also no minimum deposit requirement to open the account and no fees for money orders and cashier’s checks. This pairs well with the lack of overdraft fees. A Chase Secure checking account also gives you access to Chase Offers, which grants opportunities to activate rebates with participating merchants that can earn you cash back.
Where Chase falls short
The main sore spot for this account is the $4.95 monthly fee. Unlike some of Chase’s other checking offerings like the Chase Total Checking account, there’s no way to waive the monthly fee. This means the monthly fee is a sort of “tax” in return for the account giving up fees elsewhere, such as the overdraft fee. Unavoidable monthly fees are almost never worth the price if you’re trying to build your financial health as it eats into your hard-earned money. On top of the fee, this account also lacks some basic banking features, like the ability to write checks or perform wire transfers.
Chase Secure Banking’s fees and access
| Type of fee | Fee details |
|---|---|
| Monthly service | $4.95 |
| Opening deposit | $0 |
| ATMs |
|
| Debit card fees |
|
| Overdraft or nonsufficient funds | $0 |
| Wire transfers |
|
| Other fees |
|
Compare Chase with other checking accounts
What is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches over 300 checking accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's monthly fees, overdraft fees, opening deposit, customer support options, ATM network and features — this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of checking accounts against what we consider is the best option: no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, a large ATM network of 50,000 or more, additional features outside of typical banking services, and the optional perk of earning interest. Accounts that are nearly free to maintain and use are scored the highest, while accounts with costly fees and few features are scored the lowest.
What other checking options does Chase offer?
Chase isn’t shy when it comes to checking accounts. If Secure Banking isn’t the right fit, consider the following alternatives:
- Chase Total Checking®. A straightforward checking account with all of the benefits of banking with Chase. Unlike the Chase Secure account, you can waive the monthly fee by setting up monthly direct deposits of $500, having a $1,500 account balance each morning, or having a combined balance of $5,000 or more in your account and any other linked qualifying Chase accounts or investments.
- Chase Premier Plus Checking. Unlock multiple fee waivers, including out-of-network ATM fees, money orders and cashier’s checks fees and fees for Chase-designed checks. While you earn 0.01% interest on your balance, this account will run you $25 per month.
- Chase First Banking. A parent-owned checking account for kids ages six to 17 with no monthly service fee.
- Chase High School Checking. A checking account designed for students 13 to 17 years old but requires a cosigner and a linked parent or guardian Chase personal checking account.
- Chase College Checking℠. An account for college students ages 17 to 24 with a $12 monthly fee.
- Chase Private Client Checking℠. A personalized account with all the perks of Sapphire Banking but additional benefits, including a dedicated banker and banking advisor. Comes with a 0.01% APY and a monthly service fee of $35.
Chase customer experience
Contact Chase bank in one of the following ways.
- Call 800-935-9935.
- Tweet @ChaseSupport or sending a message to its Facebook account @chase.
- Speak to a local banker at any of its 4,700 nationwide branches.
There are no customer reviews of Chase Secure Banking on social media, though many consumers tend to enjoy Chase’s services and customer service compared to other major banks on the market.
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.
Your reviews
Kimberly Finder
Writer
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