Checking Accounts & Debit Cards - Essential Credit Union

Checking options....

Earn interest on your checking with competitive interest rates
Free online banking, mobile banking and telephone banking access to your account 24/7
Free instant issue VISA checking debit card
Receive monthly mailed statements or get them electronically via free eStatements
Access to thousands of ATMs and Branches including CO-OP, Dolphin and CUliance
Checking accounts are federally insured up to at least $250,000

Key Checking Calculator

How much will I earn with Key Checking at today’s rates?

Enter your checking account balance:

For one month:

For one year:

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Key Checking

Essential's Key Checking account is a high yield account for members who meet simple monthly qualifiers. Start earning rewards by using your checking account today! Also, rest easy knowing your money is federally insured up to $250,000.⁵

Open a Key Checking Account

Rewards include everything you get with Simple Checking PLUS:

5.00% APY¹ on balances $10,000 or below
Balances above $10,000 earn .50% APY¹ on that portion
ATM fees refunded from other financial institutions¹

Minimum monthly qualifications:

15 or more VISA Debit Card transactions
Enrolled in eStatements (no mailed statements)

¹APY=Annual Percentage Yield. Rates may change after account is opened. Minimum to open is $5. If qualifications are met each monthly qualification cycle: (1) Domestic ATM fees incurred during qualification cycle will be reimbursed up to a $20 amount each cycle (up to $5 per single transaction) and credited to account on the last day of monthly statement cycle; (2) balances up to $10,000 receive a high interest rate; and (3) balances over $10,000 earn a lower interest rate on portion of balance over $10,000. If qualifications are not met, all balances earn a specific APY. For rates, please visit our rates page. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. Transactions may take one or more banking days from the date transaction was made to post to and settle an account. ATM transactions do not count towards qualifying debit card transactions. “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning one day prior to the first day of the current statement cycle through one day prior to the close of the current statement cycle. Fees may reduce earnings. Transfers between accounts do not count as qualifying transactions. Limit one account per SSN.
²Free automatic loan payments from an Essential account only.
³Essential will not return a check written to a merchant (as long as it does not bring your account below -$500), but will honor the check and draft the money from your account within 30 days. Normal NSF fees apply and there is a $34 service charge each time Safe Pay is implemented. Check eligibility.
⁴There is a $5.00 fee for transferring money from savings to the overdrawn account using the overdraft protection option.
⁵$250,000 in total account balances.

Simple Checking

A simple checking account should be just that--simple. All you need is monthly direct deposit or an active loan to start taking advantage of this free checking account.

Open a Simple Checking Account

Benefits:

No monthly service charge
No minimum balance
No teller fees

No relationship fees
No per check processing fee
Free online bill-pay

Safe Pay program¹
Overdraft protection²

¹Essential will not return a check written to a merchant (as long as it does not bring your account below -$500), but will honor the check and draft the money from your account within 30 days. Normal NSF fees apply and there is a $34 service charge each time Safe Pay is implemented. Check eligibility. ²There is a $5.00 fee for transferring money from savings to the overdrawn account using the overdraft protection option.

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Free VISA Debit Card

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Free Online & Mobile Banking

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Free eStatements

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Earns Dividends

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Requires Qualifiers for Rewards

Key Checking

Simple Checking

No Account Fee

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Money Market

Our Money Market account is perfect for our members with a larger amount to deposit. Benefit from a higher yield, a greater return and, unlike other investment accounts, enjoy the added freedom of withdrawing funds at your convenience.

Open a Money Market Account

With a minimum balance of $1,000, our Money Market account allows you to earn variable dividends based on your monthly average balance. The tiers are based on the following balance increments:

$1,000 - $9,999.99
$10,000 - $24,999.99
$25,000+

You can also call us at 1.888.369.2207 or visit us at one of our branches to open an account.

¹A minimum balance of $1,000.00 is required to avoid a fee and to obtain the APY for the dividend period. See Truth-in-Savings and Fee Schedule for more disclosures.

How to open or add a Checking Account

Non-Members

If you're new to Essential and have not yet established a membership, you will need to do that first. Becoming a member requires a share account and there is a $5 minimum to open a share account (In the credit union world a share account is similar to a savings account).

Once you have established membership, you can then open additional accounts under your membership, such as checking accounts and even certificates!

Apply for Membership

Members

Thanks for already being a member! The easiest and fastest way to add a checking account to your membership is to:

Login to Online or Mobile Banking
Hover over Apply Now
Select Add a New Account

From here, you can open a checking account, add a share certificate accounts and even transfer the funds instantly.

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Checking Accounts

Checking options....

Key Checking

Simple Checking

Money Market

How to open or add a Checking Account

Non-Members

Members