PNC Bank Review 2026
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At a glance
Overview
PNC Bank offers a full suite of deposit products, and you can open most accounts online — except certificates of deposit, which can only be opened in a branch. You’ll find some competitive rates but only if you live in certain states. Everyone else will get rates well below the national average. But you can do your banking online and the bank offers a well-rated mobile app that incorporates tools for money management.
Highlights:
Highly Rated AppHighlights:
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 Savings rating = 4.4/5
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 CD rating = 4.2/5
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.
Pros and cons of PNC Bank
Pros
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Strong APY on savings available in certain states.
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2,000 branches around the country.
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Around 60,000 fee-free ATMs.
Cons
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On the whole, rates are low except for a few promotional or geo-targeted rates.
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At $36, its overdraft fee is higher than average.
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Navigating and comparing PNC’s various bank products online can be difficult.
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CDs have low rates and cannot be opened online.
PNC’s account structure makes it hard to compare products and find rate information
For example, rates for the Growth savings account — which is nested in its Virtual Wallet Product — aren’t displayed with other product details or in the account disclosures. You have to call to get that info or dig through a rate page for a different savings account to see what you could earn with Growth. In contrast, PNC shows you rates for its high-yield savings account right away once you enter your ZIP code. This just makes it tougher than it needs to be to compare and choose accounts.
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PNC bank products
PNC Standard Savings
Pros
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Set up "Auto Savings" to transfer from checking to savings automatically.
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Comes with a bank card for withdrawals (not purchases).
Cons
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PNC's Standard Savings account earns a minimal APY.
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$3 fee for each withdrawal over the limit of six per month.
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Waivable $5 monthly service fee.
While PNC’s High-Yield savings account pays a strong yield, many states where PNC has branches don’t qualify for this account. Check by entering your ZIP code on PNC’s website. All customers can open PNC’s Standard Savings account. It earns an unimpressive rate and comes with a $5 monthly service fee, which can be waived by keeping an average monthly balance of $300 or more, linking certain PNC checking accounts or setting up an automatic transfer of at least $25 from a PNC checking account. It's also waived for customers under 25.
You'll find much better perks and great rates that aren't restricted to specific ZIP codes with Bankrate's best high-yield savings account picks.
PNC Fixed Rate CD
Pros
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The bank offers many different term options.
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Some promotional CDs in some locations have competitive rates.
Cons
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All standard CD yields are very low compared with what online banks offer.
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CDs can only be opened at branches, which aren’t available in every state.
The CDs at this bank have two major drawbacks: the standard rates in many states are very low and all CDs must be opened in a branch. In fact, the bank doesn’t even list CDs as one of its offerings in its main website navigation, like it does checking and savings, though you can still see the rates for CDs in your area if you go into the rate sheet for a different deposit product.
PNC Premiere Money Market
Pros
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The bank offers a competitive promotional rate to customers who meet certain conditions, including keeping a balance of $25,000 and more.
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There’s no minimum deposit requirement to open the account online.
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An ATM card is available with this account.
Cons
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The standard rate on the account is very low.
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This account doesn’t have check-writing privileges.
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The account has a high monthly service fee (though you can get it waived).
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There’s a fee for making more than six withdrawals each statement period.
PNC’s Premiere Money Market Account comes with a low standard APY but a high promotional rate, for those who can meet the requirements and are eligible to open the account. If that’s not you, you’re better off elsewhere. You can find similar or higher rates for money market accounts at online banks.
PNC Spend Account (checking) overview
Pros
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No minimum deposit is required to open the Spend account.
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Around 60,000 fee-free ATMs are available nationwide.
Cons
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There is a $7 monthly maintenance fee (though there are ways to avoid it).
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The overdraft fee is quite high at $36, although the fee is capped at one per day.
Some checking accounts at PNC are integrated into its Virtual Wallet product; others aren’t. The Spend account, which is the account we reviewed, has to be opened as part of the bank’s Virtual Wallet account. You can choose to put just the Spend account into your Virtual Wallet, or add on two other accounts, a secondary checking account called Reserve and a savings account called Growth. The Virtual Wallet product also comes in three tiers, with different perks and fees. For the purposes of this review, we looked at the features of the Spend account only within the lowest, standard Virtual Wallet tier.
Customer experience
Physical presence. PNC Bank offers branches in 27 states and the District of Columbia, and some of its deposit accounts can be opened online. If you want to open a CD, you’ll have to go into a branch, of which there are about 2,000.
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. PNC’s overall customer satisfaction scores vary by region in J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. It either sits toward the bottom or just below average in many states and regions, though it does have a few high points in Florida and Pennsylvania.
Digital experience. PNC's product lineup is not the easiest to explore on its website. The differences between the different deposit products at PNC aren’t easy to grasp, particularly if you’re trying to compare your options by fees and rates. Understanding the differences between the available accounts may require some careful review. However, PNC Bank’s mobile app receives high ratings on both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Collectively, more than 1.5 million users have reviewed the app. The app has tools to monitor your budget, such as 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.
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.”
Disclosure: To enhance our product reviews, Bankrate employees often open accounts and provide feedback. They may have been compensated for their time and account maintenance, but this does not affect the integrity of their review.
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.
How PNC Bank compares to other banks
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Selected bank
PNC 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
Capital One savings account
Bankrate score
4.4
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.4/5 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. |
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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 March 13, 2026 and March 19, 2026.
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| 0.02% | 3.20% | |
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Minimum balance for APY
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| $1.00 | $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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| $10 | $1,600 | |
| PNC's Standard Savings account has an unimpressive rate and a few, limited perks. Its High-Yield Savings Account has a much better rate (and no monthly service fee!) but is only offered in certain states. | Capital One’s 360 Performance Savings Account earns a strong yield (though it’s not the absolute highest available). It doesn’t require a minimum opening deposit and you won’t pay a monthly service fee with this account. Capital One is one of the few online banks that has a branch network if you want the option of in-person banking, though they’re only in select states. | |
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APY offering:
0.02%
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:
$25.00
4/5
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
Monthly service fee:
$5.00
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:
$300.00
3/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds:
Average
4/5
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.
|
APY offering:
3.20%
4/5
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:
$0.00
5/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
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.
|
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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Review methodology
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.
