The Patelco Free Checking account is a no frills, no strings attached, truly free checking account.
You can save more with no monthly fees, no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. Enjoy the convenience of 30,000+ no-fee ATMs and now payday can come even sooner when you set up direct deposit for your account. Get paid up to two days early1 — without an additional fee.
Set up Direct Deposit and access your funds up to 2 days early
Cover unexpected shortage of funds in your account for up to $500 with Instant BackUp. No credit check needed
Automatically grow your savings with every purchase you make
Pay with confidence with Digital Wallets and Zero Liability Protection
Find one near you on our top-rated Mobile App3
Yes! We don’t charge a monthly fee or require a minimum balance to waive the monthly fee.
We recommend you place your first order of checks directly with the Patelco team for security reasons. Reorders can be made through Patelco Online™ or our Mobile App.
Members who set up direct deposits into their Patelco checking, savings, or money market accounts can get paid up to 2 days early1 — so you can access your funds faster.
You can find one of the 30,000+ fee-free ATMs at patelco.org/locations or on your Mobile App.
You will receive your debit card in the mail typically within 5 business days after you’ve opened your account.
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.
Start saving more when you open a Money Market Plus account at the same time as a Free Checking account, and earn an outstanding rate as high as 4.00% APY4 on your savings.
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1 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.
2 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. Talk to our Patelco team for assistance and learn more here. No overdraft fees applies to checking accounts opened after 04/05/2023.
3 Source: over 22,000 five-star reviews on the App Store.
4 APY=Annual Percentage Yield. Rates are effective as of 06/01/2025 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: 4.00% APY on balances of $250,000.00 or greater, 3.75% APY on balances between $100,000.00 and $249,999.99, 3.51% APY on balances between $50,000.00 and $99,999.99, 3.00% 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% will be defaulted for that month. 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.
Mastercard and Mastercard Global Service are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark, of Mastercard International Incorporated.
Zelle and the Zelle-related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.
