Atmos Financial Review 2024

Does your bank align with your values? If you can’t answer that question, then you either don’t care or maybe you need to do some soul-searching.

What we do know is that the largest banks in the world continue to sink trillions into fossil fuel investments as the global climate crisis worsens. But there’s no harm in having a bank account, right?

Fortunately, fighting climate change and finding an awesome bank aren’t mutually exclusive actions. With an account from Atmos Financial, you can rest easy knowing that your deposits are helping the planet while also trending toward your financial goals.

In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to know about Atmos Financial. I’ll cover all of its products and banking features, plus the benefits of working with a bank that’s committed to clean energy.

What is Atmos Financial?

Atmos Financial is a fintech company that’s aiming to expedite the transition to a green economy. By disrupting the current flow of capital that it deems is harming the planet, Atmos is striving to change our idea of what banking looks like.

Co-Founders Ravi Mikkelsen and Pete Hellwig officially launched Atmos in early 2021. The company provides online bank accounts through partnerships with multiple FDIC-insured banks.

To give you a better idea of what an Atmos account can do for your wallet and the planet, let’s go over its most significant banking features.

Atmos Financial Products

Atmos Financial offers two financial products — a checking account and a savings account. Both accounts are free of monthly fees and minimum balance requirements.

Cash Back Checking Account: 5%

With Atmos Cash Back Checking, you can earn cash back when you shop with climate-positive brands and products.

Atmos customers earn 5% back with debit card purchases from climate-wise farms, ranches, and CSAs, and 2% in other categories like renewable energy and sustainable clothing.

There are hundreds of brands and businesses that qualify, so you can easily earn money while shopping smarter.

Learn More:

• Best High-Yield Checking Accounts

High-Yielding Savings Account: up to 3.50%

With an Atmos high-yield savings account, you can split your deposits into as many as six savings accounts to put money aside for specific goals.

The account comes with an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of up to 1.75%.

The base rate is 1.75% but if you opt-in to make recurring monthly donations to at least one nonprofit that they have listed on their donate page, your rate will increase to 3.50% APY.

Learn More:

• Best High-Yield Savings Account

Atmos Financial Features

Online Banking

Atmos is a completely online platform, so there are no physical branches or branded ATMs. You can monitor your balances and move money around from the website or mobile banking app.

Mobile App

Atmos isn’t as seasoned as some of the industry veterans, but it doesn’t sacrifice on app capabilities. The iOS version has 4.2 out of 5 stars on the App Store based on 61 reviews. The Android version has the same score on the Google Play store, but it’s based on just 32 reviews.

Fee-Free ATMs

Atmos is part of the Allpoint ATM network, which means that customers have access to fee-free withdrawals from more than 55,000 ATMs. Visit this page to locate the nearest Allpoint ATM.

Carbon Impact Measurement

Every deposit that you make into Atmos impacts your account’s total carbon impact.

Atmos is committed to using deposits to fund innovative technologies and climate-positive projects. In other words, the more money you deposit, the more you’re doing to help the environment.

Nonprofit Partnerships

Atmos makes it easy to connect with like-minded nonprofits. It partners with over 40 climate-focused organizations and allows you to round off debit purchases or share a percentage of your savings to support one or more of them.

All of your contributions are tax-deductible, and Atmos gives you a little boost in your savings rate when you regularly support a cause.

Fees

A big part of what Atmos is trying to accomplish depends on its customers supporting climate-positive initiatives. It makes it easier to do this by providing a platform that has absolutely no fees.

None of the fees that pop up with traditional banks are present with Atmos. I’m talking about no monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees, and no ATM fees. When you combine this with its higher rates on savings, Atmos starts to make a lot of sense.

Getting Started

To sign up for Atmos banking services, head to joinatmos.com or download the mobile app. The only information you need to enter is your address, basic contact info, and Social Security number. The application only takes about a minute.

From there, it’s as simple as linking an external bank account for funding, and you’re all set up.

Promotions

Atmos doesn’t currently offer a sign-up or referral bonus, though it’s possible that it will in the future. The platform has been live for less than a year, so it remains to be seen what strategies it will use to entice new customers.

As always, BankBonus.com will be the first to let you know if a bonus opportunity comes up.

Security

Like any good online bank, Atmos puts financial and online security at the top of its priorities.

Atmos uses enterprise-grade SSL encryption and constantly monitors for fraud. You can also take advantage of multi-factor authentication for account access.

Customer Service

If you need to contact Atmos, you can reach out via live chat, email, or schedule a phone call. It also has a small FAQ section on the website, but the live chat (which nets a response within a few minutes) is your best bet for a quick answer.

Customer Reviews

Atmos hasn’t been around long enough to develop a customer satisfaction reputation but, much like with its mobile app, it’s off to a good start.

Atmos currently has a 3.5-star rating (out of 5) on its first 17 reviews on Trustpilot. We’ve pulled a sampling, so you can have an idea of what real-life customers have to say.

5-star review:

I was cautious about how it might work at first, but I have found that moving money has been seamless, and when I have been unsure, their help staff has been quick to get me on track.

3-star review:

Overall I really like the ethos/mission of Atmos Bank and the savings interest rate is excellent, but the accessibility factor and customer support are horrifying. Customer support is very courteous but between the issues with my card(s) and transaction limits, I'm starting to look around.

1-star review:

These guys are going through a data transfer right now and removed their mobile check deposit feature. They have no end date in sight and did not inform their customers of it. I am sitting on endorsed checks to Atmos and their solution to me is, Sorry, you have to wait. We have no date set for reimplementing this feature. It’s pathetic.

Pros & Cons

Alternatives to Atmos Financial

If battling climate change is important to you, you can make an impact by choosing the right banking partner. The first step is to avoid big New York-based banks like Chase and Citibank, which tend to contribute the most toward fossil fuel projects.

Once you branch out from there, you have options. Smaller banks will always be a better choice, but there are also other institutions that, like Atmos, have made climate their top priority.

Here are the most popular examples of climate-friendly Atmos alternatives.

Aspiration Bank

Aspiration is probably the most well-known climate-centric personal finance platform. It’s an entirely online bank that pledges to never fund projects that negatively impact the environment.

Aspiration offers two all-in-one accounts (one free, one paid) and, like Atmos, rewards its customers for making environmentally conscious financial choices.

Clean Energy Credit Union

To join Clean Energy Credit Union, you first need to be a member of one of its socially conscious partner organizations.

If you qualify, you can apply for its accounts, which are all hyper-focused on supporting clean energy initiatives.

Learn More:

• Best Socially Responsible Banks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Atmos legit?

Yes, Atmos is an absolutely legitimate provider of online bank accounts, despite the fact that it is relatively new.

What bank does Atmos partner with?

Atmos partners with Evolve Bank & Trust and Five Star Bank, member-FDIC financial institutions.

Is Atmos Financial FDIC-insured?

Atmos Financial isn’t directly FDIC-insured, but it partners with Five Star Bank to insure individual accounts up to $250,000.

Who are Atmos Financial’s competitors?

Atmos Financial is a new kind of financial institution, so it’s not in direct competition with traditional banks. You may want to consider other alternatives, such as Seacoast Bank or your local credit union.

Who can open an Atmos Financial account?

Anyone who meets the requirements can open an Atmos Financial account. Atmos isn’t a bank, it’s a financial technology company, so the requirements aren’t always straightforward. Visit joinatmos.com to find out if you qualify.

Is Atmos Financial Right For You?

These days, it can be challenging to weigh practicality against social consciousness. After all, it’s just a bank account, and there are lots of ways to help save the planet.

But with an Atmos energy-conscious account, you get a solid banking partner that also makes a real impact.

To put it simply: If you go with Atmos, your money supports causes like regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, while avoiding initiatives like fossil fuel extraction, generic real estate, and projects that displace frontline communities. The same cannot be said for big banks.

Furthermore, Atmos offers an attractive savings rate and modern banking features. So if you’re looking for a bank that both helps the planet and your bank balance, Atmos is worth checking out.