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PNC Bank has 2,500 branches across 29 US states and Washington DC.
PNC Bank; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
The bottom line: PNC Bank’s strongest products are its digital accounts, but your options will depend on where you live.
Overall bank rating
Feature:Insider rating (out of 5)Savings4.5Checking4.25CD3.5Money market3.25Trustworthiness5Total4
Pros and cons
Pros:Cons:
High interest rate on your savings
Variety of CD term options
Strong mobile app
PNC High-Yield Savings Account is only available in select locations (generally, places where there aren’t branches)Money market account does not come with paper checksCDs are only available if you live in a state where there are branches
PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account
The PNC High Yield Savings Account is probably the bank’s best product. It pays solid interest rate if you keep at least $1 in your account and doesn’t charge monthly maintenance fees.
This account is only available online, but not everyone is eligible to open an account. You may not eligible to open a PNC High Yield Savings Account if you live in one of the following states:
AlabamaDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKentuckyMarylandMichiganMissouriNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaVirginiaWashington, DCWisconsin
PNC does offer other savings accounts for in-person bankers, but rates are significantly lower, and there are monthly maintenance fees.
PNC Bank Virtual Wallet®
PNC has an online checking account called PNC Bank Virtual Wallet Checking Pro. Even though it’s a digital product, you can open a PNC Virtual Wallet if you live in a market with branches.
PNC calls its everyday checking features Spend. At no extra cost, you can also open a PNC Bank Virtual Wallet Checking Pro package with two additional buckets: Reserve (interest checking) and Growth (long-term savings). You’ll earn a high interest rate on your Growth balance. You can also earn a slightly higher interest rate on your Growth balance if you qualify for a relationship rate.
PNC Fixed Rate Certificate of Deposit
PNC offers more types of CDs than most banks, including regular term CDs and a Ready Access CD, which doesn’t charge a penalty if you withdraw funds before the CD matures.
However, CDs are only available to residents of states where there are branches, so if you don’t live an eligible state, you’re out of luck.
PNC Premiere Money Market Account
The PNC Premiere Money Market Account might be a decent choice depending on where you live. In certain markets, you can earn up to 1.75% APY on account balances of $1 million or more.
You’ll want to be mindful of monthly service fees on the account, though. You may have to maintain a $5,000 balance to avoid the $12 monthly service charge.
How PNC Bank works
PNC Bank has around 2,500 branches across 29 US states and Washington DC. Here are the states with brick-and-mortar locations:
AlabamaArizonaCaliforniaColoradoDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWest VirginiaWashington, DCWest VirginiaWisconsin
Your decision to bank with PNC could largely depend on whether you live near a branch. For example, you can only access high-yield savings options if you live in an eligible market. Otherwise, you’ll have to open a standard savings account.
PNC received 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 4.4 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
PNC has a feature for its Spend account to help avoid overdraft fees called Low Cash Mode. The perk, available through the bank’s mobile app, gives you 24 hours to bring your account balance to $0 before you’re charged overdraft penalties. You also have the option to pay or return individual checks and payments made using your checking account when your balance is negative.
To contact customer support, call Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET, or on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The bank also has a live chat function, but you’ll have to check back later if all representatives are busy; there’s no way to queue.
Your PNC accounts are FDIC insured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 for joint accounts.
PNC Bank trustworthiness and BBB rating
The Better Business Bureau gives PNC Bank an A+ rating. A good BBB rating signifies a company responds effectively to customer complaints, has honest advertising practices, and is transparent in how it handles business.
Despite PNC’s great BBB score, the bank has had one recent public scandal. In 2019, PNC was accused of aiding a man in carrying out a fake debt relief project, which cost customers a total of $85 million. In 2014, PNC had suspected the man of running a scheme and closed his bank accounts. But nine months later, the bank let him open more accounts.
PNC Bank vs. Capital One 360
We’ve compared PNC with Capital One, another bank with physical and digital banking capabilities.
You may like PNC Bank if you’re able to get the accounts you want in the state that you live in. For instance, if you live in a state that offers the bank’s high-yield savings account it may be a worthwhile option for you to explore.
Otherwise, the Capital One 360 Performance Savings™ may be a better option if you don’t live in state that offers the PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account. Capital One 360 Performance Savings™ pays 3.00% APY and doesn’t charge monthly maintenance fees.
If you want to get money market account, PNC Bank will have to be your default option. Capital One 360 doesn’t offer one.
PNC Bank vs. Wells Fargo
We’ve also compared PNC to Well Fargo because both banks have branches in many of the the same parts of the US
You also may prefer PNC if you want to get money market account. The PNC Premiere Money Market Account may not be its strongest product, but Wells Fargo doesn’t have a money market account at all.
Wells Fargo is a brick-and-mortar bank. Although it has online banking capabilities, there aren’t any online-specific accounts. Wells Fargo has branches in more states than PNC, so if you prefer in-person banking and live near a Wells Fargo branch, you may prefer it to PNC.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is the minimum deposit for PNC Bank?
You don’t need to make an initial deposit if you open the PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account. The PNC Bank Virtual Wallet® also requires $25 to open at a branch or $0 online.
Does PNC have a monthly fee?
You might have to pay a monthly service fee on the bank’s standard savings and checking accounts in some states if you don’t meet certain minimum balance requirements.
If you don’t live near a branch, you may be eligible for the PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account, which doesn’t charge any monthly service fees.
What is the interest rate on a savings account at PNC Bank?
The PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account pays PNC High Yield Savings℠ Account APY. You may qualify for this savings account if you live in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Meanwhile, the PNC Bank Standard Savings Account offers a standard rate of 0.01% APY. If you have a checking account and meet the requirements for a relationship rate, you’ll earn 0.02% APY on account balances under $2,500 and 0.03% APY on account balances over $2,500.