No matter how you look at it, Wells Fargo Bank is huge. It’s the fourth largest national bank in the United States and the 26th largest corporation of any kind.
With 13,000 ATM locations and 5,300 full-service branches, Wells Fargo has more brick-and-mortar locations than any other financial institution in the country.
The bank also operates internationally, with a presence in over 40 countries and over 70 million global customers.
Wells Fargo is based out of San Francisco, California, and offers bank accounts, credit cards, investment and retirement accounts, personal loans, wealth management services, and more.
Wells Fargo Bank Checking Accounts
Wells Fargo customers have four types of checking accounts to choose from.
Each one gives you access to mobile banking, sending and receiving money with Zelle, and zero Liability protection on unauthorized transactions.
1. Wells Fargo Everyday Checking
The Wells Fargo Everyday Checking account is Wells Fargo’s most popular option for checking.
You can open this account with a minimum deposit of $25, and it comes with all of the staples of a good checking account, including a debit card, checks, and access to online banking.
Everyday Checking does have a $10 monthly service fee, but it’ll be waived if you’re between the ages of 17 and 24, if you maintain a daily balance of $500 or more, or if you link your account to direct deposits of $500 or more per month.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $10 (avoidable)
- Daily ATM Limit: $300
2. Clear Access Banking
Clear Access Banking, formerly called Opportunity Checking, is a good option if you often worry about overdrawing your account.
It’s a checkless checking account, meaning you can’t write checks, and all transactions are made digitally or with a debit card. The best part is that there there are no overdraft fees.
There’s a $25 minimum opening deposit, as well as a $5 monthly maintenance fee.
The fee can only be waived for account holders that are 13 to 24 years old, making it a good teen checking option for younger people looking to open their first account.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $5 (avoidable)
- Daily ATM Limit: $300
3. Prime Checking
Prime Checking is aimed at customers with a higher account balance and pays 0.01% APY on all balances. You’ll also get access to no-fee cashier’s checks or money orders, and a discount on safe deposit box rental.
Prime Checking comes with the same $25 minimum initial deposit, and the monthly fee is $25.
This is a higher tier account, so to get it waived you’ll need $20,000 or more in statement-ending qualifying balances in your linked accounts.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $25 (avoidable)
- APY: 0.01% on all balances
4. Premier Checking
Premier Checking is Wells Fargo’s most exclusive checking account and comes with a bunch of premium benefits though it does come with a $35 monthly service fee that can b avoided with $250,000 or more in statement-ending qualifying balances in your linked accounts
You’ll earn the same 0.01% interest rate as with a Prime Checking account. Fees are also easier to avoid. If you order checks, money orders, and or make withdrawals from non-Wells Fargo ATMs, those fees are waived.
Premier might be a good option if you’re planning to use a range of a lot of Wells Fargo’s products. You can get discounts on auto loan interest rates, as well as extra benefits and bonuses on your credit cards.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $35 (avoidable)
- APY: 0.01% on all balances
Wells Fargo Savings Accounts
Wells Fargo savings accounts are convenient, easy to link with your checking, and earn almost nothing when it comes to interest (like most big banks).
Pro Tip: If you’re after the highest APYs, be sure to look into the best High Yield Savings Accounts (HYSAs), which are mostly found in online banks and credit unions.
Wells Fargo Way2Save Savings
Way2Save is Wells Fargo’s standard savings account. There’s a $25 minimum opening deposit, and you’ll earn 0.01% interest on your entire balance.
The main benefit of Ways2Save is that it links to your checking, and you can use it to protect against overdrafts.
You also may want to take advantage of the Save As You Go feature, which automatically transfers $1 to your saving every time you make a purchase with your debit card.
Way2Save has a $5 monthly fee, which you can avoid by maintaining a balance of $300, using Save As You Go, or setting up a monthly automatic transfer of $25 or more.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $5 (avoidable)
- APY: 0.01% on the entire balance
Platinum Savings
Platinum Savings will give you a slightly higher interest rate for a much higher balance threshold.
The standard rate is still 0.01%, but If you have a linked Portfolio checking account, they’ll bump you up to (a still very low) 0.02%.
Platinum Savings has a $12 service fee, and it’s a little tougher to avoid with a minimum daily balance requirement of $3,500
This account is only recommended if you already have a Portfolio checking account. Otherwise, there are no added benefits over Way2Save.
Account Details
- Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
- Monthly Service Fee: $12 (avoidable)
- APY: up to 0.02% on the entire balance if linked to a Premier checking account
Wells Fargo CDs
Wells Fargo also offers Certificates of Deposit (CD) accounts.
In case you aren’t familiar, CDs are savings accounts where you commit funds for a fixed period of time, in exchange for an interest rate that isn’t subject to changes in the market.
Standard CD rates are better than most standard savings accounts. With Wells Fargo, the rates are still characteristically low.
The max APY you will find with Wells Fargo is 0.02%. Simply put, if you’re interested in a CD, there are higher earning options out there.
Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Wells Fargo offers seven different credit cards at the time of this writing. Here’s a high-level overview of the most popular Wells Fargo credit cards.
- Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is a cashback rewards card that’s currently paying a $250 cash bonus when you spend $1,000 in your first three months and offers unlimited 2% cash rewards on all other purchases.
- Wells Fargo Reflect Card is a great balance transfer card with 0% intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee.
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express is a travel rewards card that offers a 20,000 points ($200) sign-up bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first three months. This card offers is Wells Fargo’s top points-earner and comes with triple points on dining and travel.
- Wells Fargo Visa Signature and Wells Fargo Rewards cards both have an introductory 5x points earning rate on select spending categories. However, this earning amount goes back down to 1x after the introductory period.
Overall, Wells Fargo’s credit card bonuses and perks don’t quite match up to other big banks, such as Chase.
That being said, Wells Fargo’s cards are solid, and they don’t come with annual fees, which is very important for many of our readers.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you most likely need a credit score of 700 or more to qualify for a Wells Fargo credit card.
That being said, if your credit score is below average, you’ll probably have to find a different credit card provider.
Wells Fargo Bank Fees
When it comes to big national banks, unfortunately, fees are often a part of the equation
The good news is that most of Wells Fargo’s fees are avoidable if you’re careful. Here are the most common Wells Fargo fees that you can expect to see:
Monthly Maintenance Fees
| Wells Fargo Account Type | Fee | Avoidable? |
| Everyday Checking | $10/month | Yes |
| Clear Access Banking | $5/month | Yes |
| Primer Checking | $25/month | Yes |
| Premier Checking | $35/month | Yes |
| Way2Save Savings | $5/month | Yes |
| Platinum Savings | $12/month | Yes |
Now that you know about monthly fees you can expect from each account, let’s talk about how to get around them.
The first step to avoiding monthly fees is to ensure that you’re opening the correct account. For example, if you don’t expect to be able to consistently maintain a balance of $3,500, the Platinum Savings account probably isn’t for you.
Otherwise, just be sure to read the new account terms. Oftentimes, the easiest way to get a fee waiver is usually to set up a direct deposit with your employer or maintain a certain balance.
Remember that while some fees may seem small, they should be avoided at all costs because it’s basically throwing money away.
Overdraft Fees
If you overdraft your Wells Fargo checking account, you can expect to pay a fee for it.
The standard overdraft fee is $35, which can be charged up to 3 times per day if you overdraft multiple times. Fortunately, you won’t be hit with a fee at all if the overdraft amount is $5 or less.
Wells Fargo offers a couple of options when it comes to overdraft protection. Overdraft Rewind takes forthcoming direct deposits into the account, so if you overdraft one business day before you get paid, you won’t be charged a fee.
You can also enroll in overdraft protection, which transfers funds from a linked savings account to cover the negative checking account balance. There’s still a transfer fee of $12.50, but it’s better than the original $35.
When it comes to overdrafts, your best bet is to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the first place. If this is a major concern for you, consider Wells Fargo’s Clear Access checking account.
Non-Wells Fargo ATM Fees
Wells Fargo charges a $2.50 fee (on top of whatever the ATM charges) for using non-Wells Fargo ATMs.
You can get around it if you have a premium account, but otherwise, you’ll want to make sure you have a Wells Fargo ATM nearby. With so many ATM locations, hopefully, you won’t have to pay these ATM fees too often.
International Fees
Most Wells Fargo debit and credit cards charge a 3% international transaction fee, which can add up in a hurry on a long trip. You’ll also pay – $5 Wells Fargo ATM fee.
If you like to travel abroad, be sure to think ahead about your purchases.
Frequent travelers might want to check out the Propel or Hotels.com Rewards credit cards, which are the only two cards that Wells Fargo offers that don’t charge a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Getting Started
To sign up for a Wells Fargo account or card, you can drop by a branch, give them a call, or sign up for a bank account online.
If it’s your first bank account, it’s never a bad idea to consider enrolling in person, so that you can easily ask questions and get help.
Otherwise, it’s probably easiest to sign up for Wells Fargo’s banking products and financial services right online.
Once you’ve picked an account and made your first deposit, you’ll automatically get access to the bank’s online banking platform and mobile app.
Wells Fargo Bank Promotions
Here are some of the best Wells Fargo Bank promotions going on right now:
1. Premier Checking - $2500 bonus
Expires: April 1, 2023
Have a bunch of cash just sitting in the bank earning little interest? Why not earn a large bonus on it by transferring to Wells Fargo?
Available nationwide, Wells Fargo is offering a $2,500 welcome bonus when you upgrade an existing consumer checking account to Premier Checking account or open a new Premier Checking account. Keep in mind, if you upgrade your account, you'll need to bring in $250,000 or more in new deposits to be eligible, which can be kind of steep if you already use Wells Fargo for your primary bank account.
We received a target mailer that extended the bonus out to April 10; however, this is a public offer available through April 1, 2023.
How to earn the bonus
The Premier Checking sign up offer requires you to deposit and maintain a minimum balance in order to earn the $2500 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Get a code from the link above.
- Upgrade an existing consumer checking account or open a new Premier Checking account with your offer code.
- Within 45 days, bring $250,000 or more in new money to a deposit or investment account.
- Maintain at least a $250,000 balance through Day 90 after account upgrade or opening.
- Bonus payment will be deposited within 30 days of meeting the requirements.
Apply now to earn the $2500 bonus from Wells Fargo
2. Personal Checking - $325 bonus
Expires: April 10, 2023
Wells Fargo is offering new personal checking account customers a $325 bonus.
To be eligible, you'll first need to open a new Clear Access Banking℠, Everyday Checking, Prime Checking, or Premier Checking account, and then you'll have 3 months to receive $1,000 in direct deposits in order to qualify for the promo.
This is a pretty easy bonus that's available nationally without restriction. Plus, the deposit requirement has been cut in half (from $2,000 to $1,000), and the reward amount bumped up: from the $200 default offer. Can't complain about that!
Keep in mind that this is their public offer. Wells Fargo is also targeting some customers with higher amounts (we've seen up to $400). Up to you whether it makes sense to wait for a targeted offer (if it comes), or to take advantage of this one.
How to earn the bonus
The Personal Checking sign up offer requires you to set up direct deposits in order to earn the $325 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new personal checking account using the link below with a minimum opening deposit of $25.
- Within 90 days, receive direct deposits totaling $1,000.
- Bonus will be deposited into your account within 30 days of the 90-day qualification period.
Apply now to earn the $325 bonus from Wells Fargo
3. Way2Save® Savings - $525 bonus
Expires: June 23, 2023
Available nationwide, Wells Fargo is most known for its personal checking bonuses; however, this time around Wells Fargo has a savings offer that's pretty solid! Wells Fargo is offering a $525 welcome bonus when you open a new personal savings account and maintain a minimum balance. The minimum balance is a little steep, but very reasonable for the bonus amount. What's even more? You can stack this offer with their checking account bonus to earn a total of $850.
How to earn the bonus
The Way2Save® Savings sign up offer requires you to deposit and maintain a minimum balance in order to earn the $525 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new eligible savings account with your personal code (found at the link below) in branch.
- By day 30, bring $25,000 or more to your new savings account.
- Maintain at least a $25,000 balance through day 90.
- Bonus will be deposited within 30 days of meeting the offer requirements.
Apply now to earn the $525 bonus from Wells Fargo
Learn More:
Security
One of the best things about large banks is that when it comes to security, you don’t have much to worry about.
Wells Fargo is member-FDIC, so your deposits are protected up to $250,000.
For maximum security, customers can activate two-factor authentication, meaning that to access your online account, you’ll have to verify a pin or security code that goes to either your phone or email.
You can also set up text and email alerts to notify you when your ATM has been accessed or if suspicious activity occurs.
Customer Service
If you love phone support, Wells Fargo has you covered. Its call center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are specific phone lines for different issues, so ideally you can save time by contacting the department that can help with your situation.
You can also stop by a local branch to get help or schedule an appointment online to meet with a banker in person.
If you’d rather get assistance online, Wells Fargo’s customer service page is full of helpful FAQs. You can also hit them up on Facebook or Twitter.
One benefit of large national banks is that they usually pour a ton of resources toward customer support. Wells Fargo is no different here. However, as with any large company, you might not always get the most personalized customer service.
If customer service is very important to you, you might want to check into the bank’s ratings on independent review websites to see what customers are saying.
Pros & Cons
Let’s go ahead and summarize where Wells Fargo shines and where they fall short:
Pros:
- Large network of physical branches and ATMs
- Global presence in over 40 countries
- Wide variety of accounts, products, and services
- Well-established and secure
Cons:
- Low APYs on interest-bearing accounts
- Too many fees
- Average credit card offerings
Wells Fargo Bank FAQs
Next, let’s review some of the top questions about Wells Fargo that our readers are asking:
Is Wells Fargo a good bank?
Yes. Wells Fargo is a large national bank that can offer you brick and mortar locations for in-person banking and a great mobile app for your online banking needs. They are also FDIC insured, so your deposits are protected up to $250,000.
Is Wells Fargo a better option than Chase?
It depends on what you’re looking for. Chase and Wells Fargo are both “Big Four” banks, so they offer many of the same products and services., Chase has an edge when it comes to credit cards, bonuses, and online banking. Wells Fargo’s edge is that it has more physical branches and ATMs than Chase.
Check out our full review of Chase to compare for yourself.
Does Wells Fargo really give you $400?
Unfortunately, not at the time of this writing. The bank was previously running a promotion that would earn you $400 for opening an Everyday Checking account, but it expired at the end of July 2020.
Don’t get discouraged, though. There’s a good chance that a Wells Fargo bonus will come back in the future, so check back often if that’s something you want to take advantage of.
What’s the difference between Wells Fargo and Bank of America?
The biggest difference between Wells Fargo and Bank of America that comes into play with these two is their service areas. BoA tends to favor the East Coast, while Wells Fargo has a bigger presence in the West.
When it comes to how they operate, Wells Fargo and Bank of America (BoA) are very similar. They’re both “Big Four” national banks, with many of the same account options, products, and services.
Is Wells Fargo Bank Right For You?
If you’re looking for a bank with a wide-reaching national presence, tons of financial products, and 24/7 customer support, Wells Fargo could very well be the right choice.
With that in mind, there are a few more things to consider.
Wells Fargo doesn’t have a presence in 13 states, so you’d be missing out on one of their biggest draws if the bank doesn’t operate in your region.
Furthermore, Wells Fargo probably isn’t for you if you’re the type of person who is especially wary of fees or wants to earn high interest on your deposits. Wells Fargo could do better in the credit cards arena, as well.
Whichever bank you choose, you first have to decide what you want. If convenience and physical branch access are at the top of your list, then Wells Fargo might be a great fit.
Here’s to securing your financial future with the bank that’s right for you.
