Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive

We post a lot of different bank account bonuses, one of the most common questions we get is ‘How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?‘. Most of the time when you open a new bank account, they won’t do a hard pull on your credit report (data points for that can be found here). Instead they will check your ChexSystems report.

ChexSystems contains information regarding your deposit accounts and is used by around 80% of all financial institutions. It contains information regarding new account openings and also the following red flags:

  • Unsatisfied balances
  • Check overdrafts
  • Depositing fraudulent checks
  • Suspicious account behavior reported by other banks (e.g possible structuring)

Some financial institutions won’t open a new account for you if you’ve opened too many new accounts recently as it can be a sign of possible fraud and they also want to limit people like us chasing bank account bonuses. I thought it’d be useful to have a list of banks & credit unions that are sensitive to too many inquiries and also ones that aren’t. Please add more data points in the comments so we can make this resource page more useful. When sharing your datapoints, let us know if you applied in branch or online. Also keep in mind that these inquiries stay on your report for a maximum of two three years.

Contents

Banks/Credit Unions That Are Inquiry Sensitive

3Rivers Federal Credit Union

Affinity Credit Union

Allied First Bank

Amerant Bank

American Eagle Financial Credit Union

America’s Christian Credit Union

Ameris Bank

Andigo Credit Union

Andrews Federal Credit Union

Banco Popular

Bank of Canton

Bank of Hope

Bank Of The West

Bank OZK

Bask Bank

BBVA

Looks like they have changed their application process and are no longer sensitive.

BECU

Rule seems to be denial if you have 3-6 or more in the last 12 months

Bethpage Credit Union

Blaze Credit Union

Blue Federal Credit Union

Blue Hills

BMT (Bryn Mawr Trust)

Byline Bank

California Credit Union

Cambridge Savings Bank

Capital Bank

Carver Federal Savings Bank

Central Illinois Bank

Century Bank

  • Decline with 7 accounts opened in last 9 months

Charles Schwab

Chartway Federal Credit Union

Cheese

Chesapeake Bank

Christian Community Credit Union

Citadel Bank

Citibank

Citizens Bank

Civista

C&N Bank

Commerce Bank

Community Financial Credit Union

Community First Credit Union Of Florida

Consumers Credit Union

  • Denied with 10 inquiries in the last 12 months (via e-mail 3/20/23)

Credit Human

Credit Union Of Southern California

Credit Union 1

CrossPoint Federal Credit Union

Dedham Savings Bank

Devon Bank

Eastern Bank

Elements Financial

Elevations

Emprise Bank

ETFCU

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union

E*Trade

  • Will decline you if you’ve had more than 10

Farmers & Merchants State Bank

Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union

Farmington

  • Approved, then denied two weeks later due to ‘excessive’ account openings. Total of two accounts had been opened (via e-mail on 07/05/18)

Fidelity (MA, NH)

Fifth Third Bank

First Citizens Bank

First Commonwealth Bank

First Financial Bank

First Home Bank

First Horizon Bank

First Midwest Bank

First National Bank

First Northern Credit Union

First Tech Federal Credit Union

Firsttrust Bank

Florence Bank

Flushing Bank

FNBO

Fremont Bank

Genisys Credit Union

Great River Federal Credit Union

Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Hanscom Federal Credit Union

Hiway Bank

Home Federal Savings Bank

Home Savings Bank

HomeStreet Bank

HomeStreet Bank will often approve you, only to close your account at a later date due to excessive Chex inquiries.

Horizon Bank

Iberia Bank

Independent Bank

Integrity Bank

Intouch Credit Union

Justice Federal Credit Union

Keybank

Keypoint

Lafayette Federal Credit Union

Laurel Road

Level One Bank

Liberty Bank

Marine Bank

Memory Bank

Metro Credit Union

Middlesex Federal Credit Union

Midfirst Bank

Midland States Bank

MVB Bank

Neighborhood Credit Union

Nevada State Bank

  • Declined with 11 in last 12 months: 1

Newtown Savings Bank

Northpointe

NYCB Family Of Banks

Ocean First Bank

OneWest

OnPoint Community Credit Union

Orion Bank

Patelco

People’s United Bank

PerkStreet

  • Will decline you if you’ve had more than 10

Pinnacle Financial Partners

PNC Bank

Popular Bank

Premier America Credit Union

Premier Credit Union

Prestige Community Credit Union

Provident Credit Union

PSECU

RBFCU

Ridgewood

Rockland Trust Bank

SAFE Credit Union

Salem Five Bank

Sandy Spring Bank

SkyOne Federal Credit Union

SLFCU

Solvay Bank

Sound Credit Union

Southeast Bank

Southside Bank

Southstate Bank

Spectra Credit Union

Standford Credit Union

State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Of Maryland

S&T Bank

The Bank of Denver

The Bank of Princeton

Thrivent Credit Union

Truliant Federal Credit Union

TruStone Financial

Tyndall Federal Credit Union

University of Michigan Credit Union

UNFCU

Union Bank

Union Community Bank

Union Bank & Trust

This is now called Atlantic Union Bank

Union Savings Bank

Unitus Community Credit Union

Unity One Credit Union

Valley National Bank

Valley Direct

Verity Credit Union

Vio Bank

  • Denied for Chex activity (1, 2, 3)

Washington Trust

Watertown Savings Bank

Wesbanco

Wescom

Westfield Bank (MA)

Westfield Bank (OH)

Wings Financial Credit Union

Wintrust

Yolo Credit Union

Banks/Credit Unions That Aren’t Inquiry Sensitive

Affinity Federal Credit Union

Alliant

Amalgamated

Ardent Credit Union

Armed Forces Credit Union

Axos Bank

BB&T

Bell Bank

BMO Harris

Capital Bank

Chase

  • Successfully opened with 20+ new accounts on my ChexSystems report

Citizens Bank

City National Bank

Columbia Bank

Comerica Bank

Current

Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU)

Discover

East Boston Savings

Excite Credit Union

FirstBank [TN, GA, AL]

FirstBank [CA, AZ, CO]

First Fidelity Bank

First National Bank of Long Island

First Tennessee

  • No issue with 30+ accounts on my ChexSystems report in last three years

Forcht Bank

  • Approved with 30/50 in the last 12/24 months

Fulton Bank

GTE Financial

Hanmi Bank

HomeTrust

HSBC

Interior Federal Credit Union

Investor Bank

Lakeland Bank

LegacyTexas

Liberty Savings Bank

Lili Bank

Mazuma Credit Union

MECU Credit Union

MSUFCU

Muncipal Credit Union

M&T Bank

My Banking Direct

Northfield Bank

NorthOne Bank

Old National Bank

P1FCU

Pinnacle Bank

Porte Bank

Pyramax

Quorum Federal Credit Union

Republic Bank

Redstone Federal Credit Union

Santander

Service Credit Union

State Bank of India

Sterling Bank & Trust

Sterling National Bank

Stoneham

TBK Bank

TCF Bank

TD Bank

Tech Credit Union

TIAA Direct

UMB Bank

Unify Financial Credit Union

United Community Bank

United States Senate Federal Credit Union

Upgrade

U.S. Bank

Visions Federal Credit Union

Washington Savings Bank

Webster

Wells Fargo

Final Thoughts

I’ll update this page as more data points come in, but these reference articles are only as useful as you make them so make sure you share your data points and then everybody benefits.

View Comments (261)

  • Andrews FCU recently denied me for a savings acct + online savings acct. Denial letter said I had a Chexsystems score of 690. In the last few months I opened accounts at 2 banks/CUs and closed accounts at 2 banks that I had had for more than 1 year.

    I am requesting my Chexsystems report so I can see more of what’s going into its score.

    Thinking to wait several months and then try again. Wanted to share my data point and would be curious if anyone else experience with being denied there and reapplying later on. It looks like there’s only one DP listed on this post so far.

    • Weird! Andrews approved me in December with 10 chex inquiries in the previous 3 months and a resulting Chexsystems score of about 650.

      I opened Checking+Savings but with no Overdraft Protection
      My Fico 8 Scores are 750-790 but I didn't check SP's (There was no HP obviously)
      Also I am out of state, and this was an online application

      • Thanks for sharing your DP. My ChexSystems report shows the following for inquiries (not including the Andrews inquiry):
        2/3, 3/6, 4/12, 6/24, 10/36
        There was one bank during that time that didn’t approve me for an account (Bar Harbor, back in May 2023).

        My credit scores range from 784-797 on 3 different credit cards that report them (US Bank, Amex, Discover) one from Experian, two from TransUnion.

        I had applied for an Andrews rewards credit card with 4% cash back on a broad Entertainment category and was denied a few months ago, am wondering if that is somehow linked, but not sure. Was hoping that being a member with $ in my savings accounts there would help them approve me for the credit card ultimately, plus the 5.75% APY on $1K “Online Savings Account” had caught my eye. Maybe will just wait till my Chex inquiries are fewer/older and then try again.

        • Sorry you got denied.. really don't see why I was approved and you were not as all your DPs seem superior to mine :( Maybe you can try asking them for more specifics on what it was? I've been rejected twice in the past few months, once from UNFCU and once from Lafayette FCU. The former was very forthcoming with specifics i.e I violated 5/6 for Chex inquiries while the latter just stonewalled me and left the reason as 'Chexsystems'. Obviously it would be good to know the specifics so you don't burn another inquiry.. It could also just come down to subjectivity from an Andrews FCU 'approver' maybe!?

    • How recently? If you've had 10 Chex inquiries in the past 1 or 2 months and Ally denied you for Chex, I wouldn't necessarily call them Chex-sensitive as that's a very high amount.

  • Arvest Bank appears to be Chex sensitive. I opened an account on 10/20/2024 and was approved. Transferred initial opening deposit into account but then Arvest promptly closed my account without telling me. Currently fighting them to get my initial deposit back which is very frustrating. Will pull my Chex report to see what if anything could have caused them concern.

  • Opened Chase Business checking account using the link provided in this website ~ 12pm
    Approved and got email.

    Opened USBank Business checking account using the link provided in this website ~2pm
    Approved at 230pm

    Then, the troubles start! Got a fraud alert from Chase at 230 pm. The new accounts + all old accounts shutdown!!! No recourse.

    I suspect the link was Chex Systems. Chase must monitor Chex for a few days or months once a new account is opened to see if the customer opens any more. It's a good fraud prevention strategy, but also __________!! Lol.

    10/24 inquiries

  • Data Point: Eagle Bank declined my application to open a one year CD based on my ChexSystems report.
    Pulled my current ChexSystems report, score is 669 with no derogatory information reported. Current FICO score about 800.
    Seems Eagle Bank just does not want my business... their loss.

  • Denied (twice) by Citibank, 1/1 and 3/6. Didn't think about Chex -- I assumed it was due to my credit freeze, so I unfroze and called to reapply the next day (agent didn't mention Chex). Two Chex inquiries on my account now.

  • I was able to remove (move to viewed only by you) BMO and AZ FCU inquiries. Dispute for BMO since they opened then closed right away. AZ since they never approved my account after multiple requests. Are these valid justifications? I guess it depends on the bank since they have final say.

    • In my case I had 0 inquiries. My credit score was above 700. In the office at becu they had me wait for a bit to make sure everything was all good. They found I owed about $160 and said pay that at the desk up front and we'll open your account from decades ago (I never opened an account but as a victim of id theft I paid the fee because I needed a credit union.) then to my dismay they told me chex system says I don't qualify. Because my có sự ẻ score was bad thanks to ID theft in the past. Multiple times. I wish they had mentioned that before taking my $160. I felt mislead, my act of gôod faith was returned with trickery. They we're kind at least, and seemed genuinely apologetic. I guess mistakes happen. Thís was September 2023 , they said they use ăn algorithm.