Ally Bank Spending Account (Interest Checking)

Ally Bank's Spending Account, marketed as interest checking, is the checking half of a branchless US bank. There are no branches, no monthly fee, and no minimum to open. Ally's pitch is that a checking account should not cost anything and should still pay something, and it delivers on the first half more convincingly than the second. The rate is modest and tiered: 0.10% APY on balances under $15,000 and 0.25% APY on balances of $15,000 or more, accurate as of 10/14/2026. There is no monthly maintenance fee, no minimum opening deposit, and no minimum balance requirement. Ally provides more than 75,000 no-fee ATMs and reimburses up to $10 per statement cycle in fees charged at other ATMs. Overdrafts are handled by CoverDraft rather than by fees. Ally covers up to $100 at no charge, and that limit rises to $250 after you receive qualifying direct deposits of at least $250 in two consecutive months. Keeping the higher limit requires at least one direct deposit every 45 days. Anything above the covered amount is simply declined, and Ally does not charge an overdraft fee at all. Early direct deposit is enabled automatically on the Spending Account and gives access up to two days ahead of payday. Check orders are free, which matters if you still write paper checks for rent or contractors. The honest caveat is the yield. At 0.10%, a $5,000 balance earns roughly $5 a year, and even the $15,000 tier at 0.25% is modest. This is a fee-free transactional account, not a place to store savings. Ally also has no branch network and limited options for depositing physical cash, although Ally's page lists adding cash at Walmart as free, so cash-heavy users will find it awkward. Get it if you want a fee-free checking account from a branchless bank, particularly if you already use Ally savings or CDs and want everything under one login. Skip it if you deposit cash regularly, need in person service, or expected checking interest to be meaningful.