Free and Secure

Citadel’s Free Checking Account offers features that make it easier and more secure to bank.

Free Checking Account

Our Free Checking account is simple, secure, and free, as it should be. You can manage your money 24/7 with free Online & Mobile Banking, and there's no minimum balance or monthly fee.

New to Citadel? We're glad you're here! You can open an account online in minutes by answering a few simple questions. Get started here.

Already a member? You can open a new account in Online & Mobile Banking. Not enrolled yet? Enroll here.

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Additional Features

  • Contactless Debit Card – simply Tap & Go™ wherever you see the contactless symbol at checkout
  • Deposit checks from your phone with the Citadel Mobile App
  • Overdraft Protection – Enjoy overdraft protection from a Citadel savings or loan account2
  • Set up custom card controls and account alerts in Online & Mobile Banking
  • Make payments and transfers from your checking account
Best For...
Hassle free banking with minimal fees
24/7 access with Online and Mobile Banking
Enjoy on-the-go banking with mobile deposit

Fees

$1

Each balance inquiry at non-Citadel ATMs

$3

Each ATM withdrawal at non-Citadel ATMs3

$2

Paper account statement fee (waived for 60 days following account opening; after 60 days waived for members under age 21 and 70+)

$5

Each overdraft transfer from your savings or loan account2

$5

Monthly inactivity fee1

$33

Courtesy Pay overdraft protection fee2

$33

Non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee

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Here's How

All standard account requirements apply. Information accurate as of , and subject to change without notice. Offers may be modified or withdrawn at any time. Fees may reduce earnings.

1 A $5 monthly inactivity fee will apply if there is no activity on any Citadel account for one year – this fee is waived if combined balance of all deposit accounts is $500 or more. Fee does not apply to primary account holders less than 13 years of age. Inactivity is defined as a 365-day period during which there were no customer-initiated transactions on any Citadel account.

Citadel offers several overdraft protection options including Courtesy Pay and automatic transfers from a Citadel savings or loan account. An overdraft occurs when the available balance in your account is not sufficient to cover a transaction. Citadel offers several options for you to avoid the extra expenses caused by a bounced check or insufficient funds. These include: transferring funds from a Citadel Savings and/or Money Market Account; advancing funds from a Citadel Personal Line of Credit; and Courtesy Pay. Citadel offers Courtesy Pay for its members and may pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions: checks, ACH withdrawals, Bill Payer payments, and/or recurring debit card transactions (e.g., monthly payments debited from your account). As a Citadel member, if you have a checking account and qualify, you will automatically be enrolled in Courtesy Pay when you open your account. You can opt out of Courtesy Pay at any time by contacting us. If you wish to use one of the other options, which may be free or less expensive than Courtesy Pay, you can sign up at any time. We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction. If we do not pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined and not paid. If you want to use Courtesy Pay to pay overdrafts for one time, everyday debit card transactions (e.g. Starbucks®, Home Depot®, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.), you must opt in and give us your permission. You can opt in by: completing the opt-in form in Online and Mobile Banking by selecting 'Overdraft Protection' in the main menu; visiting any Citadel Branch; calling Citadel toll free at 800-666-0191; or you cannot use Courtesy Pay to pay for overdrafts on ATM withdrawals. For a complete list of fees associated with overdrafts, please refer to Citadel’s fee schedule.

When you use Courtesy Pay, we will charge you a fee of $33 each time we pay an overdraft.  We will limit to 5 the total number of Courtesy Pay Fees and Insufficient Funds Fees charged on any one calendar day. Once you have overdrawn your account, you must bring it to a positive balance as soon as possible. Citadel will close and charge off overdrawn member deposit accounts that have a negative balance for more than 60 days. For the purpose of making the decision to pay or return a check or ACH transaction and to charge a fee, we treat each original presentment and representment as an individual transaction. See the General Terms Applicable to All Accounts in the Membership Agreement and Disclosures for details on how we process insufficient funds and overdraft items.

3 ATM transactions at non-Citadel ATMs may be subject to a surcharge from the ATM owner.

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