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Varo Bank Review 2025

Updated March 24, 2025
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At a glance

Overview

Varo is best for consumers who want an online alternative to traditional banks, no fees, competitive APYs and digital tools for saving.

Highlights:

Highly Rated App No Min Balance No Monthly Fees
4.1
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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Checking

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7 /5

Savings

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0 /5
Sponsored offers
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These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.

Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.70
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 3/25/2025
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer:
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.40
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 3/25/2025
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
$500
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: Top-tier rate. FDIC Insured. No fees.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.75
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 3/25/2025
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer:

Overall

Varo is a digital bank that prides itself on its technology and offers checking and savings accounts. The savings account comes with a robust annual percentage yield (APY) up to a certain balance, and the checking account comes with wide ATM access. Prospective customers ages 18 or older in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., can open an account with Varo.

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Varo has no minimum deposit or balance requirements and charges no monthly fees.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The savings account offers a competitive APY on balances of up to $5,000.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Varo offers unique tools and features to help customers build their savings.

Cons

  • Cash deposits can only be made through third-party retailers, which may charge a fee.

  • Neither a money market account nor certificates of deposit are available.

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Varo Bank banking products

Varo Bank online savings account

4.0
/5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
2.50%
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3/5
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Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Access to funds:
Great
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The savings account offers a competitive APY on balances up to $5,000.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no minimum deposit requirement or monthly fee.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Automated tools help customers boost their savings.

Cons

  • Customers must receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits and maintain a positive balance each month to earn interest.

  • Varo’s online savings account only offers the highest yield for balances of $5,000 or under.

Varo Bank checking account

4.7
/5
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    There is no minimum deposit or balance requirement and no monthly fee.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Customers have access to over 40,000 Allpoint ATMs with a Visa debit card.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The account comes with helpful financial features, including early direct deposit and advance cash.

Cons

  • Cash deposits can only be made through a third-party service and may come with a fee.

How Varo Bank compares to other banks

Compare different account types offered by Varo Bank. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between March 18, 2025 and March 24, 2025.

Selected bank
Varo Bank savings account
Varo Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0
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Most comparable
Barclays Bank savings account
Barclays Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
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Read review
Search for or select a bank:
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Bankrate score
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Read review
APY
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2.50% 4.15%
Minimum balance for APY
$0.00 $0.00
Estimated earnings
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$1,250 $2,075
Varo Bank’s savings account earns a very competitive yield on balances of up to $5,000. After that, customers earn a lower rate. In order to earn interest, customers must receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits each month. The Barclays Tiered Savings Account offers a competitive yield on all balances. You don’t need a minimum deposit to open an account and like at most online banks, you won’t pay a monthly maintenance fee.
  • Varo Bank’s savings account offers a very robust yield on balances of up to $5,000.
  • Barclays allows you to earn a competitive yield on your savings.
  • Barclays’ savings account doesn’t have a monthly service fee.
  • Barclays doesn’t have a minimum opening deposit requirement.
    N/A
  • Many other online banks offer a high yield on all balances.
  • Customers must set up direct deposits in order to earn interest.
  • You can earn a higher yield at some other online banks.
    N/A
Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.
APY offering:
4.15%
5/5
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Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
5/5
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Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
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Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
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Access to funds:
Good
4/5
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Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee None
Non-sufficient funds fee None
Monthly maintenance fee None
Out-of-network ATM fee $3.50
Excessive transaction fee None

Customer experience

Customer support. Varo customers can reach a service representative by phone seven days a week. They’re available from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. Live chat support is available 24/7.

Digital experience. Varo’s app receives high ratings from users on both iOS and Android devices. The app provides the same digital tools and features that customers can get through the website.

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.