Santander Bank review: Easily waive monthly fees for savings and checking accounts
Santander Bank's main draw is its easy-to-waive low fees. It also pays competitive rates on its money market account if you have a $10,000 balance.
Santander Bank; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
This article was reviewed and updated on September 2, 2021.
Overall bank rating
Feature | Insider rating (out of 5) |
Savings | 3.75 |
Checking | 3.5 |
CD | 3.5 |
Money market | 3.25 |
Trustworthiness | 3 |
Total | 3.5 |
Pros and cons
Pros | Cons |
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Savings
You might like the
The main downside is that Santander pays a low interest rate. It's comparable to what you'll earn with other big banks, but many online banks offer high-yield savings accounts with significantly higher rates.
Checking
Santander has several checking accounts, but the
Although Santander has free ATMs around the Northeast, the bank charges a $3 fee if you use an out-of-network ATM.
You'll also pay a $35 fee if you overdraw from your account. You can link the checking account to another Santander account so funds transfer to keep you from overdrawing, but you'll still pay $12 each time you tap into overdraft protection.
CDs
Santander advertises rates for its promotional CDs on its website, but you can't find most CD rates online. You'll have to ask about rates when you visit a branch to open a CD. This can make it hard to shop around online and compare APYs before choosing a bank.
One unique perk is that you can request Santander to roll your earned interest into another Santander account rather than back into your CD, which is useful if you need money for a specific purpose.
Money market
How Santander Bank works
Santander has over 575 branches and 2,000 ATMs in the Northeast. There are branches in eight states, including the following:
- Connecticut
- Delaware (only one location in the state, in Wilmington)
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
Santander also has one ATM location in Miami, Florida, but no branches.
The Santander mobile app has received 4.7 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 4.2 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
You can call customer service 24/7. Santander also has separate customer support numbers for hearing- and speech-impaired customers.
Santander accounts are FDIC insured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 if you have a joint account.
Is Santander Bank trustworthy?
We typically include ratings by the Better Business Bureau to evaluate how a bank handles customer disputes. Santander has not been rated by the BBB, though.
Santander has not had any public controversies or disputes in the last few years. To get a better understanding of whether Santander is a good fit for you, it'd be a good option to consult friends, families, or online reviews.
How Santander Bank compares to similar banks
Santander is a worthwhile banking option for people who live in the Northeast and want a brick-and-mortar bank. We've compared Santander to two other banks with a physical presence in the Northeast: TD Bank and Citizens Bank.
Santander Bank | TD Bank | Citizens Bank |
Branch locations 8 states | Branch locations 15 states and DC | Branch locations 12 states |
Minimum opening deposits Up to $10,000 | Minimum opening deposits Up to $250 | Minimum opening deposits Up to $1,000 |
Monthly fees Up to $75 | Monthly fees Up to $25 | Monthly fees Up to $25 |
Santander Bank review vs. TD Bank review
There are plenty of ways to waive monthly fees with TD Bank, but they're not quite as lax as Santander's requirements. Santander's money market account rates are also better than TD Bank's rates.
If you suspect you'll need to use out-of-network ATMs, then you might like the
If you either a) live in a state in the Northeast where there isn't a Santander Bank, or b) travel along the East Coast regularly, then you may prefer TD Bank.
Santander Bank review vs. Citizens Bank review
Citizens Bank is another solid option for people looking for a bank with low fees. Many of its accounts come with no monthly fees. One Deposit Savings from Citizens Bank™ charges a $4.99 monthly fee, but you just need to make one deposit per month to have it waived.
If you want to open a money market account, then you'll probably prefer Santander. Citizens Bank only pays 0.01% APY on its Personal Money Market Account, and Santander pays
Citizens Bank is also prominent in the Northeast, and it has a presence in a few Midwest states, too. If you just want a savings and checking account, then your choice between Santander and Citizens may come down to which has a location closer to your home.