Have you been denied a bank account due to your ChexSystems record having negative information? If so, there are banks that don’t use ChexSystems which might be just what you need.
Many financial institutions deny those with a negative banking history a bank account. Banks mostly do this to minimize their risk exposure. While this may limit your banking options, you might still be eligible to open a bank account through second chance banking, even with a negative report.
The good news here is that many banks and credit unions offer second chance banking options, allowing you to pick and choose the one that best works for you. As with everything else in life, keep in mind that you might need to make some compromises by giving up on some of the features that might come standard with other accounts.
Even so, opening such an account can still be of great benefit in the long term and can even allow you to build a stronger credit score.
21 Banks that Don’t Use ChexSystems
Here are the Best Non-ChexSystems Banks you can start using today:
- US Bank
- Varo Bank
- Chime
- Wells Fargo
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- Renasant Bank
- United Bank
- SoFi
- First American Bank
- Peoples Bank
- Acorns
- Sable
- TD Ameritrade
- Huntington National Bank
- Current
- FSNB
- 1st Convenience Bank
- GoBank
- Axiom
- Woodforest National Bank
- Bank OZK
1. US Bank 
- Account: Smartly Checking
US Bank is the bank of US Bancorp, a bank holding company based in Minneapolis. Its area of focus is the West and Midwest and has over 3,100 branches and close to 5,000 ATMs.
The bank offers a wide range of products and services, which aren’t limited to the consumer market alone. Other areas this bank operates include insurance, investment banking, wealth management, and many others.
The bank’s Smartly Checking Account is an excellent option if you’ve got a negative ChexSystems report. The account comes with a Visa Debit Card and online and mobile banking (including mobile deposits).
While the account does away with certain features (like check writing), it includes free access to your credit score through the TransUnion CreditView dashboard.
The bank allows you to open accounts online through its website, which uses 128-bit encryption to keep communications secure. You can also make an appointment at their branch. However, it might be wise to give them a call beforehand to ensure they are receiving customers at this time.
Learn More:
| Bank | Bonus | Expires | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. Bank U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking |
up to $400 | June 20, 2023 |
|
Learn More |
2. Varo Bank 
Varo Bank, also known as Varo Money, is a neobank offering full-servicing banking. They have no branches, so all interactions need to be done online or through the accompanying app.
Varo was founded in 2015 and, while open to all Americans, feels like banking aimed at millennials and young people looking for a different banking experience than traditional banks.
Varo doesn’t offer all of the products and services that you might find in a traditional bank. Still, you’ll find things like a savings account with a 3.00% – 5.00% APY, a checking account, early access to paychecks, a secured card to help build credit, and a cash advance service.
You can get a Varo Bank Account without having to go through ChexSystems. The account has no maintenance fees, no foreign transaction fees, and free ATM withdrawals from 55,000 ATMs.
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3. Chime 
- Account: Chime Checking Account
Chime is an online bank that promises to earn with you and not off you. They make the bulk of their money through the fee merchants pay when you spend using your Chime debit card. By doing this, Chime can offer its customer accounts with low fees, if any at all.
There are no minimum balances to maintain and no monthly charges either. Their ATM network is over 32,000 ATMs, from which you can withdraw money without paying a fee. Furthermore, there are no overdraft fees, which, as Chime points out, cost the average American household some $250 a year.
Chime does not use any credit reporting agency – ChexSystems or otherwise when opening an account. You also get many different ways to save money, including their secured credit card which can add an average of 30 points to your credit score.
Besides all this, you can get your pay up to 2 days earlier and a fee-free overdraft of $100 through SpotMe.
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4. Wells Fargo 
- Account: Clear Access Banking
Wells Fargo was founded in 1929 and is one of the biggest banks in the US. Due to its size and reach, the Financial Stability Board considers this bank to be of systematic importance and has headquarters in New York and California. Wells Fargo currently operates some 7,200 branches and 13,000 ATMs.
While the bank runs customers through ChexSystems for some of its accounts, some accounts bypass this check. These special accounts give those customers who have a bad credit history an opportunity to open an account with them.
Even so, accounts come with several features that can help you improve your financial situation. There are Zero liability protection and no NSF or overdraft fees. You also get several tools to help you with your budgeting, cash flow, as well as spending.
On the other hand, you won’t be able to write checks from your account, and there is a monthly fee of $5.00 with no waivers.
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5. Navy Federal Credit Union 
Navy Federal Credit Union is a credit union for active duty and retired members of the Department of Defence (DoD), the armed forces, the national guard, their families, and those living in the same household.
The credit union offers deposit accounts, loans, credit cards, and several other personal finance products and services.
Generally, Navy FCU doesn’t pull a ChexSystems report. However, they might check your credit report with a bureau when applying for membership, which in most cases will be done through TransUnion.
Late and missed payments are also reported to credit bureaus, so you’ll need to be careful and make sure everything is paid on time.
The account comes with no monthly maintenance fee, and dividends are paid out once a month. The APY rate on checking accounts varies between 0.01% and 0.05%.
The same rate range applies to dividends earned. There is also a minimum deposit requirement that you’ll need to make to open the account.
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6. Renasant Bank
Renasant Bank is a community bank headquartered in Mississippi. With over 200 branches and offices spread across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee (aside from Mississippi), they manage just shy of $15 billion in assets and offer personal and business banking.
Through their website, the bank offers a credit assessment calculator that can help you understand what your credit situation is and how this may impact you when taking out a loan.
When it comes to opening an account, however, the bank does not pull your Chexsystems report. Instead, it will only check if you have anything outstanding with them.
When it comes to checking account options, Renasant bank offers quite a few.
You’ll need to meet the minimum opening deposit requirement of $50 and keep a daily balance of $1,000 or more if you want to avoid paying the $10 monthly maintenance fee.
7. United Bank
- Account: Gateway Checking
United Bank is a community bank serving communities in Southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida. Their head office is located in Nashville and serves both individuals as well as businesses.
United Bank also offers many financing options to the agriculture and forestry sector, including loans for equipment and land and working lines of credit, among others.
The bank also offers checking accounts to those who have either low or no credit. If you keep the account in good shape for six months, the bank will also offer the chance to upgrade to one of their other accounts. The 6-month timeline is half the time that many other banks offer their second-chance customers.
Unlike other banks, however, online banking does not come as standard. Instead, it’s an opt-in feature that costs $4.95 a month. Aside from this, there is also a maintenance fee of $10, which is payable once a month.
There is no debit card, but you can choose from a selection of check options. Here, you’ll also need to pay extra attention to NSFs (insufficient funds), as these will set you back $34.00 each.
8. SoFi 
SoFi is not a bank but rather a personal finance company. It works like a bank in many ways, with many products and services you’d find in a traditional bank. The company was founded in 2011 and is based in San Fransisco, California.
For a 9-year-old company, SoFi has an impressive list of offerings, including a Cash Management Account that doesn’t use ChexSystems reports. Unlike other accounts that don’t use ChexSystems, SoFi Money is also an interest-bearing checking account with an APY of 0.25% on offer if you meet the monthly deposit requirement of $500.
The interest rate is not the only difference SoFi accounts have when compared to other accounts. Since SoFi works with multiple banks, deposits are insured up to $1.5 million – that’s $1.25 million more than you get with other accounts. You can also get up to 15% cash back rewards when making qualified purchases through SoFi Money.
Throughout 2021, SoFi is also hosting monthly sweepstakes with $20,000 in total cash prizes up for grabs. The cheery on the cake is that there are no monthly or account fees, so you get to keep more of your money.
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9. First American Bank
- Account: Fresh Start Checking
First American Bank is a community bank serving customers in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. The bank is privately owned and – even if it’s pretty small – still offers a wide range of services and products to its customer base.
Their Fresh Start Checking account is designed for those looking to get their finances back on track. There is a monthly fee of $9.95 and no minimum balances to maintain, which can help you plan your finances better.
While the bank is relatively small, it partners up with AllPoint and Presto! ATM networks, so you get access to more options for surcharge-free withdrawals.
The bank also offers a comprehensive financial education platform to help you make the most of your account. Here, you’ll find a range of topics and articles that provide advice on several financial subjects and matters – from loans to savings to business and everything in between.
10. Peoples Bank
- Account: Second Chance Checking
Peoples Bank, also known as PB Paris, is a small community bank based in Texas. It was founded in 1988, which makes it a relatively young bank.
They have 2 locations and 2 ATMs but still manage to offer a healthy mix of different accounts and loans for both personal and business users.
Peoples Bank also runs Peoples Cash Solutions, which offers second-chance checking accounts to people denied an account due to bad credit. The bank does exclude anyone with a history of fraud, however.
Accounts come with some great features such as a personal checkbook, a debit card (MasterCard), and free online banking. You can easily apply for the account online, where you’ll also find a list of all the documents that the bank will need to process your application.
There is a minimum opening deposit requirement of $30, which you’ll need to transfer into your account before the bank activates it.
11. Acorns 
- Account: Acorns Checking Account
Acorns is a digital-only back with high-profile investors like Ashton Kutcher, Dwayne Johnson, and Jennifer Lopez. Acorns is primarily an investment platform.
However, they also have a checking account and a money-earning platform that includes cashback programs and job boards.
If you’re looking to open an account with Acorns, you’ll be glad to know that the company will not run a credit check on you. Verification is done through your Acorns account, so you will need to set that up first before applying for the Acorns Spend account.
The bank does not have any physical branches you can visit, so you will need to do everything online. The best way to manage your accounts is through the free banking app that allows you to manage your investments, and retirement plans, as well as your free checking account.
To get the bank account, you’ll need to opt for the Personal account, which will set you back $3 per month. The company also takes its corporate social responsibilities seriously and is planting thousands of trees in the United States.
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12. Sable
Sable is another top pick for second-chance bankers that aims to help them reach financial freedom as quickly as possible with its banking products. Sable doesn’t require credit checks or use ChexSystems to assess your banking history.
While it doesn’t have robust offerings like some of the bigger national banks in this review, it excels at making banking and building credit easy. With Sable, you can get a secured credit card or debit card and an FDIC-insured bank account, gradually building up to unsecured credit.
Sable’s bank account comes with 1% cash back on select purchases, and no annual fees, minimum deposits, or overdraft fees. Sable’s accounts don’t require a Social Security Number, so global applicants can apply with a passport and make affordable international transfers to over 55 countries.
The account also comes with direct deposits and can be added to your digital wallet for use with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung.
While it’s newer to the industry than some of the banks on the list, Sable has more than 400,000 account holders and has a 4.8 rating in the Apple app store.
13. TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade is unique from most of the institutions in this roundup. Instead of a traditional bank, TD Ameritrade is a brokerage. To access its checking services, you’ll need to open a brokerage account.
This account comes with plenty of perks, like streamlining your account management. Rather than having several accounts with different banks, you can invest, trade, shop, and make payments in one place through the Online Cash Services dashboard.
While you may be subjected to a soft credit check when you apply, TD Ameritrade doesn’t use Chexsystems to vet new applicants.
TD Ameritrade’s Online Cash Services account comes with some of the benefits below:
- Free recurring bill payments
- Mobile deposits
- Zero monthly maintenance fees
- Unlimited check writing
14. Huntington National Bank 
Huntington Bank is another solid option if you’re looking to avoid a ChexSystems review. The bank has over 1,000 local branches and thousands of fee-free ATMs nationwide, making it a good choice for people looking for a hands-on banking experience.
It’s also ideal if you have a variety of banking needs as it also has savings, investment options, insurance products, loans, and business and commercial banking.
While Huntington may run a ChexSystems review for some account applications, its Asterisk-Free Checking account could be achievable regardless of your banking background. The account offers basic checking services with no minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees.
It also comes with a 24-hour grace period for overdraft fees if you overdraw from your account, giving you a day to make a payment. You may also be able to upgrade to one of Huntington’s interest-bearing checking accounts.
Huntington has a streamlined app and user-friendly website with tools to help you manage your finances, which can be a valuable asset as you build up your banking reputation.
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15. Current 
Dubbing itself the future of banking, Current is a financial technology company backed by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC. Current aims to make banking simple and accessible, and it doesn’t use your credit report or ChexSystems.
Current’s mobile banking account comes with several benefits, including overdraft protection, competitive APY on savings, 2-day pay advances, and rewards on your Current debit card purchases.
Current also promotes its gas hold feature. While some gas stations put a hold on your account for up to 72 hours after you leave the pump, Current immediately removes the gas hold and frees up your available funds.
The financial platform is growing rapidly, with more than 3 million members and high customer ratings in the App Store and Google Play. You can sign up for an account in 2 minutes.
While Current doesn’t have any local bank branches, it does come with access to more than 40,000 Allpoint ATMs across the country. The Current app has a handy feature that can direct you to your nearest fee-free ATM based on your location.
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16. FSNB
Formerly Fort Sill National Bank, FSNB is another promising choice for personal banking that doesn’t rely on Chexsystems or credit checks for approval.
FSNB has 179 locations from Oklahoma to the Carolinas. In addition to its checking, savings, loan, and credit cards, FSNB offers specialized bank accounts and services for military personnel.
The bank has four personal checking accounts, none of which require a credit check.
Each of these accounts comes with:
- $5 opening deposit
- Potential to earn interest
- Free Visa card
- Mobile banking
- Savings round-up feature
- Fee-free FSNB ATMs
FSNB’s basic checking account is an ideal pick if you aren’t able to make a recurring direct deposit. The account is free with a balance of $75, or $6.00 per month if the balance falls below $75.
The advanced checking account costs $10.95 per month and offers the benefits listed above, plus early direct deposit access, text banking, fee-free cashier’s checks and money orders, and a quarterly free box of checks.
17. 1st Convenience Bank
1st Convenience Bank is a division of First National Bank of Texas that was founded in 1901. It has availability in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
The full-service bank offers personal and business banking, along with loans and insurance products. 1st Convenience offers savings and checking accounts, a credit card, CDs, and a mobile wallet among its personal products.
Here’s a quick look at the fee structure for each checking account:
- Power Checking: Offers basic banking services and gives you several ways to waive the monthly maintenance fee.
- Checking With Interest: This lets you waive the maintenance fee with a $500 daily balance and earns a low APY as long as you have money in your account.
- President Select High Yield Checking: Requires a $10,000 daily balance to waive the maintenance fee and may offer more competitive rates.
- eAccount: Has a set $5 monthly maintenance fee and offers easy online banking with no checks.
- Power Stash: Accompanies your checking account and serves as a source to transfer funds from if your account gets low.
Each of 1st Convenience’s checking accounts comes with a $34 overdraft fee. It can be waived if you enroll in AccountTransfer Overdraft Protection and have sufficient funds to cover the purchase in your Power Stash account.
18. GoBank 
Part of the GreenDot family, GoBank provides simple solutions to banking needs, and it doesn’t require Chexsystems to enroll.
GoBank is a platform designed exclusively for personal checking, and it comes with some useful benefits. Like Current, GoBank’s app can point you to free ATMs in your area. You get up to 4 free withdrawals per month, after which you’ll be on the hook for a $3 fee.
It also offers ASAP Direct Deposit, which pays you up to 2 days before payday and up to 4 days before government benefits day when you set up direct deposit. You can also upload cash to your bank account at over 100,000 participating retailers like Walmart, CVS, and Dollar General.
Additionally, GoBank offers a debit card, personal check-writing capabilities, and mobile deposits. You can also send and receive money and pay bills online.
If you’re looking for a simple app-based banking experience and aren’t concerned about having a local branch, keep GoBank on your list.
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19. Axiom
Axiom is a bank that focuses on offering banking services to applicants with poor credit histories. As such, the bank may overlook Chexsystems reports for its second-chance checking accounts.
Axiom offers a suite of personal banking and investment products, along with business and commercial banking and financing services.
Each of Axiom’s personal checking accounts comes with eStatements, mobile banking, and access to more than 55,000 Axiom and Allpoint ATMs.
Similar to 1st Convenience Bank, Axiom has 5 checking accounts ranging from the basic AxiomGo and AxiomChecking accounts to a senior checking account and an Axiom Select account that bears interest.
It also features an Opportunity Checking account that is ideal if you need a fresh start when it comes to banking. The account has no minimum balance, a $25 opening deposit, and a $12.95 monthly service charge that you can waive with a $500 direct deposit or 8 debit card transactions per statement.
20. Woodforest National Bank
Woodforest National Bank is another good option if you’re worried about your Chexsystems report. While the bank may run a Chexsystems report, you can still qualify for a Second Chance Checking account with issues on your report.
Woodforest has personal, small business, and commercial banking products. It has 6 checking accounts, including Second Chance Checking.
Here are a few account details:
- $9.95 monthly maintenance fee with direct deposit; $11.95 without
- $25 minimum opening deposit
- $9.00 account setup fee
- Online/mobile bill pay, transfers, alerts, and mobile deposits
While some of Woodforests’s accounts can be opened online, you have to apply for a Second Chance checking account at a local branch, which is a drawback worth considering.
21. Bank OZK
Formerly Bank of the Ozarks, Bank OZK is also worth considering if your banking has gotten off track. Even if you have a negative Chexsystems report, you could still be eligible for Bank OZK’s Pathway Checking account.
Bank OZK is headquartered in Arkansas and has over 200 locations across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and New York.
The bank provides limited information on its second chance checking account, Pathway Checking, and encourages you to contact your local branch to get more information and apply. However, the website does share that it takes $50 to open an account and there is a $10 service fee.
Bank OZK also offers 4 more rewarding checking accounts, which you may be able to qualify for after responsibly banking with your Pathway Checking account.
Additionally, the bank has savings accounts, loans, credit cards, mortgages, and wealth management services. If you live near a local branch, it could be worth considering.
What is ChexSystems?
Like EWS (Early Warning Services) and TeleCheck, ChexSystems is a consumer reporting agency. It collects information about issues you’ve had with deposit accounts (like checking accounts and savings accounts).
To this end, ChexSystems works with both banks and credit unions to supply the information when a problem arises and retrieve it when opening a new account. Some banks will also periodically check ChexSystems’ reports on existing customers.
When this information is retrieved, the bank or credit union will check for past problems and may deny you an account if the report highlights any negative activity.
Negative Activity Recorded Can Include the Following:
- Bounced checks
- Overdrafts
- Involuntary closure of accounts
- Negative balances
- Abuse
- Fraud
- Identity theft
- Number of account applications
Why Do Banks use ChexSystems?
Banks use ChexSystems reports as a form of risk management. In the bank’s eyes, someone who has defaulted or committed fraud before is more likely to do the same in the future. Allowing them to open an account would put the bank at risk.
If this happened to you, know that you’re not alone. A 2017 FDIC report showed that 14% of households that do not have a bank account list a negative report because they do not have an account.
Fortunately, there are options, including banks and credit unions that do not use ChexSystems.
Before going forward with looking for alternatives, you might want to have a look at your ChexSystems report to make sure that the information is factual.
By law, you can get one free report a year by visiting ChexSystems’ website and when you’re denied a bank account due to the information contained in the report. You can dispute any erroneous information through ChexSystems’ website.
Which Banks Don’t Use ChexSystems?
Most banks use ChexSystems for all account applications, with some banks running ChexSystems on their customers periodically as part of their risk assessment strategy. Such practice is especially true for those account holders who are applying for or already have an account with credit.
While this rule can be unfair at times, it is something that most banks carry out. Even so, many of these same banks offer specialized accounts designed for people with bad credit, bypassing ChexSystems checks altogether.
Through these accounts, banks can offer those who don’t qualify for a regular account the opportunity to still open a new bank account with them.
In most cases, the accounts that don’t use ChexSystems come with perks and features similar to those of a basic checking account.
What you get:
- FDIC Insurance / NCUA Insurance. In most cases, you’re covered up to $250,000. However, you’ll find extended insurance options with CMAs (Cash Management Accounts).
- Monthly Service Charge. Most accounts come with a fixed monthly service fee and no minimum balance requirements.
- No ATM Fees. You don’t pay ATM fees when withdrawing from the bank’s ATM network.
- Mobile app. An app that gives you access to mobile banking and features like online bill pay and mobile check deposit.
- Debit card. Most accounts come with a Mastercard or Visa debit card, which in some cases it’ll be a prepaid debit card.
- Opening deposit. Many banks have an opening deposit requirement, which you can transfer through direct deposit or check.
What you don’t get:
- Overdraft Protection. With no overdraft facilities, overdraft protection is not needed and is not offered.
- Unlimited Check Writing. Most accounts do not offer check-writing facilities; however, some do, even if these are few and far between.
- Minimum Balance Requirements. The majority of the accounts have no balance requirements but carry a fixed monthly fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What banks or credit unions do not use ChexSystems?
If your ChexSystems record is holding you back from opening a bank account, non-ChexSystems banks can be your best option.
Here are the top banks that do not utilize ChexSystems:
- US Bank
- Varo Bank
- Chime
- Wells Fargo
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- Renasant Bank
- United Bank
- SoFi
- First American Bank
- Peoples Bank
- Acorns
- Sable
- TD Ameritrade
- Huntington National Bank
- Current
- FSNB
- 1st Convenience Bank
- GoBank
- Axiom
- Woodforest National Bank
- Bank OZK
Can you open a bank account if you’re in ChexSystems?
If you’ve been denied a new checking account due to a negative ChexSystems report, you can still open a bank account. In this case, you will need to look for banking options marked as second-chance banking.
These options include checking accounts designed to help you get back on your feet. Some banks will even offer you the opportunity to open a standard checking account after six months to 1 year (depending on the bank).
The important thing here is to use the account as a second chance to make things right. You’ll need to be mindful of payments and how you manage your money to avoid more negative reporting.
Can I open a bank account if I owe another bank money?
If any money you owe shows up on your ChexSystem report, a bank that checks this report beforehand might deny you an account. In this case, you’ll need to look for a bank that doesn’t use ChexSystems.
Can a bank remove you from ChexSystems?
A bank can’t remove you from ChexSystems – they don’t run the system. However, they can make an exception and report payments done on time to credit bureaus. ChexSystems records are automatically cleared after five years.
That said, if the information in the report is incorrect, you can open a dispute directly with ChexSystems.
