The United States has more banks than any other country, with over 5,000 FDIC-insured institutions.
Local banks and credit unions have their own benefits, but most Americans choose to go with a nationwide bank due to convenience, extensive customer service, and peace of mind.
Still, with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to figure out which bank is best for you.
In This Article
15 Best National Banks in America
Every bank is going to come with pros and cons. Which is “best” for you really depends on your banking needs and financial goals.
We’ve selected our list based on several important features to help you find the best bank for your specific situation.
Here are the top national banks in 2021:
- 🏆 Chase Bank: Best Bank Bonuses
- Discover Bank: Best Cash Back
- Bank of America: Best Online Banking
- Citi: Best For Savings
- PNC Bank: Best Banking Bundle
- Capital One: Best Customer Satisfaction
- TD Bank: Best Customer Service
- Wells Fargo: Best for In-Person Banking
- CIT Bank: Best for Money Market Accounts
- Ally: Best Online Bank
- US Bank: Best Bank in California
- Truist: Best Community-Focused Bank
- Huntington Bank: Best No-Frills Account
- nbkc: Best All-In-One Account
- Barclays: Best International Bank
1. Chase Bank
Chase Bank is one of the largest banks in the U.S., and one of our top picks for national banks. You’ll have access to more than 4,700 physical branches, 16,000 ATMs, and a well-liked mobile app that makes it easy to skip both.
Like most of the national banks, their rates aren’t great, but their product breadth makes it easy to conveniently bank all at one place.
Plus, when it comes to bank bonuses and perks, no one can match Chase Bank.
They routinely offer nationally available sign-up bonuses for new banking customers.
Chase is also well known for its credit card sign-up bonuses and the dozens of credit card products they have to choose from.
 Chase Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 4,700+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 16,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 684 (Second Place!) |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 3.6M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.4 based on 1.7M ratings |
Learn More:
2. Discover Bank
Despite what you may think, Discover Bank is not just a credit card company.
Operating as an online bank, Discover offers a host of personal banking products, including checking and savings accounts, MMAs, CDs, retirement accounts, and loans.
What makes Discover particularly special is their fee structure.
With a Discover Online Banking account, you’ll never pay a monthly maintenance fee, overdraft fee, or insufficient funds fee.
Discover also has one of the only rewards-earning debit cards, which is a good option for those who would rather earn cash back on debit purchases as opposed to with a credit card. With it, you can earn up to $360 each year.
While Discover is an online bank, the company still owns and operates the original branch of The Greenwood Trust Company in Delaware (which they acquired in 2000), making it the bank’s only physical location.
 Discover Bank Overview |
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| Number of Branches: | 1 |
| Number of ATMs: | 60,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.9 based on 3.2M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.6 based on 200k ratings |
Learn More:
3. Bank of America
Bank of America was founded in 1998 from the merger of NationsBank and BankAmerica, and has since become the second-largest bank in the country, serving more than 10% of all American deposits.
BoA boasts more than 4,400 physical branches and over 17,000 ATMs. Like the rest of the Big Four, you can count on a holistic banking relationship that meets all of your basic banking needs.
BoA is increasingly moving into the online banking space and has one of the best financial mobile apps available. In fact, J.D. Power’s 2021 Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study ranked Bank of America highest, with a score of 871.
They also employ tons of customer service representatives. If you need help, their phone lines are open seven days a week. You can also get support via Twitter and online chat.
 Bank of America Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 4,400+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 17,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 663 |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 3.2M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.6 based on 900k ratings |
Learn More:
4. Citi
Citibank N.A., the last of the Big Four, holds the title for the highest APY on a personal savings account, making it a bit of an outlier from the rest of the group.
It’s only available in certain markets, but the Citi® Accelerate Savings account claims a standard APY of 0.50%, and you only need a minimum balance of $1 to earn it.
Citi is based in New York City, and the majority of its branches are concentrated in major metropolitan areas across the country, making it a solid option for urban dwellers.
Like Chase, Citi is also known for offering nearly year-round sign up bonuses. What makes Citi promotions unique, however, is that they’re often tiered.
The low requirements make the offers accessible to most people, but even better, Citi will reward you big if you can meet the highest terms – which usually requires a large deposit.
 Citi Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 960 |
| Number of ATMs: | 60,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 631 |
| BBB Grade: | F |
| Apple iOS: | 4.9 based on 2.6M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.7 based on 730k ratings |
A note on the F rating from the BBB: In September 2020, the U.S. CFTC fined Citibank $4.5M for “supervision failures that led to the deletion of subpoenaed audio recordings.” The government action is cited as the reason for the failing grade, along with 75 unresolved complaints.
Learn More:
5. PNC Bank
PNC Bank, based out of Pittsburgh, operates in 21 states across 2,300 locations — making it one of the biggest national banks in the country.
What’s more, in June 2021, PNC closed on a $11.5B acquisition of BBVA, which will extend its reach even further.
The 600 branches that BBVA operated will transition to PNC (even if it takes a while to rebrand them all!). That means PNC will now have a physical presence in markets it had previously underserved, particularly throughout the Southwest.
BBVA customers are being transitioned to PNC products in September and October 2021.
The most intriguing product that PNC offers is called Virtual Wallet, which is a bundle of accounts. Checking, short-term savings, and long-term savings accounts are all included in the same package.
Spend is PNC’s checking account and has no monthly fees or minimum deposit requirements.
Reserve is the short-term savings account and acts as a backup checking account. Reserve offers a low APY and is intended to be used for emergency funds, for setting money aside for future expenses.
Growth is the long-term savings account in the Virtual Wallet. It used to be a solid HYSA option with a very competitive rate, but now even after meeting the Relationship Rate requirements, balances over $2,500 will still only earn 0.03%.
On the bright side, PNC regularly offers sign up bonuses for opening a new Virtual Wallet account.
 PNC Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
*includes both PNC and BBVA branches |
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| Number of Branches: | 2,300 + 600 BBVA |
| Number of ATMs: | 18,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 680 (Third Place!) |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 1.0M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.6 based on 200k ratings |
Learn More:
6. Capital One
Capital One is mainly an online bank, but it does have some branch locations in the Northeast and parts of the South. They also have one of the best banking apps.
The Capital One mobile app is rated at 4.8 stars (out of 5) in the App Store and 4.7 stars (out of 5) in the Google Play store.
On a high level, Capital One offers a solid personal finance platform with numerous account options and a wide variety of credit cards and investment products.
In this year’s J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Study, Capital One came in first with a score of 688. Contributing factors were low fees that are structured clearly, high APYs, and a user-friendly online banking experience.
While it’s true that Capital One’s physical locations are limited, a few of them have a coffee shop built so you can grab some java when you stop in.
 Capital One Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 340 |
| Number of ATMs: | 70,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 688 (First Place!) |
| BBB Grade: | A |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 4.3M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.7 based on 1.2M ratings |
Learn More:
7. TD Bank
TD Bank touts itself as “America’s Most Convenient Bank.” In many ways, it lives up to the tagline.
In J.D. Power’s comprehensive study of banking customer experiences, TD Bank was the highest-rated national bank in 2019 in terms of customer satisfaction. Within the study, TD Bank ranked highest in terms of convenience, branch service, and online banking satisfaction.
In the more recent 2020 study however, TD dropped a few slots – now in 4th – but still were rated favorably by the majority of their customers.
Most TD Bank locations are open seven days a week, and they tend to have more flexible hours than big national banks. While they have over 1,200 locations, TD Bank is exclusively East Coast based.
 TD Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 1,200+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 700 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 674 |
| BBB Grade: | B+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 200k ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.5 based on 71k ratings |
Learn More:
8. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo used to take the crown for the largest presence of brick and mortar banks in the country.
If you were looking for a traditional banking experience with tellers, advisors, and free lollipops for your kids — Wells Fargo was hard to beat.
In recent years, however, they’ve been closing doors – hundreds each year, in fact.
Fortunately, they’ve built up an impressive mobile banking platform.
Wells Fargo’s offerings are comprehensive, covering everything from bank accounts, credit cards, loans, retirement planning, and wealth management services.
Account options are pretty standard for a big bank and don’t stand out one way or the other, but the bank has recently made strides to improve its customer experience with enhanced tech and new consumer-friendly policies.
Together with Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citibank, Wells Fargo is one of the “Big Four” American national banks.
This means that they manage more money than anyone else. However, this status isn’t without its drawbacks, and Wells Fargo is no exception. With all big national banks, you can expect higher than average account fees and suboptimal interest rates.
 Wells Fargo Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 4,900+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 12,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | 612 |
| BBB Grade: | NR |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 6.2M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.8 based on 1.2M ratings |
Learn More:
9. CIT Bank
CIT Bank, headquartered in Southern California, is the online-only banking subsidiary of the CIT Group.
CIT Bank offers your standard checking accounts and savings accounts. The bank really shines when it comes to money market accounts and certificates of deposits (CDs).
With a CIT Money Market account, you’ll have access to one of the best interest rates available (which is currently over seven times the national average).
You can also open an eChecking account with CIT with as little as $100. This account will earn you up to 0.25% APY.
As far as ATM fees go, CIT doesn’t charge any, and they’ll reimburse up to $30 per month for fees charged by out-of-network ATMs.
 CIT Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 84 |
| Number of ATMs: | 0, but reimburses $30/mo in ATM fees |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A- |
| Apple iOS: | 4.6 based on 6k ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.3 based on 2k ratings |
Learn More:
10. Ally Bank
Online banks have started to pop up more and more in recent years, and Ally Bank consistently ranks among the best. If you don’t feel the need for a physical location, an online-only bank could be a great fit.
The main benefit is that due to the lower overhead that online banks carry (no buildings, fewer employees, etc.), customers are usually rewarded with higher interest rates and low fees.
Ally Bank is no different and offers some of the highest APYs in the business. Ally’s high yield savings account comes with an 0.50% APY at the time of this writing. You also won’t see any monthly maintenance fees or get dinged for failing to meet a minimum balance.
As far as taking out cash goes, Ally doesn’t have their own ATMs. But, they do provide free access to over 43,000 Allpoint ATMs across the country. They also reimburse you up to $10 per statement period for any fees associated with out-of-network ATMs.
The only real downside with Ally is that making deposits can be a little tricky. There is no way to deposit cash, and checks need to be deposited through the app or the mail. If your employer doesn’t offer direct deposit, or if you get paid in cash, it might be worth looking into a more traditional option.
 Ally Bank Overview |
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| Number of Branches: | 0 |
| Number of ATMs: | 43,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | C |
| Apple iOS: | 4.7 based on 34k ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.1 based on 20k ratings |
Learn More:
11. US Bank
U.S. Bank is the fifth-largest bank in the United States and has nearly 500 locations in California. With access to 24/7 phone support, you’ll never have to worry about getting in contact with your bank if you have an issue.
U.S. Bank’s locations are mainly based in the West and Midwest. With the exception of Florida and North Carolina, US Bank has no East Coast presence.
However, their mobile app is rated well by users (and was in the top 10 in JD Power’s recent mobile app satisfaction study), so your day-to-day experience should be positive.
As far as big banks go, U.S. Bank fits right into the mix.
 U.S. Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 2,300+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 4,700 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 1.2M ratings |
| Google Play: | 4.6 based on 300k ratings |
Learn More:
12. Truist
SunTrust and BB&T merged in 2019 to form Truist, becoming the sixth-largest bank in the U.S. with more than 10 million customers.
They position themselves as being community-focused, pledging to “lend or invest $60 billion to low- and moderate-income and minority borrowers” from 2020-2022 alone.
It took nearly two years, but new customers can finally open accounts under the Truist brand.
As we predicted, their product lineup boasts a wide range of products, including 5 checking accounts, a standard savings account, money market and CDs, 5 credit cards, home, auto and personal loans, and a suite of small business products.
Noticeably missing is a high-yield savings option, and their standard product boasts an interest rate that’s laughably low.
The most interesting product from Truist is their Premium Rewards, an interest-bearing checking account.
It offers a “debit” card that earns Delta Skymiles (but also comes with an annual fee that starts at $95, dropping to $25 if you have an account balance of $100k or $0 if you’re a Truist Wealth client), and Truist credit card customers earn an additional 10-50% rewards on their credit card purchases as a loyalty perk.
Premium Rewards has a $20 monthly fee, but there are several ways to have this fee waived, including having $3k in direct deposits or having a loan or credit card with them.
 Truist Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 2,500+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 2,100+ |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | Suntrust: 4.1 based on 15k ratings BB&T: 4.8 based on 420k ratings |
| Google Play: | Suntrust: 4.2 based on 73k ratings BB&T: 4.6 based on 75k ratings |
Learn More:
13. Huntington Bank
Huntington Bank is probably one of the lesser-known banks on this list, but make no mistake; they’re a quality option, especially if you live in the Midwest.
Huntington’s Asterisk-Free Checking account is a no-frills account that makes checking simple. As an account holder, you’ll enjoy no monthly service fee and no minimum balance requirement.
The savings and CD rates here are relatively low, but customer service is excellent, and the mobile app is also well-liked.
One area where Huntington falls a bit short is when it comes to overdraft fees. They do give you a 24-hour overdraft protection window to get your account back in the positive before the fees come through. If you miss that window, Huntington’s overdraft fees are some of the highest around.
 Huntington Bank Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 1,400+ |
| Number of ATMs: | 1,700 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.8 based on 170k ratings |
| Google Play: | 3.8 based on 31k ratings |
Learn More:
14. nbkc
The National Bank of Kansas City (nbkc) is a top-ranking local bank with only four branches in Kansas City. But, the bank also offers a top-notch online platform.
nbkc takes a unique approach to personal banking by combining checking and savings into one account, which is called the nbkc Everything Account. Basically, you get all the practicality and flexibility of a checking account, coupled with the interest-earning potential of an HYSA.
The nbkc Everything Account has no minimum account balance, no overdraft fees, and no maintenance fees. What’s more, you’ll earn a 0.15% APY on deposits.
nbkc also offers options for business accounts and home loans. The bank’s website is super easy to use and features a tool that helps you manage your money and make sound financial decisions.
 nbkc Overview |
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U.S. Locations By State Data Source: FDIC
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| Number of Branches: | 4 |
| Number of ATMs: | 37,000 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | 4.4 based on 250 ratings |
| Google Play: | 3.9 based on 300 ratings |
Learn More:
15. Barclays
Barclays Bank is a unique member of this list in a few ways. First, Barclay’s doesn’t offer checking accounts – just savings accounts, credit cards, and CDs. Second, the bank isn’t based in the US.
Headquartered in London, Barclays is the best option for international travelers that need to do some banking overseas.
Barclays has 12 stateside locations, but they’re dedicated to investment services.
 Barclays Overview |
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| Number of Branches: | 12 (Investment) |
| Number of ATMs: | 0 |
| J.D. Power National Banking Satisfaction Score: | N/A |
| BBB Grade: | A+ |
| Apple iOS: | N/A – Only for UK residents |
| Google Play: | N/A – Only for UK residents |
Learn More:
How we chose the best national banks
To gather this list, we looked at the largest, most well-known retail banks in America.
We then gathered a ton of data on each bank, including what account types they offered, account minimums and fees, interest rates both for saving and borrowing, their physical presence through branches and ATM networks, the attractiveness of their welcome bonuses or rewards, their online banking tech, the institution’s BBB rating, and more.
After that, we layered on actual customer reviews and satisfaction scores.
We placed a great deal of emphasis on industry studies, such as J.D. Power’s 2021 Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study and J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.
We ended up with this list of 15 great national banks.
You can’t go wrong by choosing any on this list – your money will be secure and you’ll find account offerings that should cover all of your financial needs. But, each bank shines for slightly different reasons, so you should consider what’s most important to you and choose accordingly.
If you’re stuck between two with no clear winner, follow the cash by choosing the bank that will pay you the best bonus!
Best National Banks FAQs
What is a national bank?
Technically speaking, a national bank is a bank chartered by the U.S. government. For the sake of our list, we considered a national bank to be one that’s federally chartered, very well known, and/or with an extensive number of branches and ATMs.
Which is better, a national bank or a smaller bank?
A smaller bank will likely provide more personalized service. Many also charge lower fees and pay higher interest rates – this is particularly true of credit unions because of their not-for-profit model.
National banks, however, have more locations, stronger tech, offer higher bonuses and typically provide more products and services.
Which is better, an online bank or a brick-and-mortar bank?
It depends on what you want in a banking experience.
If you value face-to-face banking or if you deposit cash regularly, you’ll want a bank that has branches conveniently located to you.
Online banks, on the other hand, don’t have the overhead of physical locations and can typically afford then to pass on the savings to you – in the form of fewer fees and higher interest rates (though they don’t always!).
It used to be true that online banks had the leg-up in terms of technology and your online or mobile experience, but that’s no longer the case. Banks large and small have invested enough in technology that your day-to-day personal banking is hassle-free. Mobile check deposits, transferring money, checking balances, deposit alerts, debit card locking, bill pay – these are all standard features nowadays.
So, who is the number 1 bank in the U.S.?
If this were a clear-cut answer, we wouldn’t need to take the time to make a list of 15. Looking at the numbers: Chase is the biggest bank in terms of assets under management. Ally is the best online bank, and Citibank has the best APY.
At the end of the day, no bank can claim to be the outright number one bank. It all depends on what banking services you need and identifying the bank to best serve those needs.
Which national banks will pay me a bonus?
Chase Bank and Citi are known for running promotions nearly year round.
But most of the national banks will run bonuses periodically to attract new customers: you’ll be required to open a new account and meet certain requirements.
Check out all of the current bank promotions to see which banks are running deals right now.
Which national banks are the safest?
All of the banks on this list are FDIC-insured, which means that your deposits are protected up to $250,000 per person, per ownership category, per bank.
This should be a requirement for any bank that you’re considering.
Most of the bigger banks will also guarantee your money against unwanted access in the event that someone hacks your account, and some, such as Bank of America and Chase, will even reimburse you the next day while they look into it.
Is my money safer in a national bank versus a regional bank?
Nope. Your money is equally safe in any bank that’s insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (or any credit union that’s insured by the NCUA).
Which of the top national banks is best for you?
Like we said, the best bank for you really depends on what you want in a banking experience.
Now that you’re familiar with the benefits of the top national banks, the next step is picking the one that’s right for you, based on your individual needs.
Do your research and you’re bound to make a great choice.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired or changed.
