A bank account is a unique entity at a bank where you can deposit and use your money. Credit unions also provide similar services to banks, allowing you to keep your money for future use. There are various types of bank accounts, but the main ones include checking and savings accounts. There are various kinds of transactions that you can carry out with a bank account. Later, you will learn how to do an instant bank transfer without a debit card.
A debit card connects to a checking account. Some savings accounts also have debit cards, but with some limitations on the number of withdrawals, you can make per given time. The cards allow you to spend your balance by purchasing goods and services online. You can also use your card to withdraw money at an ATM using your PIN.
A bank account usually has an account number. That is what uniquely distinguishes the account from other account holders so that when you deposit money, it goes straight to the account. When you want to send funds to a person of the same branch as yours, you need their account number, and you are good to go. If they belong to a different branch or bank, you must send money using their account and routing numbers.
How to get a bank account?
You can get a bank account by applying online at various financial companies. It is easy to get a free online checking account with no opening deposit or credit check at various banks and credit unions.
Nowadays, most banks allow you to open accounts online using smartphones, computers, or even tablets, plus a secure and reliable internet connection. Before opening a bank account at any financial company, you must first get all the required details. They include the following.
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- An identification doc such as a driver’s license, an identity card, or passport.
- Email address
- Physical address
- Phone number
The federal government directives require every financial company to request the above items from every account opener. You should provide your Social Security Number to help the government track your working years later to decide what to pay you during your retirements.
That can only be achieved by examining the money you got in your accounts. The identification document makes sure that no criminals cannot open accounts to misuse by funding evil activities. Others such as human traffickers, drug traffickers, corrupt politicians, and others can find it easy to open accounts and keep dirty money without revealing their identities.
The email address and phone number are helpful for various communication needs. Your bank may need to call and inform you of various issues. Also, you can receive your statements via your email address. Once you have all the details, you can open your account.
When opening online, you must fill out a form and submit it online. Once approved, you can then request a debit card to help you access funds from your account. Alternatively, you can open your account at a physical branch. Once your account is ready, you can transfer money to someone else’s bank account, pay bills, and withdraw money, among other kinds of transactions.
How to use a bank account?
There are various ways you can use your bank account. They include the following.
i) Save money
If you open a savings account, you will save money for your future use. Almost every bank offers savings accounts with particular interest rates that ensure that your money earns something out of it. Some checking accounts also earn interest when you meet specific requirements.
ii) Receive money
A bank account allows one to receive money from other account holders either belonging to your bank or other banks. You can get payments from your employer, government agencies, and others. For example, you can accept ACH payments instantly from money agents such as Zelle that have made bank-to-bank transfers very fast.
iii) Withdraw money
You can withdraw money over the counter from your bank account to use for your various transactions. If you use a checking account, you can easily withdraw money anytime at an ATM point using your debit card. Therefore, you do not have to keep money in your house while you can have it in your bank and only get the amount you intend to spend at a particular time.
iv) Transfer money
There are various ways you can move money from a bank account to another online. Nowadays, most banks allow you to use your account online via a mobile wallet, whereby you can view balances, check transaction history, request statements, and so on.
Using the app, you can transfer money to account holders of your bank. When transferring to other banks, you have to transfer money using the routing number and account number of the receiving account. Depending on the method used, the transfer may take several days, but eventually, the funds will reach the intended person.
v) Pay bills
A bank account allows one to pay bills conveniently for electricity, water, internet, etc. you can even set up automatic bill payments so that if you forget to pay the bills, then your bank will be assisting you in the process. Paying bills is one way you can get money out of your account.
How to send money using a bank account?
You might be wondering about the various ways you can send funds using a bank account. There are several ways you can use and they include the following.
i) Use ACH transfer
The ACH transfer method allows you to transfer funds to other banks. You require the account and routing numbers of the recipient. The method is secure but takes longer to complete as the recipient may wait up to five days to receive their funds.
ACH happens in the Automated Clearing House (ACH), which is why it is referred to as the ACH transfer. The sending and the receiving banks do not participate directly in transferring the funds.
ii) Wire transfer
Wire transfer requires the exact details you need when doing ACH transfer. However, the sending and receiving banks interact directly to facilitate the transfer. Therefore, wire transfers are faster compared to ACH. Funds reach the intended accounts within 24 hours. Again, wire transfers allow you to transfer large amounts of money domestically or internationally.
Unfortunately, wire transfers are not that safe because once you send money to the wrong person, you may not get your money back. And for your information, you can use the wire transfer method to transfer money from a prepaid card to a bank account.
How do I Transfer Money instant bank without debit card?
You can transfer money instantly using Zelle, a digital money transfer service that operates in the United States. The company has developed an application that integrates with various banks in the country as it does not operate internationally.
To get started with Zelle, you must open an account online by just logging in to your online bank account, then sign up by following a few simple steps to create your Zelle® profile.
If you use a mobile banking app, the app is already in your banking app, and you need to follow a few steps to start using the services. To send money with Zelle, you need the recipient’s phone number or email address and start the transfer process. The funds reach the receiving bank account instantly or within a few minutes.
- To send money via Zelle, you need to log in to your account, then;
- Navigate to Send money with Zelle®
- Add or select recipient details
- Enter the amount to send and select your funding account.
- Review and send.
The recipient will get a notification that you have sent them money. However, one must enroll with the platform to receive money via Zelle. You must use the Zelle® app to enroll, which you can download from the relevant sites.
After that, you open the app and enter your basic contact details, such as an email address and U.S. phone number. Next, you should add a U.S.-based bank account. You can even use Visa® or Mastercard® debit cards with Zelle. However, the services do not allow payment cards from other banks.
How to send funds with a debit card?
It is possible to instant bank transfer without a debit card if it has an app to access various services. You can send money to account holders of the same bank by entering the necessary details. When you make an online payment using your app, that is an example of a money transfer to another account.
You can even add a debit card to a mobile wallet and then use it to fund the wallet’s money transfers. Some mobile wallets that accept debit cards include Paypal, Payoneer, Venmo, and Cash App.
Bottom line
A bank account is a unique entity in a bank where you can deposit and use money. You can open your bank account online or at a physical branch. Online account opening is convenient as you can do it right from your house.
There are two main types of bank accounts which include savings and checking accounts. A bank account allows you to send money, receive money, withdraw money, and save funds for future use.
