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free checking¹ built for everyday life
Take control of your day-to-day finances with free checking designed around how you actually bank. No monthly maintenance fees, no balance requirements, and just a $50 opening deposit² to get started.
all the perks, none of the fees
free checking that works the way you do
Free Checking¹ is built to keep everyday banking simple. With no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance requirements, you can manage your money without worrying about extra costs or meeting account conditions.
Whether you’re paying bills, making purchases, or moving money between accounts, you’ll have the tools you need to stay in control—anytime, anywhere.
more free features. more convenience.
built-in tools to help you manage your money
Everything you need for everyday banking is included—designed to save you time and simplify how you manage your money.
other features & benefits
Mobile Check Deposit
Save time by making a deposit without having to drive to a branch by depositing checks directly from your smartphone–just snap a picture of your check with a smartphone via the United app.
Free Bill Pay and eDocuments
Get added security by having your monthly statement sent directly to your email. Prefer paper statements? If you don't sign up for eStatements it's just $2.50 per monthly statement.7
Zelle®8
Zelle® is a convenient way to send money using your mobile banking app or online banking account.
SavvyMoney®9
Explore and stay on top of your credit score with SavvyMoney®.
Debit Cards
Experience the convenience of the globally accepted Visa® Debit Card included with the Free Checking Account from United, making everyday purchases hassle-free from the donut shop to the movie theater and beyond.
Digital Wallet
Additional options are available for secure and convenient payments when you have Digital Wallet. Use Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, and Samsung Pay to buy what you want with one tap or click of your smartphone.10
just $50 will get you started
frequently asked questions
A: Free Checking is designed to keep everyday banking simple, with no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance requirements. It includes convenient digital tools like Digital Banking, bill pay, and mobile check deposit—so you can manage your money without extra costs or unnecessary restrictions.
A: Yes—Free Checking has no monthly maintenance or minimum balance2 fees. To keep your account free, you’ll need to be enrolled in Digital Banking and eStatements¹.
A: A minimum opening deposit of $50² is required to open a Free Checking account.
A: No, Free Checking does not require a minimum balance to maintain your account.
A: Yes, Free Checking includes access to Digital Banking, allowing you to manage your account anytime from your phone, tablet, or computer.
A: Yes, paper statements are available for $2.50 per statement7 if you are not enrolled in eStatements.
A: Free Checking does not charge monthly maintenance fees or per check fees, helping you avoid common account-related costs.
A: Yes, you can deposit checks anytime using Mobile Check Deposit through the United mobile app.
There are several ways to qualify for membership at United. While eligibility qualifications vary by state, it generally includes the following options:
- You live, work, worship, attend schools, perform volunteer activities or conduct business near one of our physical branch locations.
- You currently work for, volunteer at, or have retired from one of United’s 900+ Select Employee Group (SEG) partners.
- You have an immediate family or household member who is a current Member or who is eligible for Membership.
- You choose to join the National American Consumer Council, at no cost to you.
Ready to become a Member today? Click here to join online.
There is no minimum age requirement to be a primary checking account owner at United. However, if the primary owner is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must be listed as a joint owner.
Courtesy Pay6 is available to eligible accountholders in good standing and allows personal checking accounts to overdraw up to the Courtesy Pay limit for the specific account type, as outlined below:
- Free Checking – $1,000 Courtesy Pay limit
- Ultra Checking – $1,000 Courtesy Pay limit
If you have established other overdraft protection methods, such as a line of credit or automatic transfer from your other accounts, we will always look to pay any overdraft by those other methods first before paying your overdraft utilizing Courtesy Pay and imposing a Courtesy Pay fee ($25) for each overdraft we pay.
Branch hours can vary by location. To make sure you have the most up-to-date information for a specific branch, we recommend visiting our branch hours page.
Yes. The money you have at United is insured up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund and fully backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
To join, we will need your address, Social Security / government identification number, and your ID. IDs can be in the form of:
- Driver’s License
- State ID
- Passport
- Active Military ID
[1] Free with eStatements. A Paper Statement fee of $2.50 per statement will be charged if you are not enrolled in Digital Banking and eDocuments to receive electronic statements. You can enroll in Digital Banking and sign up for eDocuments or enroll via the United App.
[2] Minimum opening balance of $50 required.
[3] Available in early-mid May, Early Pay is provisional credit only. Deposits eligible for Early Pay are limited to payroll direct deposits and government benefit payments made through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network to a personal checking account. Other deposits or credits are not eligible for Early Pay. Funds from eligible direct deposits may not post early.
[4] A 0.25% interest rate discount is available when automatic payments are established from a United Checking account. This discount is not available on mortgage loans or credit card loans. Some restrictions may apply.
[5] Members receive up to five (5) free withdrawals per month at non-United ATMs. Withdrawals conducted at CO-OP Network ATMs are surcharge-free. After the five (5) free withdrawals are used, additional non-United ATM withdrawals, as well as withdrawals at CO-OP/Alliance ATMs, may be subject to fees assessed by United Federal Credit Union. Transactions conducted at non-CO-OP bank or privately owned ATMs may also be subject to a surcharge assessed by the ATM owner. Any such surcharge is not imposed, collected, or controlled by United Federal Credit Union.
[6] Requires your account is in good standing, which is defined as: A) your checking account has been open for at least 30 days; B) making regular deposits sufficient to cover transactions; C) bringing the account to a positive balance (and maintaining that positive balance for twenty-four hours) at least once every thirty days or less; D) there are no legal orders outstanding on your account; and E) you do not have any loans with us that are more than 30 days past due, we may, at our sole discretion, pay overdrafts up to the limits mentioned above, including our normal Non-Sufficient Funds or Courtesy Pay charge(s). Whether we pay or return an item, your account will be assessed a fee for each transaction, either as a Courtesy Pay charge ($25) or a Non-Sufficient Funds charge, but you will not be charged both fees.
[7] Paper statements are available for a $2.50 per statement.
[8] Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Mobile network carrier fees may apply. U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled consumers typically occur in minutes. In order to send payment requests or split payment request to a U.S. mobile number, the mobile number must already be enrolled with Zelle®.
[9] The services are provided by SavvyMoney, Inc. and do not represent any agreement by United Federal Credit Union to provide any product, service, or other benefit to me. Information provided by SavvyMoney, Inc. is for educational purposes only and does not represent accounting, tax, legal, real estate, mortgage, and financial planning or investment advice by United Federal Credit Union. The credit report card and score is not used for determining loan rates or loan approval purposes; loan rates and approvals are based on information provided separately to United Federal Credit Union when you apply for a loan. The credit score found in the credit report used by United Federal Credit Union may be different than the credit score provided within SavvyMoney.
[10] Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC. Apple Pay is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Samsung Pay is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Message and data rates may apply.