A number of negative changes are coming into effect on October 1, 2021.
- Maximum balance reduced from $150,000 to $50,000
- Maximum APY reduced from 1.5% APY to 1% APY
- Requirements now as follows:
- Use your Axos Visa® Debit Card for a total of 10 transactions per month (min $3 per transaction) or sign up for Account Aggregation/Personal Finance Manager (PFM) in Online Banking: 0.30% APY
- Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Managed Portfolios Invest Account: 0.10% APY
- Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Self Directed Trading Invest Account: 0.10% APY
- Use your Rewards Checking account to make your full monthly Axos consumer loan payment: 0.10% APY
Probably worth moving money across to other high interest checking accounts for a lot of people. Full list of those that can be found here.
Contents
The Offer
- Axos bank offers a rewards checking account with interest rate of 1.50% APY on balances up to $150,000 when you complete the following requirements:
- Use the debit card at least 15 times each month, minimum $3 per transaction.
- Get $1,000 direct deposit.
Our Verdict
Not sure how picky they are about the direct deposit, but assuming you can get that out of the way, it’s a pretty sweet interest rate for someone who is cash heavy. If you spend $45 each month on a debit card, you’ll end up losing maybe $1 or-so in credit card rewards, but should make back much more from the increased interest rate. There are other accounts with higher rates, but usually much lower limits. We’ll add this to our list of Best High Yield Savings Accounts with requirements.
Hat tip to reader Jamie Martin
View Comments (50)
With the Oct change, is this account worth keeping (i.e. to trigger direct deposit for other bank bonus)?
Is there early termination fee for closing Axos Reward Checking account? What is the best way to close the account?
Not worthwhile to me. I zeroed the account and then closed with SM. No problems, no early termination fee. My account was open less than 30 days.
After you closed the account, are you able to login to online banking to verify that the account is indeed closed (no longer shows) online?
This is part of the new requirement. Did not see it mentioned for earning interest beginning Oct. 1
Account Details Starting on October 1
Interest-Earning Eligibility Requirement Receive monthly direct deposits totaling $1,500 or more. Interest Earned: 0.40% APY2.
This requirement must now be met to be eligible to earn any interest during the statement cycle, regardless of whether the other interest-earning requirements are met.
Basically useless. You can get far higher returns with stablecoin cryptocurrency staking.
What services do you use or sugest?
Celsius, BlockFi, Voyager, Gemini
I've had several discussions with them about direct deposit. They told me the word "payroll" had to be associated with direct deposit. Gov't. benefits accepted as well. Minimum debit transaction is $3. Had them as well for AA Rewards checking but they would not accept ApplePay as a method of payment. Bye Bye to them!
I used the for a few years before switching to Heritage (which is sadly now down to 1%). Still have the account open, but there is less than $100 in there.
They're scoundrels. I'm closing mine before 30 days of being open.
As per Axos email, the direct deposit floor is going up ($1000 to $1500), the maximum yield is going down (1.25% to 1%), and the cap is going down ($150,000 to $50,000). Additional activities are needed to get the 1% yield.
Account Details Starting on October 1
Interest-Earning Eligibility Requirement Receive monthly direct deposits totaling $1,500 or more. Interest Earned: 0.40% APY. This requirement must now be met to be eligible to earn any interest during the statement cycle, regardless of whether the other interest-earning requirements are met.
Opportunities to Earn Additional Interest
• Use your Axos Visa Debit Card for a total of 10 transactions per month (min $3 per transaction) or sign up for Account Aggregation/Personal Finance Manager (PFM) in Online Banking: 0.30% APY
• Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Managed Portfolios Invest Account: 0.10% APY
• Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Self Directed Trading Invest Account: 0.10% APY
• Use your Rewards Checking account to make your full monthly Axos consumer loan payment: 0.10% APY
Total Interest-Earning Potential If All Requirements Are Met 1.00% APY
Maximum Interest-Earning Balance $50,000
Congrats on the record breaking devaluation, Axos! I just received my Venmo debit card this week and was in the midst of testing out the transfers into my account to see if they would count towards the 15x required transactions since Cash App didn't work. That's obviously no longer needed...to the woodshed you go!
What's record-breaking other than your bad luck? The card has worked this way for years now. Not like they introduced it this year and are already changing it.
LOL, "bad luck." I couldn't care less about ultimately never putting any money into this trash account. Get over yourself.
DP: Transfer from Capital One works as Direct Deposit. That is the only transfer I made in July and statement shows 0.4% interest. I have not tried debit card transactions yet.
Any DP of what counts as debit card transactions?
@guest_1217809 Was it from Capital One checking?
Cash App reloads aren't allowed. Not worth the effort to accomplish via any other means and sticking with T-Mo at 1%.
Does Axos bank give customer total direct deposits and debit card transactions tally count either via online or statement so we know we meet the requirement to qualify for the 1.25%? You had mentioned Venmo in your previous post. Have you eventually tried Venmo? In fact Venmo just ended their $10 sign on bonus on 7/15.
I haven't tried Venmo because I don't have a P2 to work with. I assume that's how you'd utilize Venmo for this vs. Cash App where you'd just add cash to your own account. Cash App will not let you add an Axos card to your profile.
Any DPs on Venmo counting toward debit card transactions?
Anyone has data points of bank ACH transfers that can count as Direct Deposits? Thanks.