Citizens Bank Review 2025
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At a glance
Overview
Citizens Bank is only an option if you live within the bank’s footprint, which includes 14 states and Washington, D.C. If you live outside that area, you won’t be able to open an account. 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
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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 Checking 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.
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.
Overall
Citizens Bank offers a large range of banking services, but there are some quirks to banking here. Some CDs can only be opened online if you also open a particular checking account at the bank, for example. Ultimately, this bank may work for you if you aren’t looking for high savings rates, live within the bank’s branch footprint and want easy access to in-person banking.
Pros
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Citizens has nearly 1,000 branches and more than 2,300 additional ATM locations.
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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Customers who reside outside of the Citizens footprint won’t be able to open an account.
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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 overview
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.
Citizens Bank Online CD overview
Pros
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You can open a CD with a minimum deposit of $1,000.
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The bank offers one competitive rate on a short-term CD.
Cons
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You still have to live within the bank’s footprint to open the CDs that are available online.
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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 and/or higher balance requirements than the standard checking account — to open either of the online-only CDs.
Citizens Bank Personal Money Market Account overview
Pros
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There is no minimum deposit to open the account.
Cons
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The Personal Money Market account pays a paltry 0.01 percent 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 withdraw funds; if you exceed your monthly transaction limit three times in one year, the bank will automatically transfer your funds to a checking account that doesn’t pay interest.
Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking overview
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 $5 or more. This is one of the higher overdraft fees still out there. Many banks don’t charge a fee at all.
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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.
Bank fees
| Fee | Charged? |
|---|---|
| Overdraft fee | $35 |
| Non-sufficient funds fee | None |
| Monthly maintenance fee | $0-$25, depending on the account |
| Out-of-network ATM fee | $3 |
| Excessive transaction fee | None* |
| Paper statements | $3 (free if you are under 18 or older than 65) |
Customer experience
Physical presence. Citizens Bank customers have access to nearly 1,000 branches and an additional 2,800 ATMs in 14 states 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 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
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. The bank’s Trustpilot profile isn’t anything to celebrate, either: a 1.2 out of 5 based on more than 600 reviews.
Bankrate staff insights
"I would recommend Citizens Bank if you are looking for a simple savings solution, but it is not the most high-tech modern banking experience. It is very easy to navigate to what you need, though the mobile app has more features than the website on desktop," according to a Bankrate staff member with the account. "I like that this bank has physical locations in my city, so I can visit it to deposit checks or get in-person help."
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.
Our editor's take
Beyond deposit products, Citizens Bank offers a wide host of financial products and services, ranging from credit cards and wealth management to small business banking. But ensure yourself that you don’t open more accounts than you need.
Both Chase and Citizens Bank offer a wide array of financial services, but Chase has the edge when it comes to brick-and-mortar locations. While Citizens Bank has approximately 1,023 branches across 16 states, Chase maintains around 5,120 branches in 48 states and Washington, D.C.
The above images were last updated on November 8, 2024.
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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.
Citizens Bank customer reviews
Citizens Bank has 24 reviews
Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Citizens Bank.
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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