Friends and family are gifted up to $100 when they join Patelco. You can earn up to $500 for your referrals!
Open Free CheckingMember referrals have helped us grow and pass on more savings with better rates. Thanks to members like you, Patelco continues to grow every year. That’s why we want to reward you even more with our Refer a Friend program!
We’ll credit you $50 for each qualified referral up to $500. Make sure to enter your personal referral code when opening the new checking account. This limited time offer ends July 31, 2026.
Share your personal referral code with your friends and family. We’ve emailed the code to you, or you can contact us to look it up!
They can earn $50 by opening a checking account with a $100 minimum deposit, and an additional $50 when they open a Money Market Plus or Select account.
When they use your personal referral (offer) code to open their checking account, you’ll also receive $50.
Set up Direct Deposit and access funds up to 2 days early.
Cover unexpected shortages of funds for up to $500 with Instant BackUp. No credit check needed.
Bank 24/7 on the go with advanced and secure account controls.
Pay with confidence with digital wallets and zero liability protection.
Convenience at every turn. Find one near you on our Mobile App.
Earn rates as high as 3.50% APY5 with a monthly deposit of $500 or more into a Patelco checking account.
Earn 2.00% APY6 on balances up to $2,000. No monthly deposit requirements.
Patelco is a member owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative. When you open an account at Patelco, you become a member and a shareholder. That’s why we’ll deposit one share ($1) in your Share Savings account when you join.
Our mission is to help members achieve lifelong financial well-being so you can live happier, fuller lives. Unlike the big banks or other for-profit financial institutions, we invest our profits back in our members with better rates and low- to no fees.
We also offer free financial coaching to anyone who wants to improve their financial situation. Members have told us that they feel seen, heard, informed, and supported to make more confident financial choices.
Membership is free. You become a member when you open an account with us. Check out all the benefits of membership.
New members can open your account at a Patelco branch, meet now on video banking with our Virtual Branch or complete the online application in minutes.
Remember to enter the referral (offer) code to receive the reward credit once you meet the qualifying criteria of $100 initial deposit in your checking account.
Members will receive emails from Patelco with their assigned referral code. Or you can contact us and we’ll look up your code.
If you are not yet a member and were referred to Patelco by a friend or family member, be sure to ask them for their referral code.
Members who set up direct deposits into their Patelco checking, savings, or money market accounts can get paid up to 2 days early2 — so you can access your funds faster.
You must enroll in Instant BackUp on your checking account to receive overdraft coverage up to $500. You’ll pay interest only on the amount you borrowed for the amount of time it’s outstanding.
Once you’ve opened your checking account with the qualifying deposit of $100, you’ll be eligible for an additional $50 bonus if you also opened a Money Market account.
We offer a Money Market Plus account that offers rates as high as 3.50% APY5 based on the balance you maintain in your Money Market Plus account. You’ll need to make a minimum monthly deposit of $500 or more into your checking account to qualify for the higher rates. Or you can choose a Money Market Select account that pays 2.00% APY6 on balances up to $2,000. This account is great for those who are starting to save or don’t meet the recurring deposit requirements for the Money Market Plus account.
There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements for either account so you can choose the one that meets your needs.
You can open your checking account and money market accounts at the same time or open your money market account later via online banking or our Mobile App.
Make an appointment to visit a Patelco branch near you. Or meet now using video banking with our Virtual Branch — where you can drop in or schedule an appointment to meet virtually from the comfort of your home or office.
1 Refer a friend using your personal referral code. For you and your friend or family member to qualify for the first $50 bonus, they must use the code provided to become a member and open a new checking account with an initial $100 deposit by July 31, 2026 at any Patelco branch or at patelco.org/refer. The $50 bonus will be credited to both of your savings accounts within five business days after the checking account requirements are met. The new member can earn an additional $50 bonus by opening a money market account, once the checking qualifications have been met. This bonus will be credited to the new money market account. Patelco team members are not eligible to receive the $50 reward credit. If you receive $600 or more in prizes from Patelco throughout the year, we’ll send you an IRS Form 1099.
2 Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the receipt of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
3 You must enroll in Instant BackUp on your checking account to receive overdraft coverage up to $500. You’ll pay interest only on the amount you borrowed for the amount of time it’s outstanding.
4 Source: Over 34,700 5-star reviews across Apple iOS and Google Play app stores.
5 APY=Annual Percentage Yield. Rates are effective as of 01/01/2026 and are subject to change before or after account opening without notice. Rates vary by tier and apply to the full balance.
The following variable interest rates will apply to your account balance: 3.50% APY on balances of $250,000.00 or greater, 3.25% APY on balances between $100,000.00 and $249,999.99, 3.00% APY on balances between $50,000.00 and $99,999.99, 2.75% APY on balances up to $49,999.99.
In order to attain higher interest rates the account must meet the eligibility requirements, that is a Patelco checking account (opened under the same Member Number) with a total monthly deposit of $500 or more. If the account fails to meet eligibility, the lower interest rate of 0.05% APY will be defaulted. Qualifying deposit transactions include: Payroll direct deposits, Social Security (or other government benefit) direct deposits, ACH transfers, Zelle®, Venmo, PayPal or other similar deposits, cash deposits, check deposits (except checks written from another Patelco account), wire transfers, multiple deposits (of the types listed above) that add up to at least $500 in a calendar month. Qualifying deposit transactions do not include Patelco account-to-Patelco account transfers, chargebacks or promotional incentive payments from Patelco.
For more details, read our Money Market Plus Account Overview.
6 APY=Annual Percentage Yield. Rates are valid as of 01/01/2026 and are subject to change after account opening without notice. Interest is paid at tier rates on balances within each tier. Total interest paid is the sum from each tier. Blended APY shown assumes the amount entered is held in the account for one year. Withdrawing funds before one year will result in a different realized rate. No minimum deposit required to open an account. Limit one Money Market Select account and one Money Market Select IRA account per account number.
