Customers Bank VS PNC

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 2.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Free ATM transactions and fee refunds
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Bonus checking account offers good rates

Cons:

  • Accounts have low interest rates
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • Monthly fees for most accounts
  • Financial Rates: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Virtual Wallet rates are competitive
  • Relationship Rates offer higher rates
  • Student accounts offered
  • Business accounts are available

Cons:

  • Low interest rates for other accounts
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • High required balances to avoid fees
  • Must open CDs at branch locations
Customers Bank Review

Customers Bank accounts offer free ATM transactions at PLUS and NYCE ATMs. The Convenience checking account offers ATM fee refunds. To qualify for the refunds, you must have at least $5,000 in Customers Bank accounts.

There are a variety of personal deposit and business accounts available. Those include:

  • Convenience checking
  • Free checking
  • Bonus checking
  • Money market account
  • Reserve savings
  • CDs from 3-60 months
  • Loans and mortgages
  • Business accounts and lending options

The personal deposit accounts with Customers Bank have low opening required amounts. Each of the checking and savings accounts only require $10 to open. The money market requires $50 to open. The CDs require $500 to open.

The Bonus checking account earns competitive interest rates if you meet the qualifications. That requires you to spend $500 a month using your debit card. Those rates are much higher than the standard rates and are competitive with other online checking accounts. To open the Bonus checking account, you must use new money. You cannot use money already in a Customers Bank account.

Most of the accounts with Customers Bank do not offer competitive interest rates. The accounts offer rates similar to traditional bank rates. Customers Bank used to offer accounts with competitive interest rates. Those accounts are no longer available.

Not all accounts at Customers Bank can be opened online. Some accounts require visiting a branch location to open. They have branch locations in eight states. Not all products are available at every location. Contact customer service to see which accounts are available near you.

Money market accounts at Customers Bank have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rates requires $250,001. Even the most competitive rate is not competitive with other online money market accounts.

Some Customers Bank accounts have monthly fees. The Convenience checking account has a monthly fee of $29 if you do not meet the requirements. You must keep a $5,000 balance in Customers Bank accounts to waive the fee. The money market account has a $5 fee if your balance falls below $1,000. The retirement savings account has a $5 fee if your balance falls below $100.

Read the full Customers Bank review.

PNC Review

Opening PNCs Virtual Wallet accounts earn competitive interest rates. This includes three specific accounts: the Spend, Reserve, and Growth accounts. The Spend account is your checking account for everyday spending. The Reserve account is a short-term savings account. It offers overdraft protection for the Spend account. The Growth account is for longer-term goals, like a down payment, car, or vacation. Virtual Wallet accounts offer interest rates that are competitive with other online accounts. You must link these accounts together to earn competitive rates.

Some Growth savings accounts offer slightly higher rates with Relationship Rates. You must qualify to earn the Relationship Rates. To qualify, you must have a set amount directly deposited into the Spend account. Making five debit transactions also qualifies you. The amounts of direct deposits vary from $500 to $5,000 depending on the account. If you qualify, your money will earn even higher interest rates.

PNC offers accounts for college students. With proof you are enrolled in college, the monthly fee is waived. This account offers a debit card and online and mobile banking. The same features of Virtual Wallet are available for the college account. Parents can sign up to receive alert texts when balances are low or overdrawn. Some colleges offer other perks with the account. For example, one college allows you to use your student ID card as a PNC ATM card.

PNC offers small and commercial business accounts. Checking, savings, and money market accounts are available. CDs, credit cards, and online services for your business are available. Bill pay, remote check deposits, and online payroll are services offered.

PNC standard account interest rates are low. To earn the competitive rates on Virtual Wallet accounts, you must meet the set requirement. If you open a standard account or do not meet the requirements, interest rates are low. To earn the competitive rates, be sure you open the right accounts and meet the requirements.

Most PNC accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $5 to $25 depending on the account. There are ways to waive the fees. Having a set amount in the account or in qualifying PNC accounts will waive the fees. Direct deposits of a set amount or if you are 62 years or older will waive some fees. As of March 2019, PNC loan and investment balances are not included to waive monthly fees.

The amounts required to have in PNC accounts to waive the monthly fees are high. The money market account requires $5,000 to avoid the monthly fee. Virtual Wallet accounts require $500 to $5,000 to waive the fee or $10,000 to $25,000 across all PNC deposit accounts. After March 2019, loans and investment balances will no longer count toward the total amount to waive fees. Their standard savings account only requires $300 to waive monthly fees.

Customers must open PNC CDs at a branch location. Most PNC CDs required $1,000 to open. The CDs with terms of seven to 89 days require $5,000 to open. PNC has branch locations in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Read the full PNC review.

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