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Fact Checked
The best premium checking accounts go beyond the basic benefits of an everyday spending account. Premium banking perks may include discounts, waived fees, relationship benefits, personalized support and financial planning solutions. Often, these top-tier checking accounts are available to customers once they reach more substantial balance levels.
Here’s a look at the best premium checking accounts for exclusive benefits and services. Account details and annual percentage yields (APYs) are accurate as of May 5, 2024.
Annual Percentage Yield
N/A
Minimum Account Balance
$200,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$0
N/A
$200,000
$0
Citigold is the middle tier of the Citi Relationship checking program and a premium banking option worth looking into if you’re after savings and special treatment. Among the numerous elite benefits available to Citigold customers are several valuable lifestyle and travel perks. To unlock these benefits, you’ll need a balance of at least $200,000 with Citi.
For everyday savings, Citigold comes with up to $200 annually in cash-back rebates on popular subscriptions like Amazon Prime, Costco, Hulu, TSA PreCheck Spotify Premium. You’ll also receive Citigold-exclusive discounts to select events and experiences through the Citigold Culture Pass and complimentary Citi Personal Wealth Management services. Top travel perks include waived foreign exchange fees, access to Citigold lounges worldwide and personalized concierge services. With Citigold status, you’ll enjoy premium benefits with no monthly fee.
Read our full Citibank Review.
Citi requires a minimum combined balance of at least $200,000 to qualify for Citigold Relationship Tier status. If you’re a new customer, you can open an Access Checking or Regular Checking account in your chosen Relationship Tier. You must maintain a combined average monthly balance of at least $180,000 in eligible linked Citi deposit, retirement and investment accounts for three consecutive calendar months after opening a new account or qualifying with an existing account to keep Citigold status and avoid being re-tiered by Citi.
Annual Percentage Yield
N/A
Minimum Account Balance
$100,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$0
N/A
$100,000
$0
Bank of America Preferred Rewards features four relationship tiers, the second-highest—and best, according to our scoring—being the Platinum Honors level. Notably, Platinum Honors customers with select Bank of America rewards credit cards earn a 75% rewards bonus on all eligible card purchases. Earning bonus credit card rewards likely isn’t reason enough to switch banks and choose the Preferred Rewards program, but it could be a valuable perk if you’re already a Bank of America customer and can meet balance requirements. This relationship tier requires a combined balance of $100,000, which is relatively low for premium checking.
Platinum Honors status also features several Bank of America and Merrill discounts, banking fee waivers, higher rates on eligible Bank of America savings accounts and more for a well-rounded premier banking experience.
Read our full Bank of America Review.
To qualify for the Preferred Rewards program, you must have an active, eligible Bank of America checking account and a $20,000 three-month average combined balance. SafeBalance, Advantage Plus and Advantage Relationship checking accounts are eligible for Preferred Rewards. Platinum Honors requires a three-month combined balance of at least $100,000 across Bank of America and Merrill deposits. If your combined balance drops below program requirements, you will keep your Preferred Rewards status for a full year, followed by a three-month grace period. If you don’t meet the balance requirements after the three-month grace period, you will lose Preferred Rewards benefits or get moved to a lower tier.
Annual Percentage Yield
0.01%
Minimum Account Balance
$100,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$0
0.01%
$100,000
$0
To qualify for premium banking with U.S. Bank, you must first open a U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking. Then, you can join the U.S. Bank Smart Rewards program for free. U.S. Bank Smart Rewards comes with a laundry list of benefits, especially for those with Premium status. The Smart Rewards Premium relationship tier, the second-highest in the program, features banking perks like no monthly fees, an interest rate lift on U.S. Bank Standard Savings accounts, unlimited free non-U.S. bank ATM transactions, a variety of account fee waivers and reimbursement for the first four fees charged by third-party ATMs per statement period.
Plus, Premium customers receive interest rate and fee discounts on lending products, 100 free trades annually through U.S. Bancorp Investments and complimentary wealth management consultation. To be eligible for Premium status, you’ll need a combined balance of $100,000.
Read our full U.S. Bank Review.
The U.S. Bank Smart Rewards Premium tier is for eligible customers with a combined balance of $100,000 to $249,999.99 across checking, savings, MMA, CD, IRA and U.S. Bancorp Investment accounts. The Premium Rewards tier earns a boosted 0.0115% APY, with a base rate of 0.01% APY and a rate bump of 0.15%, on U.S. Bank Standard Savings.
Annual Percentage Yield
0.01%
Minimum Account Balance
$150,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$35
0.01%
$150,000
$35
Premium checking programs at some banks emphasize customer service more than discounts or boosts. Chase Private Client Checking, one of a couple of Chase checking accounts with relationship benefits, is one of these, offering several types of personalized support.
With Chase Private Client Checking, each customer has access to a dedicated Chase Private Client Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor for investing, Home Lending Advisor and business relationship manager, as well as 24/7 customer support from the U.S.-based Private Client service team. This is one of the best premium checking accounts for those interested in full-service private banking, especially clients with Chase business checking accounts.
Read our full Chase Bank Review.
The $35 monthly service fee is waivable with a minimum average beginning day combined balance of $150,000 or more in qualifying linked Chase bank and investment accounts. Individuals who open or upgrade to a Chase Private Client Checking account and make a qualifying deposit within the promotional period can earn a cash bonus of up to $3,000 when depositing new money. This Chase Private Client Checking account bonus offer expires on July 24, 2024.
Annual Percentage Yield
0.25% to 0.50%
depending on balance
Minimum Account Balance
$250,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$35
Waived by maintaining a $250,000 balance on qualifying linked accounts
0.25% to 0.50%
depending on balance
$250,000
$35
Waived by maintaining a $250,000 balance on qualifying linked accounts
Wells Fargo Premier Checking is a no-brainer for loyal Wells Fargo customers with enough liquid assets to meet balance requirements. Almost all Premier Checking benefits are tied to Wells Fargo’s banking, lending and investment products and services. Perks include several fee waivers, relationship savings and Wells Fargo CD rates and discounts on advising, borrowing and more.
The Wells Fargo Premier Checking account is a stand-alone account rather than a tiered relationship program. A substantial balance of $250,000 is required to waive the monthly fee and earn the best APY, but only $25 is required to open an account. You can also upgrade an existing Wells Fargo checking account to a Premier Checking account by contacting the bank.
Read our full Wells Fargo Bank Review.
You can open a Wells Fargo Premium Checking account with a $25 minimum opening deposit, but you must maintain a minimum combined balance of $250,000 or more between eligible Wells Fargo accounts to waive the $35 monthly fee. Balances across checking, savings, CD and IRA accounts, as well as investment accounts with Wells Fargo Advisors, count toward the minimum.
To create this list, Forbes Advisor analyzed 29 different checking accounts at 10 financial institutions. We ranked each account on 15 data points within the categories of premium features and benefits, fees, minimum requirements, customer experience, digital experience, in-person access and APYs.
The following weightings were applied to each category:
Individual data points considered were monthly service fees and the ability to waive them, overdraft fees and ATM fees; minimum opening deposit and minimum ongoing balance requirements; BBB and Trustpilot ratings, live chat availability and 24/7 customer service; App Store and Google Play mobile app ratings; and the number of ATMs and in-person branches.
Only accounts offering exclusive perks at the premium banking level were included in our research. When applicable, all tiers within relationship banking programs were analyzed to identify those offering the most benefits for the balance and activity requirements. Accounts with more perks, fewer fees, lower minimums and larger branch and ATM networks ranked higher.
To learn more about our editorial process and rating and review methodology, read our guide on How Forbes Advisor Reviews Banks.
