SafeBalance Banking^® Account

We do not charge overdraft fees on this account. To help you avoid overdrawing your account, transactions will be declined and returned unpaid when you don't have enough money in your account. However, a merchant or third party could charge you a fee, such as a late payment fee.

While this account prevents you from overdrawing in most cases, there may still be times when your account could have a negative balance. This could happen if a transaction is approved for one amount, but the actual charge is more than the money in your account. For example, when you use your debit card for a meal and then add a tip. In this situation, the full payment may go through and result in a negative balance on your account, but we will not charge you an overdraft fee.

For more information about SafeBalance Banking, take a look at the Personal Schedule of Fees for SafeBalance Banking.

You have many payment options available. Use your debit card or use Online Bill Pay from your computer or mobile device. You can also pay friends, family or coworkers through Online or Mobile Banking, using only their email address or mobile number. You don't need to know their account number or where they bank in the U.S.

We also offer additional payment options. Cashier’s checks are available for a fee in our financial centers, or money orders are available from a variety of retail providers.

You should be careful when you give out your account number and routing number to a business for payments from your SafeBalance Banking account. At times, a business may process the payment as a check instead of an electronic transaction through the ACH (Automated Clearing House). Those checks will be rejected and not paid. You may be charged a fee by the business if this happens. If you give anyone your account number and routing number, make sure it is for an electronic ACH transaction only. You may want to ask if the business can use your debit card number instead or pay them through Online Bill Pay.

If you need to write checks regularly and these alternatives won't work for you, a traditional checking account with check-writing capabilities might be a better choice.

With Online Bill Pay, you can make one-time or recurring payments to virtually anyone in the U.S. from your computer or mobile device. The money will typically be taken out of your account on a date prior to the payment delivery date. To help prevent overdrafts, if you don't have enough money in your account, the payment will not be made. For more information, please see our Online Banking Service Agreement.

Yes, eligible students under the age of 24 may qualify for a waiver of the monthly maintenance fee for this account. Learn more about eligibility layer

You may also want to consider one of our other checking accounts that offer additional ways to avoid monthly maintenance fees.

You should know there are many key differences between SafeBalance Banking and our traditional checking accounts. For more information about SafeBalance Banking, take a look at the Personal Schedule of Fees for SafeBalance Banking.