PNC Bank Review 2024 | Bankrate (2024)

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At a glance

4.1

Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5

Bankrate Score

CDs

Rating: 3.7 stars out of 5

Checking

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

Savings

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

MMA

Rating: 2.6 stars out of 5

Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.

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Overview

PNC Bank stands out for its digital banking tools and offers competitive interest rates in some states. But if you don't live in those select states and are looking for the highest yields possible, consider banking elsewhere for better rates.

Highlights

Digital Leader
Highly Rated App

Overall

PNC Bank offers a full suite of deposit products, with branches in parts of the Northeast, South and Midwest as well as on the West Coast. While the bank offers competitive rates to customers who live in certain states, those who live elsewhere earn yields below the national average. The bank offers a well-rated mobile app that incorporates tools for money management.

PNC Bank was named the most trusted bank as part of the 2023 Bankrate Awards, where the best financial products of the year were determined.

Pros

It boasts a competitive APY on its online-only savings account (only available in certain states).
PNC supports around 2,400 branches and offers access to around 60,000 fee-free ATMs.
The bank provides above-average digital banking features.

Cons

At $36, its overdraft fee is higher than average.
Navigating and comparing various bank products online can be difficult.
PNC’s high yield savings account option is only available in certain states.

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PNC Bank banking products

4.5

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Bankrate Score

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FEATURES

PNC Bank savings overview

PNC’s Virtual Wallet Pro, which combines checking and savings services, offers a competitive yield with the Growth option, and it doesn’t require a minimum opening deposit. The account isn’t tiered, and the minimum balance to start earning this APY is $1.

However, the account isn’t available in all states, so not everyone will have access to the product. Customers who live in states with PNC branches earn a much lower yield on its Standard Savings account.

Pros

PNC’s high yield savings account option offers a top-tier APY in certain states.
The account comes with an ATM card.
The account doesn’t charge a monthly service charge.

Cons

The PNC Virtual Wallet Pro account isn’t available in all states.
There’s a six-per-month restricted transactions limit; PNC will charge a $3 fee each time for going beyond that maximum.

PNC Bank

APY

APY last updated between 7/22 and 7/28.

APY

APY last updated between 7/22 and 7/28.

National average APY

How do we get this data?

Bankrate independently tracks hundreds of APYs and product details for banking institutions nationwide. We retain the historical data of every rate we track in our database. If there are any gaps where we weren’t actively tracking a rate at the time, the graph will reflect the missing data.

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PNC Bank CD overview

PNC Bank customers have access to a wide range of CD terms. However, all CDs must be opened at a branch. In addition to traditional CDs, the bank offers Ready Access CDs, which allow you to withdraw the funds without penalty as soon as seven days after you open the account.

The 12-month CD, which is the CD term Bankrate scored, only requires $1,000 to open. However, you can find more competitive CD rates at a variety of other banks.

Currently, the bank also offers a variety of promotional CD terms that range from four months to 61 months.

Pros

Customers interested in CDs have many different term options.
Ready Access CDs provide penalty-free access to the funds seven days after account opening.
PNC’s CDs require a relatively low minimum deposit.

Cons

All CD yields are low compared with what online banks offer.
CDs can only be opened at branches, which aren’t available in every state.

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PNC Bank money market overview

PNC’s Premiere Money Market Account is offered with a standard rate, as well as higher relationship rates for those who have additional accounts with PNC. The standard rate is minimal, and while the relationship rates are somewhat higher, they’re still significantly lower than what you can find at online banks.

Receiving $2,000 in qualifying direct deposits in the previous calendar month or making at least five debit card transactions with your Performance Select Checking account are examples of how to get a higher APY.

While there’s no minimum deposit requirement, you’ll need to keep at least $5,000 in this account, or link it to a PNC checking account, to avoid the $12 monthly service fee.

The Premiere Money Market account comes with a PNC banking card that can be used at ATMs but not for debit purchases.

Pros

There’s no minimum deposit requirement.
An ATM card is available with this account.

Cons

This account doesn’t support check-writing privileges.
You can find higher yields elsewhere.

4.2

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

Bankrate Score

Compare top checking rates

PNC Bank checking overview

The Spend account is part of PNC’s Virtual Wallet, which is the bank’s digital money management tool. This non-interest-bearing account requires a minimum deposit of $25 to open at a branch and $0 to open online. The account’s $7 monthly maintenance fee can be avoided in several ways, including receiving at least $500 in direct deposits or being at least 62 years of age.

In addition to checks, a debit card is included with the Spend account, along with fee-free access to around 60,000 ATMs nationwide.

Those who qualify for Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend — which requires a higher minimum balance of $2,000 to avoid its $15 monthly fee among other ways to waive — get reimbursed for two out-of-network ATM fees per statement cycle, as well as up to $5 in other banks’ ATM surcharges.

As part of its Virtual Wallet, PNC also offers a secondary, interest-bearing checking account called Reserve that bears nominal interest and does not require a minimum opening deposit or charge a monthly service fee.

The virtual wallet tool offers features like alerts if you’re low on cash to help you avoid overdrawing your account.

Pros

No minimum deposit is required to open the Spend account.
Around 60,000 fee-free ATMs are available nationwide.
The bank’s mobile app includes visuals that help you understand where your money is going.

Cons

Those who are under age 62, or who don’t meet minimum balance or direct deposit requirements, won’t be able to avoid the monthly service fee.
Customers are charged $36 for each overdraft, although the fee is capped at one per day.

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Bank fees

Fee	Charged?
Overdraft fee	$36
Non-sufficient funds fee	None
Monthly maintenance fee	Varies by account
Out-of-network ATM fee	$3
Excessive transaction fee	$3

Find out:Tips to avoid common bank fees

Customer experience

Customer support

Physical Presence. PNC Bank offers branches in 28 states and the District of Columbia, and some of its deposit accounts can be opened online. The bank offers access to around 2,400 branches.

High customer satisfaction. While PNC’s overall customer satisfaction varies by region, the bank mostly received positive scores in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

Customer service. PNC customer service representatives can be reached by phone seven days a week. On weekdays, they’re available from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Eastern. On weekends, you can reach them from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Digital experience

Highly rated mobile app. PNC Bank’s mobile app receives high marks on both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Collectively, more than 1.5 million users have reviewed the app. The app offers access to a Virtual Wallet tool that allows you to set up savings goals and view a calendar of upcoming bill payments and paydays. “I like the Virtual Wallet account and how I can quickly see a summary of checking and savings balances together,” said a Bankrate staff member who banks at PNC. “PNC also groups purchases together into categories so it’s convenient for budgeting and seeing how much you’ve spent in a given category, such as restaurants, each month.”

Also included is a color-coded “Money Bar” that shows how much of your money is scheduled for bills and savings goals, as well as what’s available to be spent. The app offers unique digital features such as customizable alerts and voice banking, though the latter is “time consuming and frustrating,” according to a Bankrate staff member. “I’d like to be able to reach an agent for assistance quickly.”

Scheduled payment functionality. It isn’t possible to see future scheduled payments for online bill pay on the app, according to a Bankrate staff member with access to the account. Instead, you must log into your account through the website. “If I quickly want to double check that I’ve scheduled to pay my water bill, it cannot be confirmed in the app.”

Bankrate staff insights

“I’ve been banking with PNC for 18 years,” said a Bankrate staff member who uses PNC personally. “Overall, I like the organization of the accounts with having quick visibility into all my accounts through the Virtual Wallet dashboard. I also appreciate their budgeting and savings tools.”

Featured customer reviews

The consumer reviews posted on Bankrate.com ("Bankrate") are individual, subjective opinions of reviewers, and not of Bankrate. Bankrate does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or any responses to reviews. Bankrate cannot guarantee or verify the accuracy of the opinions shared by individual reviewers. Some reviews may be edited for length and clarity.

NUFAN67

Apr 1, 2023

Does anyone have a PNC HYSA?

I opened a PNC high-yield savings account (HYSA) a few months ago. The website is a little clunky compared with [Bank of America], but otherwise, I have been very happy. If you need money in a rush, simply wire transfer to another bank or for small denominations use a service such as Venmo. As other posters have said, there are higher yielding savings accounts available.

viaReddit

beowulf90210

Apr 1, 2023

PNC offering 4% on savings now?

That's a good rate, but I still only trust Ally, Capital One and Marcus to be consistent leaders. I used to chase higher rate offers, but they would always drop the rates way below market within a year and it just wasn't worth the hassle.

viaReddit

Our editor's take

There are multiple ways to transfer money out of PNC accounts, but customers should be aware that domestic wire transfers at PNC come with a fee.

PNC Bank recently started offering a higher rate for its Virtual Wallet Pro account, but it’s only available in select states — typically where PNC branches aren’t found. You’ll find consistently high rates without that barrier at other banks.

About PNC Bank

Founded as Pittsburgh Trust and Savings Co., PNC Bank is one of the largest banks operating in the U.S. It offers a full suite of retail, commercial and small-business products.

In 2008, it acquired the troubled Cleveland-based National City Corp. That transaction roughly doubled the bank’s size. In June 2021, PNC acquired BBVA USA.

Learn more:PNC savings account rates

How PNC Bank compares to other banks

PNC Bank vs. Chase

As some of the largest banks in the U.S., both PNC and Chase have large branch networks scattered across the country. However, Chase’s network is about double the size of PNC’s, so if you prioritize having access to your cash anywhere you go, Chase may be the better choice.

That noted, PNC offers much higher yields on its savings products compared to Chase’s rock-bottom APYs. If you’re primarily looking for an account that will grow your savings, PNC may be the better option for you.

Both banks rely heavily on monthly fees. Though the fees can be waived, there are many banks out there, particularly online-only banks, that feature accounts without the fees. Moreover, both PNC and Chase still charge hefty overdraft fees.

Learn more:The best banks of 2024

PNC Bank FAQs

Review methodology

With so many financial institutions to choose from, it can be hard to know who to trust. Bankrate’s ever-growing list of bank and credit union reviews is updated regularly. Our editorial team analyzes and reviews each institution across deposit products such as savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts (MMAs). Banks are rated by important factors such as offered interest rates, fees, minimum balance requirements, access to funds and more.

We assign a score to each type of account and its features, weigh them carefully based on importance to account holders and determine an overall score. Read our full review methodology.

PNC Bank Review 2024 | Bankrate (2024)

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Overall

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PNC Bank banking products

PNC Bank savings overview

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PNC Bank savings rates

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PNC Bank CD overview

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PNC Bank money market overview

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PNC Bank checking overview

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E*TRADE

Bank fees

Customer experience

Customer support

Digital experience

Bankrate staff insights

Featured customer reviews

Our editor's take

About PNC Bank

How PNC Bank compares to other banks

PNC Bank vs. Chase

PNC Bank FAQs

Review methodology

References