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Citizens Bank Review 2025

Updated March 25, 2025
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At a glance

Overview

Citizens Bank is only an option if you live within the bank’s footprint, which includes 14 states and Washington, D.C. If you live outside that area, you won’t be able to open an account. Its savings rates are generally really low — you’ll find better rates and better terms at online-only banks. Plus, its withdrawal penalty for its certificates of deposit is unusually harsh.

Highlights:

Highly Rated App Large Branch Network Low Min Deposit
3.6
Rating: 3.6 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
Info Icon

CDs

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3.0 /5

Checking

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5 /5

Savings

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
2.5 /5

MMA

Rating: 2.7 stars out of 5
2.7 /5
4.4
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
Customer Score
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See all 49 consumer reviews Arrow Right Icon
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Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.20
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/19/2025
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.60
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/19/2025
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.10
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/19/2025
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
$5,000
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: Get up to a $300 Cash Bonus. See site for details.

Overall

Citizens Bank offers a large range of banking services, but there are some quirks to banking here. Some CDs can only be opened online if you also open a particular checking account at the bank, for example. Ultimately, this bank may work for you if you aren’t looking for high savings rates, live within the bank’s branch footprint and want easy access to in-person banking.

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Citizens has nearly 1,000 branches and more than 2,300 additional ATM locations.

Cons

  • ATM fees are waived only with higher status accounts; otherwise, a $3 fee for out-of-network ATM withdrawals applies.

  • Customers who reside outside of the Citizens footprint won’t be able to open an account.

  • Yields for the standard money market and savings accounts are very low.

Citizens Bank banking products

Citizens Bank One Deposit Savings overview

2.5
/5
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    No minimum opening deposit requirement.

  • Checkmark Icon

    To waive the monthly maintenance fee, all you have to do is make a deposit of any amount.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There are no limits on withdrawals from this savings account.

Cons

  • Other banks offer much higher APYs than the almost-nothing APY you’ll find here.

  • Though it’s waivable, there’s still a potential monthly maintenance fee of $4.99 if you don’t meet the requirement; other banks offer completely free accounts.

Citizens Bank Online CD overview

3.0
/5
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    You can open a CD with a minimum deposit of $1,000.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The bank offers one competitive rate on a short-term CD.

Cons

  • You still have to live within the bank’s footprint to open the CDs that are available online.

  • A $50 transaction fee applies for early withdrawals, in addition to the standard early withdrawal penalty. This is harsher than at many other banks.

  • You have to have a Citizens Quest or Private Client Checking account — both of which have higher fees and/or higher balance requirements than the standard checking account — to open either of the online-only CDs.

Citizens Bank Personal Money Market Account overview

2.7
/5
Rating: 2.7 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    There is no minimum deposit to open the account.

Cons

  • The Personal Money Market account pays a paltry 0.01 percent APY, which is much lower than the best money market accounts.

  • You need a minimum balance of $2,500 to avoid the $10 monthly fee.

  • There is a monthly transaction limit on how often you can withdraw funds; if you exceed your monthly transaction limit three times in one year, the bank will automatically transfer your funds to a checking account that doesn’t pay interest.

Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking overview

4.5
/5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    No minimum deposit required to open a One Deposit Checking account.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The account offers early direct deposit.

Cons

  • The bank charges an overdraft fee of $35 on overdrafting transactions of $5 or more. This is one of the higher overdraft fees still out there. Many banks don’t charge a fee at all.

  • The account charges a $9.99 monthly fee, though you can waive it with just one deposit each month.

  • There’s a $3 fee for using out-of-network ATMs.

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee $35
Non-sufficient funds fee None
Monthly maintenance fee $0-$25, depending on the account
Out-of-network ATM fee $3
Excessive transaction fee None*
Paper statements $3 (free if you are under 18 or older than 65)

Customer experience

Physical presence. Citizens Bank customers have access to nearly 1,000 branches and an additional 2,800 ATMs in 14 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions.

Highly rated mobile app. The bank’s mobile app receives high scores on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It can be used to send money with Zelle, deposit checks, pay bills and more.

Customer service. Citizens Bank customer service hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Below-average customer satisfaction in most areas. Citizens lags behind the industry average in most areas it serves, according to the latest round of J.D. Power U.S. Retail Banking Customer Satisfaction research. The bank’s Trustpilot profile isn’t anything to celebrate, either: a 1.2 out of 5 based on more than 600 reviews.

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Bankrate staff insights

"I would recommend Citizens Bank if you are looking for a simple savings solution, but it is not the most high-tech modern banking experience. It is very easy to navigate to what you need, though the mobile app has more features than the website on desktop," according to a Bankrate staff member with the account. "I like that this bank has physical locations in my city, so I can visit it to deposit checks or get in-person help."

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.

Zestyclose-Handle-73
Feb 1, 2023
Citizens Bank Reviews
Pros: App is fine. Lots of branches locally and regionally. Cons: Around one-third of the time I go in, they try to sell me on a new credit card or some other service.
via Reddit
Maximum-Relative-234
Jul 1, 2023
Which bank should I choose?
If you instead prefer a brick-and-mortar financial institution, then, having used both Citizens and Chase, I would recommend Chase. I prefer the broader range of products and services they offer, and their website/app are much better. Just be sure that no matter which bank you choose, there may be monthly service fees. Make sure you can maintain the requisite account activity/balances so those don’t apply.
via Reddit

Our editor's take

Beyond deposit products, Citizens Bank offers a wide host of financial products and services, ranging from credit cards and wealth management to small business banking. But ensure yourself that you don’t open more accounts than you need.

Both Chase and Citizens Bank offer a wide array of financial services, but Chase has the edge when it comes to brick-and-mortar locations. While Citizens Bank has approximately 1,023 branches across 16 states, Chase maintains around 5,120 branches in 48 states and Washington, D.C.

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The above images were last updated on November 8, 2024.

CTA We want to know what you think about Citizens Bank

We want to know what you think about Citizens Bank

Do you have experience with Citizens Bank? Let us know your thoughts.

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.

Citizens Bank customer reviews

CTA Citizens Bank has 49 reviews

Citizens Bank has 49 reviews

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Citizens Bank.

4.4 Star Icon
49 ratings
Info Icon
Score breakdown
5 stars
53%
4 stars
37%
3 stars
8%
2 stars
0%
1 star
2%
Score by category
Overall Rating 4.4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Customer support 4.4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4.3 / 5
Verified Badge Icon Bankrate methodology disclosure

In July 2024, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 1,200 bank account holders nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected and summarized account holder responses to five rating questions on a 5-point scale as well as open-ended reviews of the banking experience. Responses are based on individual account holder product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Reviewers received an incentive for their feedback. Their ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by the associated bank or credit union, nor do these responses reflect Bankrate's own expert review of these banking products.

Community Reviews

See what users like you are saying about Citizens Bank.
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Anonymous account holder
March 22, 2025
It is easy to make direct deposits and digital deposits as the app is really simple to use.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 28, 2025
They have amazing customer service that exceeds my expectations every time I am in touch with them.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 27, 2025
I think it’s one of the best banks I’ve been with so far. From top to bottom.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 27, 2025
I truly appreciate their service because they never charge any extra fees, making my overall experience amazing.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 27, 2025
I have found the overall experience to be very convenient and I am rarely required to visit a branch.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 25, 2025
I never have a problem with this bank. I always have a good experience.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 25, 2025
I have found their interest rates to be competitive, which has made my experience very positive
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 25, 2025
The Citizens Bank mobile app has been very smooth, fast and user-friendly throughout my experience with it.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 25, 2025
First, it's in a great location and the website is easy to work with. The mobile app is also convenient.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
February 25, 2025
I had some issues with the online and phone support as it is very slow but their customer service in the branch is really good and fast so if I have any issues I generally go directly to a branch office.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5