Believe it or not, one of the quickest ways to earn a few hundred dollars is to open up a new online bank account. Banks are always looking for new ways to get new customers and new accounts. This leads many banks to give immediate bonuses to new customers as an incentive for them to open up a new account. It might be hard to understand why a bank would simply give away free money, but the reason is that they want long-term customers. It’s worth it to them to give away money if they can get you to stay long-term.
One of the best methods of finding an online checking account that fits your needs is to search online.
Are you wondering why an online checking account might be the best choice? Let’s take a look at five reasons why going digital is a good idea.
1. Unlimited Access To Your Account and Service
Unlike regular banks, online banks are available 24 hours per day and seven days per week. You can get into your account, check your balance, transfer money and just about anything else. Not only that, but some banks like Ally, Wells Fargo and Chime have 24/7 customer service as well. So, even if you can’t access your account online at some point, you still have the option to talk to a real person.
2. Mobile Banking Is Easier Than Ever
Mobile banking allows you to do nearly everything these days. You can deposit checks, apply for credit cards, check your credit score and access all of your accounts with a few taps or clicks. Online banks have effectively cut out the middleman to give you constant access to your account whenever you need it. You can do everything on your mobile banking app instead of driving to a bank building and waiting in line.
3. Pay All Your Bills With Online Bill Pay
Another great part of using a mobile banking app is online bill pay. Instead of spending time and energy writing out checks and filling out payment forms, you can simply set up online bill pay and forget about it. Many online banking accounts let you set up auto-pay so that you won’t even have to log in to pay your bills when they’re due.
Some banks also have payment systems that work on a peer-to-peer basis. This allows you to get and send money between your friends and family members who have different bank accounts. Zelle is one example of this. It is backed by several big U.S. banks, including PNC, Capital One, Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and Morgan Stanley among many others.
4. File Online Transaction Disputes Quickly and Easily
With online banking, you have the power to see your account history at any time. You can quickly and easily check all your recent transactions and see your statements no matter where you are. This makes it easier than ever to catch unauthorized account activity.
If you see a strange transaction in your pending column, you can quickly contact your online bank and stop the charge before it posts. Thanks to easy and convenient access, plus notifications, things like this are easier than ever to catch and reverse.
5. Erase The Monthly Service Fee Forever
Most online banks don’t charge monthly service fees to open or use a checking account. There’s also usually no minimum balance. Online banks don’t have to pay for brick and mortar buildings or extra employees, so they’re less likely to charge random fees for everything. Many even allow free ATM withdrawals.
Yet another great part about using an online bank with a mobile app is how easy it is to get a handle on your finances. With regular banking, sometimes you might not know that your finances are in bad shape until it’s too late. Maybe you can’t make it to the bank to transfer or deposit money, but you don’t realize that your accounts are overdrawn. This is unlikely to happen with an online account where you have 24/7 access.
Take the plunge and open an online bank account today. The 21st century is well underway, so why continue to operate like you live in the 20th century? Online banking offers so many benefits, including easy access, notifications and alerts, and much better security.
Traditional banking is about to be out of fashion. Online banks are designed to meet your needs better than ever. Get started today by searching online for the right bank for you.