PNC Bank is the seventh-largest bank in the United States with over half a trillion in assets. It has 2,300 branches as of this writing, predominantly east of the Mississippi, and is headquartered in Pittsburgh. With a network of more than 60,000 PNC and partner ATMs, customers can access their accounts even if they’re nowhere near a branch location.
Our review focuses on the personal banking products offered by PNC Bank, including checking, savings, and certificates of deposit (CDs).
All rates and fees are current as of Aug. 21, 2025, and are subject to change.
savings AccountCapital OneMember FDICAPY3.30 %January 12, 2026MIN. BALANCE FOR APY$ 0EST. EARNINGS$ 825Over 1 yearOpen a 360 Performance Savings account and grow your money today.
Savings AccountCIT BankMember FDICAPY3.75 %January 12, 2026MIN. BALANCE FOR APY$ 100EST. EARNINGS$ 938Over 1 yearEarn up to $300 cash bonus with minimum deposit. Terms apply.
Savings AccountVio BankMember FDICAPY4.09 %January 12, 2026MIN. BALANCE FOR APY$ 100EST. EARNINGS$ 1023Over 1 yearNo monthly fee, proudly offering some of the best rates since 2018
PNC Bank at a glance
PNC Bank
| Checking accounts | Starting at $5 per month (with options to avoid monthly service fee) |
| Savings accounts | Open with as little as $0 |
| CD rates | Earn up to 4.10% annual percentage yield (APY) |
at MoneyLion
- Year Founded: 1845
- Company Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA
- CEO: Bill Demchak
Pros
- Monthly fees for checking or savings accounts waivable for meeting certain criteria
- Live customer support, seven days a week
- Up to $400 checking account opening bonus (terms apply)
Cons
- Although PNC has a footprint in 28 states, not every state has an easily accessible branch or ATM
- HYSA only available in states where PNC does not have a branch
- Deposit rates are low on most products compared to what you can find elsewhere
Who is PNC Bank good for?
PNC Bank is ideal for customers who live within its footprint and who want a full-service bank with a range of products without monthly minimum requirements. For those who don’t live within its footprint, the bank offers a high-yield savings account, although it’s not the highest rate you can find. It also offers an up to $400 (terms apply) checking account bonus, which is a nice feature to have, especially when free checking accounts don’t typically offer them.
Who shouldn’t use PNC Bank?
If you’re primarily looking for a bank that offers competitive rates across its deposit products, PNC Bank probably isn’t the best option. There are competing institutions that offer more generous rates for savings, checking and money market accounts. And the APYs on the bulk of its CDs are lackluster.. PNC Bank’s branch locations are predominantly on the Eastern side of the Mississippi River, so if having a branch is important to you and you don’t live in an area where the bank has a footprint, look elsewhere.
PNC Bank rates and products
PNC Bank offers a full suite of deposit products, including checking, savings, money market and CDs.
Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
Checking accounts
PNC Bank offers several checking accounts with no minimum opening deposit and no monthly fees.PNC Bank also offers a generous account opening bonus of up to $400 for its Performance Select account, a bonus up to $200 if you open and use a new Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend, or a bonus up to $100 if you open and use a new Virtual Wallet. Terms apply and bonuses are subject to change.
Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
Savings accounts
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the average savings account rate as of Aug. 21, 2025 is 0.39%. PNC Bank falls short of the mark here, offering only 0.03% APY on its standard savings account for balances over $2,500.
Some markets may offer rates up to 3.95% APY on high-yield savings, but interested customers will need to plug in their zip code to see if their location qualifies for that rate. As of this writing only those located in the following states are eligible: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.
Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
MMAs
An MMA offers less liquidity than a checking account in exchange for generally a higher APY than a traditional checking account as you’re typically limited to a certain number of transactions per month. PNC Bank offers a money market account but its APY is far lower than what you can likely find elsewhere, even lower than the national average rate of 0.59% APY See this list of the best MMAs to compare your options.
Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
CDs
A CD holds your money locked away in an account in exchange for a higher fixed earning rate than you’d typically find in a standard savings account, although this rate may be less than a high-yield savings account. You must keep this money in your CD for a specific period of time, known as the term length, or face an early withdrawal penalty. The benefit is that you’re guaranteed a set APY for the full term length.
CDs in general provide secure, predictable returns, but most of PNC Bank’s standard CD rates aren’t great—though some of the promotional offers shown at the time of this writing are solid.
Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
1 year CD AccountMarcus by Goldman SachsMember FDICAPY4.00 %January 12, 2026TERM1yrMIN. DEPOSIT$ 500EST. EARNINGS$ 1000Over 1 yearBacked by the financial expertise of Goldman Sachs.
1 year CD AccountNexBankMember FDICAPY3.80 %January 12, 2026TERM1yrMIN. DEPOSIT$ 25000EST. EARNINGS$ 950Over 1 year
6 Mo CD AccountNorthern Bank and Trust CompanyMember FDICAPY4.15 %January 12, 2026TERM6moMIN. DEPOSIT$ 500EST. EARNINGS$ 1038Over 1 year
Other services PNC Bank offers
- Personal loans: With a personal installment loan, PNC Bank customers may be able to borrow between $1,000 and $35,000. This is collateral-free and has a fixed rate. The bank also offers personal lines of credit, where customers can borrow between $1,000 and $25,000 (a maximum of $5,000 in California) No collateral is required and this loan will have a variable rate of interest)
- Credit cards: With four consumer credit cards available, PNC Bank has options with features such as earning unlimited 2% cash back on purchases, 0% introductory APR offers, and secured cards to help you grow your credit.
- Student loans: Whether you’re refinancing or taking out your first student loan, PNC Bank offers several options. These include nontraditional loans, such as for those who need to pay for the costs of the bar exam or interview and relocation for medical residency.
- Investments: With PNC Bank, you can invest in a variety of accounts for your future. These include brokerage accounts, IRAs, advisor-managed accounts, and education accounts.
- Insurance: PNC Bank offers both life insurance and long-term care (LTC) insurance through PNC Insurance Services, LLC.
- Mortgages: Use PNC Bank’s Mortgage Scenario Builder to compare rates and mortgage options for a variety of loan types. You can also refinance your mortgage or take a loan on your home equity.
- Estate planning: Whether you need help with estate settlement or trusts, PNC Advisors can help you strategize how to protect your assets and plan for your legacy.
Online banking
The best banks and credit unions provide a way for customers to access their accounts on the go, and PNC Bank is no different. It offers a mobile app as well as the ability to access your account online. Here, you can check your balance, lock your card, get alerts, make transfers, and set up automatic bill pay. With its mobile app, you can send money with Zelle and make check deposits without ever entering a branch.
The PNC Bank platform and customer support
PNC Bank offers extended hours compared to most banks. Depending on the product you’re calling about, you may even be able to reach a customer service representative in the evenings and on weekends. The customer service number is 1-888-762-2265.
For personal bank accounts, Virtual Wallet, and mortgages, representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. To 9 p.m. Eastern time and Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m. To 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Student loan help is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. To 5 p.m. Eastern Time, and investment support is available from 8 a.m. To 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
While there doesn’t appear to be chat support, you can reach out on X (one might say you can tweet) to @PNCBank_Help or stop into a branch for additional support.
Is PNC Bank secure?
While no widespread breaches have been reported at PNC Bank, it isn’t immune to the challenges of keeping individual accounts secure from fraudsters, especially when it comes to peer-to-peer services. The bank reported 11,356 Zelle-related fraud claims in 2021.
However, PNC does currently provide literature on how to prevent Zelle scams. The bank is also FDIC-insured, so your money is safe up to the maximum allowable amount. Additionally, they have security measures in place designed to reduce the risk of fraud, such as using encryption and passwords for online transactions. The bank also offers identity theft and protection programs.
PNC Bank user reviews
It’s worth noting that most people will only leave a review if they have a negative experience with a provider, although it’s still important to take their experiences into consideration. Consumer reviews of PNC Bank are overwhelmingly negative, with reviewers complaining about inability to access funds, poor customer service, unexpected fees, data privacy, and fraudulent transactions.
Out of over 1,500 reviews on Trustpilot, most of them are 1 star, giving it a total rating of 1.3 stars out of 5. However, the mobile app received stellar ratings on the Apple App Store, earning 4.9 stars out of 5 with over 1.7 million ratings and 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Google Play Store with over 280,000 ratings.
Compare PNC Bank alternatives
If PNC doesn’t offer rates on the level you’re seeking, two popular online banks you might consider for an alternative are SoFi and Ally.
 PNC Bank |  SoFi® Member FDIC |  Ally |
|---|---|---|
| Standard checking account bonus | Standard checking account bonus | Standard checking account bonus |
| Up to $400 | $50 or $300 depending on the direct deposit amount1 | Up to $100 (via referral) |
| Top HYSA APY | Top HYSA APY | Top HYSA APY |
| 3.95% | Get up to 3.30%.2 Get a 0.70% Boost on Savings APY to up to 4.00% for up to 6 months on new accounts with eligible Direct Deposit. Terms apply.3 | 3.30% |
| Top CD APY | Top CD APY | Top CD APY |
| 4.10% on a 4-month promotional CD | Doesn’t offer | 3.90% on a 9-month CD |
| Learn more | Learn more | Learn more |
| View offer at MoneyLion | View offer at SoFi | View offer at MoneyLion |
Terms apply. Bank details checked on Aug. 21, 2025.
Is PNC Bank right for you?
If you value a bank that offers a variety of personal and business banking products and has brick-and-mortar branch locations, PNC Bank can be an excellent choice.
However, relatively low APYs on its deposit accounts mean your money can work harder elsewhere. There is a high-yield savings account available, but only to customers who don’t live somewhere with a physical PNC branch, which is an odd paradox.
While the number of negative reviews on Trustpilot might give some potential customers pause, we’ll note users do seem happy with the mobile app.
Frequently asked questions
What does PNC stand for?
PNC gets its name from the merger of two banks: Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation.
Does PNC reimburse ATM fees?
This depends on what specific account you have with PNC. For example, the basic Virtual Wallet account does not reimburse fees for using other financial institutions’ ATMs. But the PNC Virtual Wallet with Performance Select, as of this writing, reimburses up to $10 per statement period.
Is Chase or PNC Bank better?
If access to in-person banking and a wide network of ATMs is important to you, Chase has more than PNC Bank. The two banks are roughly similar when it comes to rates, in that neither offer competitive rates on most of their deposit products—and both offer robust online banking tools. Compare rates and fees against what’s most important before deciding which bank to choose.
SoFi disclaimer
1:
New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not receiveda cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.30% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults)and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.30% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
2:
Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
3: 0.70% Savings APY Boost
Earn up to 4.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.30% APY as of 12/23/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and pay the $10 SoFi Plus subscription every 30 days OR receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
