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Our verdict

A high-yield checking account that lets you earn up to 8% APY on balances up to $15,000.

BCU is a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union that currently serves over 350,000 members. Its PowerPlus Checking account is one of the highest-yielding checking accounts on the market, paying up to 8% APY if you meet certain eligibility requirements. The account also doesn’t come with minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees. That said, the competitive 8% APY is only limited to the first $15,000. Also, you could only earn it for the first three months, and then it goes down to 4.00% APY after that.

Best for: People who want to earn competitive interest on the first $15,000 of their idle funds.

Pros

  • Offers up to 8% APY
  • No minimum balance to earn interest
  • No monthly maintenance fees

Cons

  • High APYs limited to the first $15,000
  • Must meet direct deposit, estatement and transaction requirements to earn the rate
  • Credit union membership required

In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Your reviews
  • Ask a question

Who is BCU’s PowerPlus Checking best for?

BCU’s PowerPlus Checking account is best for those who meet the credit union’s eligibility requirements and want to maximize their earnings by parking their idle funds in a checking account with a high APY. Plus, you don’t need to meet minimum balance requirements to start earning interest.

That said, the high APY only applies to the first $15,000. Anything beyond that earns just 0.01% APY. So, if you have a large balance, you may want to move excess funds to high-yield savings accounts to make the most of your money.

How to become a BCU member

Like most credit unions, BCU requires you to become a member to access their products and services. However, it offers some simple eligibility requirements.

You can become a BCU member online by subscribing to the free newsletter Life. Money. You., financial well-being program.

Other ways to join include:

  • You’re employed by one of the credit union’s partnered companies.
  • You live in one of the seven community charter counties in Illinois or Wisconsin, or live in Puerto Rico.
  • You are the immediate family member or extended qualifying family member of an existing BCU member.

What we like about BCU’s PowerPlus Checking

What we like most about BCU’s PowerPlus Checking is that it offers up to 8% APY, which is rare since most financial institutions don’t let you earn much with their checking accounts. The average rate for interest-bearing checking accounts is just 0.07%.(1)

Interest tiers

The PowerPlus Checking Account comes in two tiers: Level One and Level Two.

You’re eligible for Level One if you enroll in eStatements, have at least $1,000 of direct deposits and make 15 transactions or more each month. Level One accounts earn a base rate of 1.00% APY for the first $15,000, and New Level One members get a limited three-month offer of 4.00% APY.

To be eligible for Level Two, you’ll need to enroll in eStatements, have at least $3,000 in direct deposits and make at least 30 transactions each month. Level Two accounts earn a base rate of 4.00% APY, new Level Two members also get to enjoy a higher 8% APY for the first three months.

Helpful content and extra perks

Another thing we like about BCU’s PowerPlus Checking is that the product page comes with several support videos that answer questions customers may have about the account. For example, how to set up direct deposits, sign up for eStatements and check your qualifications.

It also has a handy tool that helps you calculate exactly how much interest you could earn based on your account balance. Plus, you get ATM fee refunds of up to $10 or $20 a month, depending on your account tier.

Where it falls short

While the base rates of 4.00% and 1.00% APY are a major draw, there’s a catch: These rates only apply to the first $15,000 in your account. For balances over $15,000, you’ll only earn 0.01% APY, regardless of which tier you’re on.

And if you don’t meet the three requirements — enrolling in eStatements, having a certain amount in direct deposits and making at least a certain number of transactions each month — you won’t earn any interest at all.

Another potential drawback is that to be eligible for the PowerPlus Checking Account, you must be a member of the credit union first. While BCU doesn’t charge any membership fees and offers some easy ways to join, it’s still just another hoop you gotta jump through.

BCU’s PowerPlus Checking fees and access

Type of feeFee details
Monthly service
$0
Opening deposit
$0
ATMs
$0 on in-network ATMs
Debit card fees
  • Cash withdrawals: $0 out-of-network ATM fees, but operator fees may apply
  • Foreign transactions: 1% of the transaction amount
  • Card replacement: $0 ($20 for rush deliveries)
Overdraft or nonsufficient funds
$29 for Courtesy Payment service fee (accounts in good standing, account holders not in good standing can not overdraft).

A Courtesy Payment service fee will not be charged for any transaction that brings the available balance in the account negative by $100 or less.

Wire transfers
  • Incoming
    • Domestic: $35
    • International: $45
  • Outgoing
    • Domestic: $35
    • International: $45

Compare BCU’s PowerPlus Checking to other checking accounts

Narrow down top checking accounts by opening deposits, fees and APYs. You can also tick the Compare box on up to four providers to see features side by side.

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Product Finder Score Fee Minimum deposit to open Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Bonus offer
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Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until January 31, 2026.
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4.00% on balances of $0 to $1,000,000
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Get a $50 referral bonus by inviting your friends to join Current. Once the person receives the invite link and makes qualifying deposits of at least $200 within 45 days of opening the account, you and the referred friend each earn $50
BCU PowerPlus™ Checking
BCU logo
Finder score
$0 per month
$0
8.00% on balances of $1 to $15,000
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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.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

Customer reviews and ratings

BBB accreditedYes
BBB ratingA+
BBB customer reviews1.41 out of 5 stars, based on 69 customer reviews
Trustpilot score1.9 out of 5 stars, based on 16 customer reviews
App Store Score4.9 out of 5 stars, based on 88,100 customer reviews
Google Play Score4 out of 5 stars, based on 861 customer reviews
Customer reviews verified as of05 March 2025

BCU is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has the highest rating available. That said, it does have quite a few complaints on the site and a less-than-ideal rating for customer reviews. Though most of these negative reviews weren’t directly targeted at the credit union’s PowerPlus Checking Account, many customers complained about BCU’s frustrating customer service, slow responses to fraud claims and long wait times for support.

BCU also has a pretty low 1.9-star rating on Trustpilot — though it’s only based on 16 reviews, so you may want to take it with a grain of salt. Still, almost half of the negative reviews on the site were about the credit union’s poor customer service.

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.

1. Membership must be opened between 7/1/2024 and 12/31/2025 to receive this promotional offer. The 3-month introductory period begins the month the membership is opened and ends on the last calendar day of the 4th month. During the 3-month introductory period Level 1 will earn 4.00% APY and Level 2 will earn 8.00% APY. After the 3-month introductory period, balances up to $15,000 will earn the stated higher rate and the portion of the balance over $15,000 will earn the stated lower rate. See rate sheet or website for current rates. The member account must meet all requirements to achieve either Level 1 or Level 2 for all three months to be eligible to receive the respective higher APY. To earn monthly dividends and reimbursements of other banks’ ATM surcharge fees up to $20.00 per month, your account must meet all three of these requirements to qualify for Level 1 or Level 2. Please note, Level 1 ATM surcharge fees are covered up to $10.00 per month and Level 2 ATM surcharge fees are covered up to $20.00 per month. To achieve Level 1, you must have monthly direct deposits totaling at least $1,000 into your PowerPlus Checking account on an ongoing monthly basis, enrollment in eStatements and completion of at least fifteen (15) qualified transactions. To achieve Level 2, you must have direct deposits totaling at least $3,000 into your PowerPlus Checking account on an ongoing monthly bases, enrollment in eStatements and completion of at least thirty (30) qualified transactions. Qualified transactions include any combination of the following: BCU Debit Card PIN, Debit Card Signature, credit card purchases, Online Bill Pay or ACH payments, which will apply toward the monthly requirements in the month they post to your account. Credit card transactions that post on the last day of the month will be applied toward the following month’s transaction total. Accounts not meeting all monthly requirements will not earn dividends and will not receive reimbursements of other banks’ ATM surcharge fees and will not be eligible for the increased APY offer during the introductory period. Rate accurate as of 1/1/2025. The dividend rate and annual percentage yield (APY) may change at any time. Balances up to $15,000 will earn the stated higher rate and the portion of the balance over $15,000 will earn the stated lower rate. See rate sheet or website for current rates. There is no minimum balance required to earn dividends. Dividends are paid monthly and calculated based on the average daily balance method. Fees may reduce earnings. PowerPlus Checking is available as a personal account only and is limited to one account per member. When Opted In, if you do not have sufficient available funds in your checking account to clear a presented item, funds may automatically transfer from your savings or money market share and may count towards withdrawal limitations for that savings or money market share (Electronic funds transfers from savings and money market shares, which include overdraft transfers are limited to six per month). Each electronic funds transfer in excess of six per month is subject to a $3 excessive withdrawal fee. See Service Charge and Fee Schedule in Consumer Member Service Agreement for further details. PowerPlus™ Checking is a trademark of BCU.

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