Citizens Bank Review 2026
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At a glance
Overview
Citizens Bank has products available nationwide and a branch footprint of 14 states and Washington, D.C. But 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 DepositHighlights:
CDs
Checking
Savings
MMA
Customer Experience
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Checking rating = 3.9/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.6/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.5/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Citizens Bank pros and cons
Pros
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Citizens has nearly 1,000 branches and more than 2,500 additional ATM locations.
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Customer service is available by phone seven days a week.
Cons
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ATM fees are waived only with higher status accounts; otherwise, a $3 fee for out-of-network ATM withdrawals applies.
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Yields for the standard money market and savings accounts are very low.
Citizens Bank banking products
Citizens Bank One Deposit Savings
Pros
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No minimum opening deposit requirement.
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To waive the monthly maintenance fee, all you have to do is make a deposit of any amount.
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There are no limits on withdrawals from this savings account.
Cons
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Other banks offer much higher APYs than the almost-nothing APY you’ll find here.
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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.
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Must live in the Citizens Bank physical footprint to open the account.
Citizens Bank's One Deposit Savings account earns an APY that is nearly nonexistent. You can find APYs that are 400 times the amount of what is offered by Citizens — Bankrate's list of best high-yield savings accounts is a good spot to start your research.
While there is no minimum opening deposit or minimum account balance required to maintain a Citizens Bank One Deposit Savings account, there is a $4.99 monthly fee. The fee can be waived with a deposit of any amount each month or by maintaining a $200 minimum balance, but you can find plenty of online savings accounts that don't charge a maintenance fee at all.
Citizens Bank Online CD
Pros
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Competitive rates on two short-term CDs and a solid rate on a third.
Cons
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A $50 transaction fee applies for early withdrawals, in addition to the standard early withdrawal penalty — this is harsher than at many other banks.
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You have to have a Citizens Quest or Private Client Checking account — both of which have higher fees or higher balance requirements than the standard checking account.
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Only three term options for online CDs.
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Must live in the Citizens Bank physical footprint to open the account.
Citizens Bank provides three online CDs, but even the online CDs are only available within the physical branch footprint. The three CDs available are short term, only ranging from five to 14 months, but two have highly competitive yields and the third has a solid one. Unfortunately, the two CDs with better yields require a potentially prohibitive minimum deposit of $25,000.
Citizens Bank Personal Money Market Account
Pros
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There is no minimum deposit to open the account.
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Debit card and check-writing privileges available — though highly limited.
Cons
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The Personal Money Market account pays a paltry 0.01% APY, which is much lower than the best money market accounts.
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You need a minimum balance of $2,500 to avoid the $10 monthly fee.
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There is a monthly transaction limit on how often you can write checks or use a debit card.
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Must live in the Citizens Bank physical footprint to open the account.
While the Personal Money Market account by Citizens Bank allows you to earn the top APY for the account with less than $25,000, that top APY is next to nothing. There is also a $10 monthly maintenance fee, something that is easily avoidable with many online banks, and the only way to waive it is by keeping a minimum daily balance of at least $2,500 in the account.
Beyond its low yield and monthly fee, check and debit card transactions are also limited to six per month. If you're looking for a high-rate money market account to transact from frequently, Citizens Bank may not be the right fit.
Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking
Pros
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No minimum deposit required to open a One Deposit Checking account.
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The account offers early direct deposit.
Cons
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The bank charges an overdraft fee of $35 on overdrafting transactions of more than $5 — one of the higher overdraft fees still out there.
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The account charges a $9.99 monthly fee, though you can waive it with just one deposit each month.
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There’s a $3 fee for using out-of-network ATMs.
While the Citizen Bank One Deposit account comes with two-day early direct deposit and no minimum deposit, it also has a couple of drawbacks. The first, a $9.99 monthly fee, is at least easily avoidable. With just one deposit a month, you can get the fee waived. The second is still avoidable, but you'll need to keep on top of your balance. If you overdraft and don't have the savings overdraft transfer plan or an overdraft line of credit, you'll be charged $35 for every transaction over $5, up to five times in one day.
Customer experience
Physical presence. Citizens Bank customers have access to nearly 1,000 branches and more than 2,500 additional ATMs in 14 states and Washington, D.C. 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 some of the best that you can find: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET during the week and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on weekends. But the availability doesn't always translate to customer happiness.
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. It only jumps ahead of average in the North Central region.
How Citizens Bank compares to other banks
Compare different account types offered by Citizens Bank. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between Oct. 26, 2026 and Nov. 1, 2026.
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Selected bank
Citizens Bank savings account
Bankrate score
2.5
Bankrate Savings rating = 2.5/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
Most comparable
Bank of America savings account
Bankrate score
2.2
Bankrate Savings rating = 2.2/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
Search for or select a bank:
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Bankrate score
Bankrate Savings rating Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
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APY
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest. APYs last updated between Oct. 26, 2026 and Nov. 1, 2026.
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| 0.01% | 0.04% | |
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Minimum balance for APY
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| $0.00 | $0.00 | |
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Estimated earnings
Interest earned calculation based on a $50,000 deposit amount for a period of 1 year and is rounded to the nearest dollar. Exact earnings are dependent on calendar year, balance, and compounding frequency. Minimum deposit rules may apply.
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| $5 | $20 | |
| Citizens Access offers a high-yield savings account with a $0 minimum opening deposit. As long as you make a deposit each month, the monthly fee will be waived. The APY, however, is almost nothing. You'll find much better rates at fully online banks. | Bank of America has very low yields on its Bank of America Advantage Savings account. Its APY is well below the savings national average. | |
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N/A
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N/A
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APY offering:
0.01%
1/5
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
Minimum deposit for APY:
$0.00
5/5
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
Monthly service fee:
$4.99
4/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$200.00
3/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds:
Great
5/5
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools:
No
0/5
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
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APY offering:
0.04%
1/5
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
Minimum deposit for APY:
$100.00
3/5
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
Monthly service fee:
$8.00
3/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$500.00
2/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds:
Great
5/5
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools:
Yes
5/5
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
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APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.
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