Citizens Access Review 2025
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At a glance
Overview
Citizens Access is an online bank with no branches that offers savings products. It’s a division of Citizens Bank. Citizens Access generally offers competitive yields on its deposit accounts, but only offers a savings account and a handful of certificates of deposit (CDs). If you’re looking for a money market or checking account, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Highlights:
High APY No Monthly FeesHighlights:
CDs
Savings
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 = 4.9/5
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 CD rating = 4.3/5
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.
Overall
If you’re looking to park your money in a high-yield account with no fees, Citizens Access may be worth considering. But you’ll need to be comfortable solely banking online as the bank doesn’t have any branches. While the savings account can be opened with just one cent, its CDs require a $5,000 deposit, which is sizable compared to what other banks require.
Pros
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Citizens Access offers solid yields on its deposit accounts.
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Customer service is available by phone seven days a week or by using the chat function on the bank’s website.
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The Citizens Access savings account doesn’t have a monthly service fee.
Cons
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Citizens Access has no physical branches or ATM access.
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The online bank offers a limited selection of products.
We want to know what you think about Citizens Access
Do you have experience with Citizens Access? Let us know your thoughts.
Citizens Access Bank products
Citizens Access Online Savings account
Pros
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Citizens Access offers a solid annual percentage yield (APY), which can be earned on any balance.
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The bank does not charge any monthly service fees.
Cons
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Citizens Access doesn’t provide an ATM card for withdrawals.
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Citizens Access doesn’t offer accounts for those under 18 years old.
Rate history for Citizens Access's Savings account
See how rates for this account have changed over time. Interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.
Citizens Access certificates of deposit (CDs)
Pros
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Citizens Access offers a solid range of CDs.
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Citizens Access pays a competitive yield on some of its CDs.
Cons
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The minimum deposit is higher than what’s offered by most other online banks.
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Higher yields are available elsewhere on longer terms.
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Citizens Access doesn’t offer short-term CDs (maturities less than a year).
Rate history for Citizens Access's CD accounts
See how rates for this account have changed over time. Select the CD term length from the dropdown and interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.
How Citizens Access compares to other banks
Compare different account types offered by Citizens Access. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between Feb. 14, 2025 and Feb. 20, 2025.
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Selected bank
Citizens Access 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. |
Most comparable
Synchrony Bank savings account
Bankrate score
4.5
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.5/5 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. |
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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 Feb. 14, 2025 and Feb. 20, 2025.
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| 3.70% | 4.00% | |
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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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| $1,850 | $2,000 | |
| Citizens Access offers a high-yield savings account with a minimum opening deposit of just one cent. This online bank doesn’t charge monthly service fees and offers a highly rated mobile app. | You’ll earn a competitive yield and can access your money at an ATM with the Synchrony Bank High Yield Savings Account. You’ll also have $5 worth of domestic ATM fees reimbursed per month and you won’t be charged a monthly service fee. | |
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N/A
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N/A
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APY offering:
3.70%
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 balance for APY:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest deposit amount an account must have before it can earn interest.
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account if certain requirements are not met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain in order to avoid a fee.
Access to funds:
Good
4/5
A procedure that allows an individual or organization to access and manage the funds of another account holder.
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APY offering:
4.00%
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 balance for APY:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest deposit amount an account must have before it can earn interest.
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account if certain requirements are not met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain in order to avoid a fee.
Access to funds:
Great
5/5
A procedure that allows an individual or organization to access and manage the funds of another account holder.
|
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
The lowest deposit amount an account must have before it can earn interest.
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account if certain requirements are not met.
The lowest balance an account must maintain in order to avoid a fee.
A procedure that allows an individual or organization to access and manage the funds of another account holder.
Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.
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Bank fees
| Fee | Charged | |
|---|---|---|
| Overdraft fee | N/A | |
| Non-sufficient funds fee | N/A | |
| Account maintenance fees | None | |
| Out-of-network ATM fee | N/A | |
| Excessive transaction fee | None |
Customer experience
Customer service
Long support hours. Citizens Access customer service representatives are available to answer questions about CDs and savings accounts seven days a week: 7 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. There is also a chat option available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (All times are Eastern.)
Support wait times. Though there are many ways to connect, customer service isn’t always easy to get in contact with, according to a Bankrate staff member. There isn’t a way to contact support through the app, and when making a call, there’s always a wait time to get in touch with a representative. Even then, sometimes you get transferred to another department, making that wait even longer.
Digital experience
Highly rated mobile app. Citizens Access’s mobile app earns top marks on both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Citizens Access customers can use the mobile app to check account balances, move money and make mobile deposits. That noted, the app is missing many digital features that come with more advanced mobile banking apps, according to a Bankrate staff member who has a Citizens Access account. The app doesn’t have a virtual assistant or budgeting tools and you can’t dispute transactions or open new accounts through the app.
Bankrate staff insights
“You can get a very competitive savings rate with Citizens Access, but shouldn’t expect much more than a place to store and grow your money,” said a Bankrate staff member who uses the account personally. “One of the main reasons I opened the Citizens Access savings account is because of its competitive rate. Customer service, on the other hand, isn’t one of Citizens Access’s strengths — getting in touch with a customer service representative can be an unnecessary hassle.”
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.
Account Homepage
The above images were last updated on April 26, 2024.
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.
Citizens Access customer reviews
Citizens Access has 22 reviews
Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Citizens Access.
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
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