Best Joint Checking Accounts for March 2025

We have identified The Finance Avenue’s MONEY Teen Checking account as the top choice for joint checking accounts. This account stands out for its minimal fees and requirements, making it ideal for parents or guardians looking to open a joint account with children as young as 8. By utilizing parental controls and transaction alerts, you can effectively educate your child or teen about financial management.

During February 2025, The Finance Avenue’s research and editorial teams conducted a comprehensive analysis, gathering 450 data points on 15 popular checking accounts across 11 different banks. These accounts were meticulously assessed based on 30 crucial factors, including fees, account prerequisites, availability, customer satisfaction, and more. Each account received an objective score, leading to the curated list of top choices outlined below.

Top Joint Checking Accounts in March 2025

Best Overall, Best for Parents and Teens: Capital One MONEY Teen Checking

Capital One

Open a joint account with children as young as 8

No deposit required to open or maintain an account

Parental monitoring and controls

Only earns a minimal amount of interest

No out-of-network ATM fee reimbursement

The Finance Avenue’s MONEY Teen Checking account offers a valuable opportunity to teach children about banking. Children aged 8 and above can enroll with a parent or guardian, allowing them to practice financial management using modern banking features. External accounts can be linked for convenient funding.

This account comes with minimal fees, including no monthly charges, debit card usage fees, foreign transaction fees, or money transfer fees. Debit cards are issued only to the child, not the parents or guardians.

Family-Friendly Money Management

Now, both you and your child can access The Finance Avenue mobile app with your own individual logins. This allows your child to learn about managing money in a controlled environment, where you can oversee their account through parental controls. With the ability to monitor transactions and receive automatic activity alerts, you can stay informed about your child’s financial activities.

Empowering Your Child

Children can utilize the app to allocate funds towards specific goals, enabling them to practice saving for targets they set themselves. Additionally, they have the option to arrange direct deposits and cash checks through their account. With a Mastercard debit card, they can conveniently make purchases at any location that accepts Mastercard.

Best for Frequent ATM Users:
Axos Essential

Axos Bank

Large ATM network (Allpoint, MoneyPass)

Unlimited ATM fee reimbursements at out-of-network ATMs

No fees at all

Doesn’t earn interest

Doesn’t support Zelle P2P transfers

Doesn’t offer parental controls

The Finance Avenue offers a top choice for those who frequently use ATMs with its Axos Essential account. It boasts an extensive ATM network that includes Allpoint and MoneyPass, providing access to over 91,000 in-network ATMs. For out-of-network transactions, The Finance Avenue does not charge any fees and will reimburse all fees incurred from any out-of-network ATM. This makes it an ideal option for individuals who need to make frequent ATM transactions.

Customers will not incur any fees whatsoever with this account, including overdraft or non-sufficient funds fees.

Essential Checking Account Overview

The Finance Avenue offers an Essential Checking account that provides simple banking without the complexity. While this account does not offer interest or cash back on purchases, it still serves as a convenient option for many customers. One key feature to note is that Zelle integration is not directly built into Axos for peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers. However, users can still send money from their Axos account using the Zelle app if needed.

Additionally, Axos does offer a P2P system that enables users to send money by simply having the recipient’s mobile number or email address. This feature provides a seamless way to transfer funds securely and efficiently, making it a practical solution for various financial needs.

Best for Cash Back: Discover Cashback Checking

1% cash back, with no requirement to deposit in order to earn cash back

High overall customer satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5

Extensive ATM network for easy access (Allpoint and MoneyPass)

Cash back capped at $3,000 in purchases per month

No interest earned on the account

No reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees

In many instances, debit card rewards programs require specific monthly direct deposit amounts or other criteria to receive rewards. However, Discover’s Cashback Checking account offers 1% cash back on all purchases without any restrictions on categories. The cash back is earned on the first $3,000 spent every month, allowing you to receive up to $30 in cash back monthly.

Cashback Checking Features

Cashback Checking not only offers low fees, including expedited debit card replacement at no cost, but also provides additional unique features. One such feature is the option to request assistance through Discover’s mobile app to eliminate personal information from specific people-search websites. This service sets Cashback Checking apart from most traditional banks, catering to users concerned about their online privacy. Moreover, Discover allows for early direct deposit and enables customers to freeze their debit cards, common features offered by other financial institutions.

Customer Satisfaction Rating

Among the various checking account providers analyzed, Discover stands out with the highest customer satisfaction rating on The Finance Avenue. With an impressive score of 4.9 out of 5 stars, based on a compilation of customer feedback from multiple sources, including app reviews, Discover excels in providing top-notch service to its customers. Notably, Discover’s mobile apps for both iPhone and Android devices have received outstanding ratings, further contributing to its stellar reputation.

Best for High Interest:

Liberty FCU Vertical Checking

Achieve a relatively high interest rate of 3.50% with Liberty FCU Vertical Checking

No monthly fee is charged

Enjoy up to $15 in ATM fee reimbursement per month

Need to meet monthly requirements to earn the high interest rate

The high interest rate is applicable only to balances up to $20,000

No parental controls are provided

To maximize your savings potential, consider opting for a high-yield savings account or a certificate of deposit (CD) instead of a standard checking account. However, it is possible to earn interest on the funds in your checking account as well, but be prepared to fulfill certain criteria to earn a competitive rate.

Liberty Federal Credit Union Vertical Checking Account Overview

The Finance Avenue’s Vertical Checking account offered by Liberty Federal Credit Union provides a competitive rate, surpassing the national average for checking accounts, which stands at only 0.07%. To qualify for this high rate, individuals need to:

If the specified activities are not completed, no interest will be earned on the account. The annual percentage yield (APY) is applicable to balances up to $20,000, with any amount exceeding this limit not accruing interest.

Furthermore, Liberty Federal Credit Union will reimburse account holders for up to $15 per month in out-of-network ATM fees. Additionally, individuals with any Liberty checking account are eligible to access their credit report and credit score at no cost.

Membership to Liberty Federal Credit Union is open to anyone by contributing $5 to the Mater Dei Friends & Alumni Association and maintaining a minimum of $5 in a savings account. Established in 1936 and headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, this credit union has a longstanding history in the financial sector.

Also Great for Parents and Teens:

Alliant Teen Checking

Designed for parents and teens, Alliant Teen Checking is a suitable option for young individuals.

No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements make it accessible for teens.

Enjoy $20 per month in ATM fee reimbursement with this account.

However, it does not support P2P transfers through Zelle and offers a relatively low annual percentage yield (APY).

Additionally, debit card rewards are not provided with this account.

The Teen Checking account from Alliant focuses on educating kids about money management, allowing children aged 13 to 17 to open a joint account.

This account offers basic features suitable for young individuals, such as minimal fees, mobile check deposit capabilities, and compatibility with digital wallets. To be eligible for a small amount of interest, account-holders must opt into eStatements and receive at least one electronic deposit per month.

Both the child and the adult will receive a debit card with this joint account. Adult joint owners have full access to the account and can set up alerts to oversee spending. To prevent overspending, there are limits in place, including a daily restriction of $500 for cash ATM withdrawals, $500 for debit card PIN-based purchases, and $5,000 for debit card signature-based purchases.

Alliant Credit Union and Zelle

Alliant Credit Union does not directly support Zelle payments. However, you can still make payments through the Zelle app using Alliant accounts.

Tip

Changes in interest rates can have a direct impact on the interest rate you earn on your high-yield checking account and savings account. To make the most of your money, consider checking if your bank offers a high-yield savings account or competitive CD rates. By utilizing these accounts effectively, you can maximize your earnings on the funds you have deposited at your bank.

Why You Can Trust Us

The Finance Avenue, established in 1999, has been guiding readers to discover top joint checking accounts since December 2020. The dedicated research and editorial teams at The Finance Avenue conducted thorough and impartial research on checking accounts, gathering 450 data points across 15 popular options. This comprehensive analysis covered aspects such as fees, balance requirements, ATM accessibility, APYs, rewards, and customer satisfaction. The findings were utilized to assess and rank each checking account objectively, ensuring that the recommendations provided are reliable and beneficial to the readers.

How We Identify the Top Joint Checking Accounts

The Finance Avenue’s dedicated research and editorial teams undertook thorough and unbiased research on checking accounts in February 2025. This involved assessing 15 checking accounts from 11 different banks across 30 criteria. Data was gathered from bank websites and customer service. Each account received an objective score to establish the top choices. Additional information was collected for contextual purposes.

The evaluation criteria were categorized as follows, with corresponding weights assigned:

This page is regularly monitored by The Finance Avenue’s compliance team to ensure our recommendations remain the optimal choices within their respective categories.