Chase is an American bank with headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, and constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the United States international financial services holding company, JPMorgan Chase. The bank was founded on 1st September 1799 in New York, United States. As we speak, Chase is one of the best banks in the country, offering various financial services. Today I will teach you how to open a Chase checking account.
Before using any bank’s services, the first thing you should do is to open an account. You can get a Chase bank account for your transaction activities. It can be a checking account, a savings account, or even a brokerage, among others. The only thing one should understand is that you must possess all the requirements for opening a bank account as per the federal requirements and Chase is not an exception.
Chase operates both online and at physical branches. Online banking allows you to open and manage funds anywhere with a phone, tablet, or computer. You, therefore, save time that you could have wasted when queuing in a branch. However, when opening online, you need to use a secure internet to prevent hacking by criminals. If fraudsters get your details, they can easily misuse them in various ways, landing you in trouble.
What are the requirements to open a Chase checking account?
You should have various requirements before opening an account with Chase. They include the following.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- At least two kinds of government-issued identification documents such as a valid National ID, driver’s license, or passport
- Social security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number
- Utility bill containing address information
- Complete contact information such as addresses, name, and phone number
- Proof of enrollment in an eligible institution, such as a student ID or acceptance letter for Student checking accounts
- An opening deposit if needed. However, you can get a free online checking account with no opening deposit at Chase.
With all the above, you are set to open the most convenient checking account to start transacting.
How to open a Chase Checking account
Chase has various checking accounts that you can open to carry out various transaction activities. To open one, you should follow the procedure below.
i) Choose an account
We have various Chase Checking Accounts that you can open today. You only need to choose the one that suits your needs.
ii) Confirm the eligibility requirements
Once you have chosen the best checking account for your case, you need to confirm whether you qualify to apply. For example, when opening a checking account on your own, you need to be at least 18 years old. You also need to possess all the requirements that I mentioned earlier. A joint account requires both to be around. A student may require a parent or guardian to open one.
iii) Start application
You can visit any Chase Bank branch to start your application. You can also carry out the process online instead of walking to a branch. Here, you need to upload every document for verification per the Chase Bank guidelines.
iv) Read the terms and conditions of the institution.
These are the prints at the bottom of the application page or form. Once approved, you can then request a debit card. The card will allow you to access your money without visiting your bank.
If you are in the ChexSystem, you may not be able to open an account with Chase. However, you may be able to get a second chance of checking with no opening deposit from other institutions.
What are the various kinds of Chase checking accounts?
Generally, you can send money with a checking account number instantly.
There are various kinds of Chase checking accounts. They include the following.
- Chase Total Checking
- Chase Secure Banking
- College Checking account
- Chase Premier Plus Checking
- Chase High School Checking
- Chase College Checking
- Chase Sapphire Checking
1) Chase Total Checking
Chase Total Checking® gives you access to 16,000 ATMs plus more than 4,700 branches. Chase also allows you to use our online banking for various transactions such as bill pay, money transfers, and other mobile banking services. The Chase Deposit-friendly ATMs distributed nationwide also allow you to withdraw money with your debit card.
For your information, you can get a debit card that you can use for your transaction activities. It is one of the online bank accounts with an instant debit card that you can apply for today. Chase debit cards have chip technology for added security. Generally, the account features include the following.
- $12 monthly service fee.
- $0 monthly fees if you do the following each monthly statement period. If you make electronic deposits into this account amounting to $500 or more by using
- ACH network
- Real-Time Payment network
- Third-party services that facilitate debit card payments using the Visa® or Mastercard® network
Also, you can use Zelle and online check deposit features.
2) Chase Secure Banking
The account gives you $100 when you open a new account. You only need to click “Redeem offer” to get it upon opening a new Chase Secure Banking account and doing qualifying activities. You can save an average of $50 every month on fees after opening your account. The account has the following features.
- No overdraft fees
- Zero fees to cash checks.
- Chase Online Bill Pay.
- No fees to send money via Zelle.
- Zero fees on money orders or cashier’s checks.
- No fees at Chase ATMs.
Once you open a Chase checking account, you can set up alerts to be able to know about anything that happens with your account. If you misplace your debit card, you can easily lock it to prevent fraud. You also benefit from Zero Liability Protection. You can use the account to send money with a checking account number instantly to other account holders.
3) Chase Premier Plus Checking
The account allows you to earn interest on your money. You also benefit from the debit card whereby you can access more than 16,000 ATMs plus more than 4,700 branches countrywide. The ability to access Chase ATMs helps you get Cash using your debit card anytime.
Furthermore, the Chase debit card has chip technology to help you secure your funds from criminals. You can get more information concerning the other checking accounts from the Chase bank website.
How do I use a Chase checking account?
There are various ways on how you can use your account. They include the following.
a) Buy goods and services
You can pay various merchants online using your checking account by just using your online bill pay. You have to get the merchant’s bank details and transfer funds within minutes. Chase transfer of money to another bank requires the routing and account numbers of the receiving bank account. You can either use wire transfer or ACH. Wire transfers are faster compared to ACH.
If the merchant has a Zelle account, you can instantly transfer money to their accounts. Zelle only requires the registered phone number of the recipient, and thus there is no need for the account and routing numbers.
You can also use the bank’s debit card to swipe at the register when you purchase goods at physical branches or use the card’s number, CVV, and the security code when buying online. You should also make sure that you use it with secure sites.
b) Send money to others
A checking account allows you to send money to others. You can send money to account holders within Chime or to other banks. When you send money to people within your bank, you only need the recipient’s account number. Funds arrive within a short time since it is within the same institution. However, when you send money to accounts in other banks, the funds take longer, between 1-3 business days, to arrive.
As I mentioned earlier, you can use Zelle and reduce the duration of sending funds to other banks. Zelle allows instant money transfer to others. You need to get the recipient’s phone number, and then carry out the process.
c) Receive money
You can receive funds into your account from others. What you need to do is provide your account details to receive them. For example, if someone wants to transfer money from the Bank of America to Chase, in this case, your Chase checking account, they will need the Chase routing number of your branch, plus your account number.
You can also receive funds through direct deposit. If you are employed, you can receive funds from your employer via the direct deposit method. You can also receive funds from government agencies such as tax refunds, unemployment benefits, and direct deposits. You have to fill the direct deposit form from the concerned agency, and you are good to go.
d) Withdraw money
Chase checking accounts allow you to withdraw funds over the counter. Here, you have to carry your identification details and prove that the account is yours. You then fill out a withdrawal slip, sign and hand it over to the cashier.
You can also withdraw funds using your debit card. The card allows you to withdraw funds for free at Chime ATMs.
Bottom line
Chase is an American national bank with headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, and constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the United States international financial services holding company, JPMorgan Chase.
The institution offers various services such as checking accounts, debit cards, loans, check deposits, etc. You can run an account online on your phone, and thus there is no need to visit any physical branch whatsoever.
