Chase vs Citibank: Which Is Best for You?

The two big national banks Chase and Citibank have similar products and fees (and ways to waive them), but they differ in some ways.

Consider what’s important in your banking life, whether that means nearby ATMs or branch access, and read on to see how the banks compare.

Snapshot comparison

	Chase	Citibank
Checking accounts	Chase Total Checking® Monthly fee: $12 (See below for three ways to waive it). Minimum opening deposit: $0.	Citi Regular Checking (in Basic Banking package) N/A.
Savings accounts	Chase Savings℠ APY: 0.01% effective as of 02/10/2023. Interest rates are variable and subject to change. Monthly fee: $5 (See below for four ways to waive it).	Citi Savings (in Basic Banking package) APY: 0.03%, may vary by state. Monthly fee: $4.50 (See below for three ways to waive it).
Certificates of deposit	Chase CD interest rates 1-year: 0.01%. 5-year: 0.01%. Minimum deposit: $1,000.	Citibank CD interest rates 1-year: 2.50%. 5-year: 2.00%. Minimum deposit: $500.
Overdrafts, ATMs, customer service	Chase details Overdraft fee: $34, maximum of three per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day. Also no charge if the account is overdrawn more than $50 but the overdrawn balance is brought down to $50 or less by the end of the next business day. Overdraft protection transfer fee: $0. ATMs: More than 15,000. Branches: More than 4,700. Customer service: Available by phone (8 a.m.-12 a.m. ET, Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET on weekends), email and social media.	Citibank details Overdraft fee: $0. Overdraft protection transfer fee: $0. ATMs: 60,000+. Branches: Over 600 in the U.S. Customer service: Available by phone 24/7, social media and messaging support (for existing customers).
	NerdWallet rating Learn More at Chase, Member FDIC	NerdWallet rating Read review

Choose Chase if:

You prioritize branch accessibility.

Choose Citibank if:

ATM accessibility is a priority.
You want higher CD rates.
You want to avoid overdraft fees.

Or go with an alternative

Unlike these brick-and-mortars, online banks don’t have thousands of branches. But they do have excellent annual percentage yields (APYs) that make your savings grow faster. And fees tend to be low or nonexistent.

» Want to know more? Check out NerdWallet's best high-yield online savings accounts and top online checking accounts

Chase vs. Citibank: Basic checking accounts

	Chase Total Checking®	Citi Regular Checking (in Basic Banking package)
Monthly fee	$12. 3 ways to waive it You must meet one of the following requirements: Receive $500 or more in direct deposits monthly. Maintain a beginning day balance of at least $1,500. Have an average beginning day balance of at least $5,000 across qualifying Chase accounts.	N/A.
Minimum deposit to open	$0.	$0.
APY	None.	None.
ATM fees and network	More than 15,000 fee-free Chase ATMs. $3 fee for using non-Chase ATMs in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, plus any fees from ATM owner.	60,000+ fee-free ATMs. $2.50 fee for using out-of-network ATMs, plus any fee from ATM owner.
Sign-up bonus	$300 (expires 01/22/2025); our bank bonuses roundup explains how to qualify.	$325 (expires 01/07/2025); our bank bonuses roundup explains how to qualify.

+ Click here for analysis of Chase and Citibank's checking accounts

If ATM access is important to you, Citibank offers many more: over 60,000 fee-free ATMs across the nation.

» Want more options? Take a look at NerdWallet’s best checking accounts.

Chase vs. Citibank: Basic savings accounts

	Chase Savings℠	Citi Savings (in Basic Banking package)
APY	0.01% effective as of 02/10/2023. Interest rates are variable and subject to change.	Rates may vary by state. In some, it's 0.03% APY for balances below $25,000.
Monthly fee	$5. 4 ways to waive it Have a daily balance of $300 or more. Set up an automatic transfer of $25 or more from Chase checking account. Link this account to a College Checking account or a high-end checking account such as Chase Premier Plus Checking℠. Note: Account owners younger than 18 don't have to pay a fee.	$4.50. 3 ways to waive it Have at least a $500 average monthly balance. Note: As part of the Basic Banking package, no monthly fee if you have a qualifying direct deposit and make a qualifying bill payment each statement period, or if you maintain a minimum $1,500 monthly balance across eligible linked accounts. Note: Account owners age 62 and older don’t have to pay a fee.
Minimum deposit to open	$0.	$0.
Sign-up bonus	N/A	N/A

+ Click here for analysis of Chase and Citibank's savings accounts

Both have minimal interest rates, with Citi having a slight edge.

Both have monthly fees that are easy to avoid.

» Want to find higher rates? Check out NerdWallet's best online savings accounts.

Chase vs. Citibank: Certificates of deposit

	Chase	Citibank
1-Year APY	0.01%.	2.50%.
3-Year APY	0.01%.	2.00%.
5-Year APY	0.01%.	2.00%.
Minimum deposit to open	$1,000.	$500.
Rates may vary by location.
See more rates	Chase CD rates.	Citibank CD rates.

Click here for analysis of Chase and Citibank's CDs

Citi has generally better rates. To compare Citi's rates with other options, see our list of current CD rates. To see more detail about Chase’s offering, see our Chase CD rates review.

» Want better returns on your CD? See our list of best CD rates.

Chase vs. Citibank: Banking experience

	Chase	Citibank
Branches	More than 4,700.	Over 600.
Banking apps (current ratings from app store users)	4.8 out of 5 stars for iOS. 4.4 out of 5 stars for Android.	4.9 out of 5 stars for iOS. 4.7 out of 5 stars for Android.
Customer service	Available by phone (8 a.m.-12 a.m. ET Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET on weekends). Email support available. Social media support available.	Available by phone 24/7. Social media support available. Messaging support available (for existing customers).

Click here for analysis of Chase and Citibank's banking experience

Though similar in bank experience offerings, Chase has a far superior branch count. Citibank holds 1,800 branches internationally; consider this if you travel frequently and find yourself in need of branch services abroad.

Chase vs. Citibank: Overdraft fees

	Chase	Citibank
Overdraft fee	$34, maximum of three per day. No charge if account is overdrawn by $50 or less at end of day. Also no overdraft fee if the account balance is overdrawn more than $50 but is brought down to being overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day.	$0.
Overdraft protection transfer fee	$0 per transfer.	$0.
Extended overdraft fee	None.	None.

+ Click here for analysis of Chase and Citibank's overdraft fees

If you want to avoid overdraft fees, choose Citibank, which is now one of an increasing number of banks that don’t charge overdraft fees.

Chase offers overdraft protection transfers for free and there's no fee if your account is overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the day. When an account is overdrawn more than $50, customers can also avoid an overdraft fee if the account balance is brought down to being overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day. Otherwise, Chase charges an overdraft fee up to three times per day.

More branches or more ATMs

For more branches, Chase may be better for you. But for more free ATMs and higher CD rates, Citibank may be more attractive.

Both banks have a range of accounts and services, but they’re similarly bogged down by poor rates.

If you’re not impressed with either bank, check our roundup of the best online checking accounts or best credit unions for other options.

The information related to Citi checking and savings accounts has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.

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