Personal Checking Accounts

The right checking account puts you in control

Free

Make life easy with our simplest personal checking account.

  • Monthly fee of $0 when you enroll in paperless statementsD
  • Minimum opening deposit of $50
  • Manage your account anywhere with any device

Premier

Get the upgrade with the personal checking account that pays you interest.

  • Monthly fee of $0 if you meet just one of our qualifiers,D otherwise $18
  • Minimum opening deposit of $100
  • Enjoy preferred ratesD on EquityLines and CDs

Prestige

Sign up for the VIP experience—an interest-bearing personal checking account with the best features.

  • Monthly fee of $0 if you meet just one of our qualifiers,D otherwise $25
  • Minimum opening deposit of $100
  • Get the best ratesD on EquityLines and CDs

Answer a few questions to find the right checking account

Payments & Transfers

Instantly move your money wherever you need it

Pay your bills from any device

Send money with Zelle®

Transfer funds to other accounts

Payments & Transfers

Instantly move your money wherever you need it

Pay your bills from any device

Payments & Transfers

Instantly move your money wherever you need it

Send money with Zelle®

Payments & Transfers

Instantly move your money wherever you need it

Transfer funds to other accounts

Rewards Credit Card

Earn more rewards every day

Get more points on everyday spending categories like groceries, gas and streaming services.
Military Banking

Meeting the needs of those who we serve

Our military accounts help you manage your financial life from anywhere your job takes you.
Security

The same secure banking you've come to rely on us for in person, online

Security Alerts

We'll automatically send you alerts if your account credentials change.

Card Freezes

Temporarily freeze or unfreeze your card if it's lost or stolen, or if you suspect fraud.

Advanced Security

Rest assured that all your confidential account information is protected.

Insured

Your money is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

FAQ

People often ask us

We offer multiple ways to protect your free checking account from overdrafts. Go beyond basic overdraft service by linking to a savings account or opening a Checkline Reserve. Learn more about your options for overdraft protection coverage.

When we say Basic Overdraft Service, we're referring to the default overdraft preferences set up when you opened your checking account with First Citizens.

Under our Basic Overdraft Service, at our discretion, we may authorize and pay overdrafts for checks, automatic bill payments or other transactions made using your checking account number. When such an overdraft is authorized, it may result in the assessment of a $10 overdraft fee (up to a maximum of four overdraft fees per day). You can change your overdraft preferences and elect not to permit overdrafts by notifying us.

When you open a checking account, you're also asked if you would like to opt in to Basic Overdraft Service with ATM/Debit Card Coverage. This enhanced service adds coverage for ATM cash withdrawals and one-time debit card transactions. We don't authorize or pay overdrafts for these types of transactions unless you opt in to this service. If we don't authorize or pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined. You can change your overdraft preferences for these types of transactions at any time.

Yes. Your decision to enroll in Basic Overdraft Service with ATM and Debit Card Coverage can be changed at any time. Keep in mind that any previous overdraft fees you've incurred won't be waived or reimbursed as a result of such a change.

Overdraft protection refers to arrangements that help a customer avoid overdrafts. In contrast, overdraft service enables overdrafts to occur. At First Citizens, there are two overdraft protection options:

  1. Link your savings account to your checking account. Funds may then be transferred from savings to checking to cover a transaction for which there were insufficient funds in checking.
  2. Establish a Checkline Reserve account. This account is a line of credit from which funds may be transferred to checking to cover a transaction for which there were insufficient funds in checking. Customers must be credit-qualified to open a Checkline Reserve account.

Usually, there's a $10 fee on a day when funds are transferred from savings or a Checkline Reserve account to cover one or more items for which there were insufficient funds.

Yes. In fact, layering overdraft protection on top of Basic Overdraft Service with ATM and Debit Card Coverage has a number of benefits. Not only are you more protected against balance instability and the surprise of declined transactions, but you also set the order of priority for how transfers from savings and Checkline Reserve will occur. For example, you can prioritize your overdraft protection to draw from savings first, then Checkline Reserve.

Regardless of how you prioritize your protection, your Basic Overdraft Service or Basic Overdraft Service with ATM and Debit Card Coverage will always be last. In other words, we'll first try to help you avoid an overdraft by transferring funds as available. If the necessary funds aren't available in savings or in your line of credit, then First Citizens will exercise its discretion regarding whether to permit an overdraft or decline the transaction.

Insights

A few financial insights for your life

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Account openings and credit are subject to normal bank approval.

For complete list of account details and fees, see our Personal Account Disclosures.

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.

Paperless statements are required. To be eligible for Free Checking, you must sign up to receive First Citizens paperless statements within 60 days of account opening. If you do not sign up and receive paperless statements, your account will be converted automatically and without prior notice to you to a Select Checking account and will be subject to the fees and charges applicable to a Select Checking account. The applicable fees and charges will be debited from your account without further notice to you and will appear on your account statement. If you overdraw your account, fees may apply. Refer to our Personal Account Disclosures for full details.

For current rates, please call or visit your local branch.

Avoid the $18 monthly fee when you meet any one of these criteria: $5,000 combined daily balance on select accounts (Premier Checking, Together Card, Regular Savings, Bonus Savings, Online Savings, Tiered Money Market Savings, Premium Tiered Money Market Savings, CDs, IRAs or an Investor Services Account), at least $4,000 in monthly ACH direct deposits, EquityLine of at least $25,000, or $10,000+ original consumer loan (new or used auto, light or heavy truck, boat, aircraft, unsecured personal loan, or mortgage [excludes mortgages that First Citizens does not retain servicing]).

Avoid the $25 monthly fee when you meet any one of these criteria: $25,000 combined daily balance on any First Citizens deposit account (Prestige Checking, Together Card, Regular Savings, Bonus Savings, Online Savings, Tiered Money Market Savings, Premium Tiered Money Market Savings, CDs, IRAs or an Investor Services Account), at least $6,500 in monthly ACH direct deposits, EquityLine of at least $100,000, $25,000+ original consumer loan (new or used auto, light or heavy truck, boat, aircraft, unsecured personal loan, or mortgage [excludes mortgages that First Citizens does not retain servicing]).

If the available funds in your account are insufficient to pay an item when presented, First Citizens Bank will make a decision on whether to pay the item or return it unpaid. When we pay an item for which there are insufficient funds, it results in an overdraft. The following overdraft fee structure applies to eligible Consumer accounts: First Citizens Bank will charge you $10 each time we pay an item resulting in an overdraft, up to our limit of four (4) overdraft charges per business day. We will not charge you for overdrafts caused by transactions of $5.00 or less, nor for items returned unpaid. You are obligated to pay overdrafts immediately. Consumers have the option to decline overdraft service. First Citizens Bank also offers overdraft protection programs, though none is available on the Together Card. Please see our Deposit Account Agreement for additional details.

Links to third-party websites may have a privacy policy different from First Citizens Bank and may provide less security than this website. First Citizens Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services and content on any third-party website.

Bank deposit products are offered by First Citizens Bank. Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. icon: sys-ehl.