My Honest Experience With Chase Bank
Ive had a Chase checking account for about 12 years now. Before that, I was with a local credit union. Made the switch when I moved to Seattle because the credit union had like three ATMs in the whole city. Convenience won.
Is Chase a good bank? Depends on what youre looking for. Let me break down what Ive actually experienced, good and bad.
The Branch Thing Is Actually Nice
Theres a Chase literally everywhere. I can pop into one on my lunch break, theres one near my gym, theres one in the Target by my house. When I needed to notarize something for a real estate transaction, I just walked in and it was done in 20 minutes.
ATMs are everywhere too. I rarely pay ATM fees because I can almost always find a Chase one. When I had that credit union, I was paying $3-4 in fees every time I needed cash because their ATM network was so small.
That said – if you live rural, Chase might not be as convenient. Theyre really an urban bank.
Their App Is… Actually Really Good
Im not someone who gets excited about banking apps, but Chases is solid. I can deposit checks by taking a picture (still feels like magic), transfer money to my wife, pay bills, check my balance. Everything works.
They added this spending insights thing a couple years ago thats helpful. Shows me where my money goes each month. Apparently I spend way too much at Costco. The app told me. Thanks, Chase.
Zelle is built in too, so sending money to friends is easy. Much better than dealing with Venmo.
Customer Service Is… Hit or Miss
Heres where my feelings get complicated.
In-branch? Usually fine. The people at my local branch know me by name at this point and theyre helpful.
Phone support? Complete dice roll. Ive gotten reps who solved my problem in 5 minutes. Ive also been transferred 4 times and spent an hour on hold for something simple. There doesnt seem to be any consistency.
The fraud department specifically has been great though. Someone skimmed my card at a gas station last year and I had a new card in two days. Got all the fraudulent charges reversed, no hassle.
The Interest Rates Are Pathetic (Lets Be Honest)
If youre keeping serious money in a Chase savings account, youre doing it wrong. I think I earn like 0.01% interest or something embarrassing. Online banks are paying 4-5% right now on savings.
I keep a small emergency cushion at Chase for convenience but my actual savings? Moved it to a high-yield savings account at Marcus (which is Goldman Sachs). Night and day difference.
This is pretty standard for big banks though. Chase isnt uniquely bad here – Wells Fargo, Bank of America, same deal.
Fees Exist But Are Avoidable
Theres a $12/month fee on my checking account. But its waived because I have direct deposit over $500/month. Never actually paid it.
If you cant meet the requirements for fee waivers, Chase might not be the right fit. But if you have a regular income with direct deposit, youre probably fine.
One thing that annoyed me – overdraft fees used to be brutal. Like $34 per transaction. Theyve gotten a little better about this recently with their no fee overdraft thing, but you still need to pay it back within a day or two. Just dont overdraft if you can help it.
Credit Cards Are Actually Their Strong Point
Okay, Ill give Chase real credit here. Their credit card rewards are legit.
Ive had the Chase Sapphire Preferred for years. The points Ive accumulated have paid for flights to see my parents and a nice hotel on our anniversary trip. The Ultimate Rewards program is one of the better ones out there.
The Freedom cards are good too if you dont want to pay an annual fee. My wife has the Freedom Unlimited and gets decent cashback on everything.
If you travel a lot, Chase cards are hard to beat.
What I Dont Love
Look, Chase is a giant corporation and sometimes it feels like it. Youre a number, not a person. When things are going fine, this doesnt matter. When you have a complex problem, it can be frustrating.
I also dont love how aggressively they push their other products. Every time I go in, someone tries to talk to me about a mortgage or an investment account. I get it, thats their job, but it gets old.
And honestly? I dont feel any loyalty. If something better came along, Id switch. Its not like the credit union days where the tellers actually cared. This is a business transaction.
So Is It Worth It?
For me, yes. The convenience is worth the mediocre interest rates. The credit cards are genuinely good. The app works well. And Ive never had my money disappear or anything scary.
If youre someone who needs high interest on savings, personalized service, or lives in an area without many Chase locations – maybe look elsewhere. Credit unions are great if you can find one. Online banks like Ally are worth considering.
But for a basic, reliable, big bank experience? Chase gets the job done. Its not exciting. Its not terrible. Its just… a bank.
