9 Best Rewards Checking Accounts of 2023
The best rewards checking accounts offer high interest rates or cash back on spending.
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Rewards usually are associated with credit cards, but some checking accounts have them, too. Perks include high interest rates and cash back.
» Want to explore one-time bonuses? Browse our monthly roundup of best bank account bonuses
Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the financial accounts that work best for you. See our criteria for evaluating banks and credit unions.
Here’s a list of our favorite rewards checking accounts.
APYs shown are current as of Sept. 18, 2023. All other information is current as of Aug. 2, 2023.
Rewards usually are associated with credit cards, but some checking accounts have them, too. Perks include high interest rates and cash back.
» Want to explore one-time bonuses? Browse our monthly roundup of best bank account bonuses
Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the financial accounts that work best for you. See our criteria for evaluating banks and credit unions.
Here’s a list of our favorite rewards checking accounts.
APYs shown are current as of Sept. 18, 2023. All other information is current as of Aug. 2, 2023.
Best Rewards Checking Accounts
| Bank/institution | NerdWallet rating | Monthly fee | APY | Bonus | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SoFi Checking and Savings Learn more at SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC | $0 | 0.50% With $0 min. balance for APY | $250 Earn up to $250 with direct deposit. Terms apply. | Learn more at SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC | |
 Discover Cashback Debit Learn more at Discover Bank, Member FDIC | $0 | N/A | N/A | Learn more at Discover Bank, Member FDIC | |
 Axos Bank® Rewards Checking Learn more at Axos Bank®, Member FDIC | $0 | 3.30% With $0 min. balance for APY | $300 Earn $300 with direct deposit. Terms apply. | Learn more at Axos Bank®, Member FDIC | |
 nbkc bank Everything Account | $0 | 1.50% With $0 min. balance for APY | N/A | Read review | |
 Quontic High Interest Checking | $0 | 1.10% With $0.01 min. balance for APY | N/A | Read review | |
 LendingClub Rewards Checking | $0 | 0.10% With $2,500 min. balance for APY | N/A | Read review | |
 Amalgamated Bank Give-Back Checking | $0 | 0.90% With $100 min. balance for APY | N/A | Read review | |
 Bank5 Connect High Interest Checking | $0 | 2.70% With $100 min. balance for APY | N/A | Read review | |
 American Express Rewards Checking | $0 | 1.00% | N/A | Read review |
$0
0.50%
$250
Why We Like It
SoFi Checking and Savings gives customers 0.50% APY (variable and subject to change) on balances in the checking portion of their account.
In addition, the savings portion earns 4.50% APY as long as customers set up direct deposit or deposit at least $5,000 every 30 days into their account. Without direct deposit, savings balances earn 1.20% APY.
The account doesn't have monthly or overdraft fees. Customers can also receive their paychecks up to two days early and earn up to 15% cash back on purchases made with their SoFi debit card. New customers can earn a bonus of up to $250 depending on how much they direct deposit within 25 days of their first qualifying direct deposit.
$0
N/A
N/A
Why We Like It
Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month. Customers can also get their paychecks up to two days early when they set up direct deposit to their accounts. Discover has a nationwide network of over 60,000 fee-free ATMs, and customers can also opt in to fee-free overdraft protection.
$0
3.30%
$300
Why We Like It
Axos Bank customers can earn up to 3.30% APY on their balance as long as they meet some requirements. To earn the full interest, customers must have monthly direct deposits totaling $1,500 or more, use their debit card at least 10 times per month (with a minimum of $3 per transaction) or sign up for Personal Finance Manager (PFM) “Account Aggregation” in Online Banking, maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Managed Portfolios Account, maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Self Directed Trading Account and use their account to make a full monthly Axos Bank consumer loan payment. Other benefits include no overdraft fees and unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements.
$0
1.50%
N/A
Why We Like It
NBKC’s Everything Account gives its customers 1.50% APY on all balances with no requirements. There’s no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement, and customers have access to more than 37,000 fee-free ATMs. NBKC also offers up to $12 in monthly fee reimbursements for out-of-network ATMs.
$0
1.00%
N/A
Why We Like It
Customers with an American Express Rewards Checking account earn 1.00% APY on all balances. They also have access to over 37,000 fee-free MoneyPass ATMs nationwide and 24/7 customer service. The account can only be opened by customers who have an American Express consumer credit card that has been open for at least three months.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
Chasing the best rewards can’t make up for having a checking account that lacks features you need or that charges you high fees to access your money. But it’s worth looking for a financial institution that offers you a little extra incentive to bank with it.
Last updated on September 18, 2023
Methodology
We took a close look at over 90 financial institutions and financial service providers, including the largest U.S. banks based on assets, internet search traffic and other factors; the nation’s largest credit unions, based on assets and membership; and other notable and/or emerging players in the industry. We rated them on criteria including annual percentage yields, minimum balances, fees, digital experience and more.
Financial institutions and providers surveyed are: Affirm, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, All America Bank, Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, Amalgamated Bank, America First Credit Union, American Express National Bank, Andrews Federal Credit Union, Associated Bank, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Bank of the West, Bank5 Connect, Bank7, Barclays, Bask Bank, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, BMO, BMO Alto, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Bread Savings, Capital One, Carver Federal Savings Bank, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase, Chime, CIBC U.S., CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens, Citizens Bank, City First Bank, Climate First Bank, Commerce Bank, Community First Credit Union of Florida, ConnectOne Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Consumers Credit Union, Current, Delta Community Credit Union, Discover Bank, E*TRADE, Fifth Third Bank, First Foundation, First National Bank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Flagstar Bank, FNBO Direct, GO2bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, Greenwood, Hope Credit Union, Huntington Bank, Industrial Bank, Ivy Bank, KeyBank, Lake Michigan Credit Union, LendingClub Bank, Liberty Bank, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Nationwide (by Axos), Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC, One, OneUnited Bank, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC, Popular Direct, Quontic Bank, Regions Bank, Revolut, Salem Five Direct, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Securityplus Federal Credit Union, Self-Help Credit Union, Service Credit Union, SoFi, State Employees’ Credit Union of North Carolina, Suncoast Credit Union, Synchrony Bank, TAB Bank, TD Bank, TIAA Bank, Truist Bank, U.S. Bank, UFB Direct, Union Bank, Upgrade, USAA Bank, Varo, Vio Bank, Wells Fargo and Zynlo Bank.
To recap our selections...
