Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive

We post a lot of different bank account bonuses, one of the most common questions we get is ‘How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?‘. Most of the time when you open a new bank account, they won’t do a hard pull on your credit report (data points for that can be found here). Instead they will check your ChexSystems report.

ChexSystems contains information regarding your deposit accounts and is used by around 80% of all financial institutions. It contains information regarding new account openings and also the following red flags:

  • Unsatisfied balances
  • Check overdrafts
  • Depositing fraudulent checks
  • Suspicious account behavior reported by other banks (e.g possible structuring)

Some financial institutions won’t open a new account for you if you’ve opened too many new accounts recently as it can be a sign of possible fraud and they also want to limit people like us chasing bank account bonuses. I thought it’d be useful to have a list of banks & credit unions that are sensitive to too many inquiries and also ones that aren’t. Please add more data points in the comments so we can make this resource page more useful. When sharing your datapoints, let us know if you applied in branch or online. Also keep in mind that these inquiries stay on your report for a maximum of two three years.

Contents

Banks/Credit Unions That Are Inquiry Sensitive

3Rivers Federal Credit Union

Affinity Credit Union

Allied First Bank

Amerant Bank

American Eagle Financial Credit Union

America’s Christian Credit Union

Ameris Bank

Andigo Credit Union

Andrews Federal Credit Union

Banco Popular

Bank of Canton

Bank of Hope

Bank Of The West

Bank OZK

Bask Bank

BBVA

Looks like they have changed their application process and are no longer sensitive.

BECU

Rule seems to be denial if you have 3-6 or more in the last 12 months

Bethpage Credit Union

Blaze Credit Union

Blue Federal Credit Union

Blue Hills

BMT (Bryn Mawr Trust)

Byline Bank

California Credit Union

Cambridge Savings Bank

Capital Bank

Carver Federal Savings Bank

Central Illinois Bank

Century Bank

  • Decline with 7 accounts opened in last 9 months

Charles Schwab

Chartway Federal Credit Union

Cheese

Chesapeake Bank

Christian Community Credit Union

Citadel Bank

Citibank

Citizens Bank

Civista

C&N Bank

Commerce Bank

Community Financial Credit Union

Community First Credit Union Of Florida

Consumers Credit Union

  • Denied with 10 inquiries in the last 12 months (via e-mail 3/20/23)

Credit Human

Credit Union Of Southern California

Credit Union 1

CrossPoint Federal Credit Union

Dedham Savings Bank

Devon Bank

Eastern Bank

Elements Financial

Elevations

Emprise Bank

ETFCU

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union

E*Trade

  • Will decline you if you’ve had more than 10

Farmers & Merchants State Bank

Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union

Farmington

  • Approved, then denied two weeks later due to ‘excessive’ account openings. Total of two accounts had been opened (via e-mail on 07/05/18)

Fidelity (MA, NH)

Fifth Third Bank

First Citizens Bank

First Commonwealth Bank

First Financial Bank

First Home Bank

First Horizon Bank

First Midwest Bank

First National Bank

First Northern Credit Union

First Tech Federal Credit Union

Firsttrust Bank

Florence Bank

Flushing Bank

FNBO

Fremont Bank

Genisys Credit Union

Great River Federal Credit Union

Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Hanscom Federal Credit Union

Hiway Bank

Home Federal Savings Bank

Home Savings Bank

HomeStreet Bank

HomeStreet Bank will often approve you, only to close your account at a later date due to excessive Chex inquiries.

Horizon Bank

Iberia Bank

Independent Bank

Integrity Bank

Intouch Credit Union

Justice Federal Credit Union

Keybank

Keypoint

Lafayette Federal Credit Union

Laurel Road

Level One Bank

Liberty Bank

Marine Bank

Memory Bank

Metro Credit Union

Middlesex Federal Credit Union

Midfirst Bank

Midland States Bank

MVB Bank

Neighborhood Credit Union

Nevada State Bank

  • Declined with 11 in last 12 months: 1

Newtown Savings Bank

Northpointe

NYCB Family Of Banks

Ocean First Bank

OneWest

OnPoint Community Credit Union

Orion Bank

Patelco

People’s United Bank

PerkStreet

  • Will decline you if you’ve had more than 10

Pinnacle Financial Partners

PNC Bank

Popular Bank

Premier America Credit Union

Premier Credit Union

Prestige Community Credit Union

Provident Credit Union

PSECU

RBFCU

Ridgewood

Rockland Trust Bank

SAFE Credit Union

Salem Five Bank

Sandy Spring Bank

SF Fire Credit Union

SkyOne Federal Credit Union

SLFCU

Solvay Bank

Sound Credit Union

Southeast Bank

Southside Bank

Southstate Bank

Spectra Credit Union

Standford Credit Union

State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Of Maryland

S&T Bank

The Bank of Denver

The Bank of Princeton

Thrivent Credit Union

Truliant Federal Credit Union

TruStone Financial

Tyndall Federal Credit Union

University of Michigan Credit Union

UNFCU

Union Bank

Union Community Bank

Union Bank & Trust

This is now called Atlantic Union Bank

Union Savings Bank

Unitus Community Credit Union

Unity One Credit Union

Valley National Bank

Valley Direct

Verity Credit Union

Vio Bank

  • Denied for Chex activity (1, 2, 3)

Washington Trust

Watertown Savings Bank

Wesbanco

Wescom

Westfield Bank (MA)

Westfield Bank (OH)

Wings Financial Credit Union

Wintrust

Yolo Credit Union

Banks/Credit Unions That Aren’t Inquiry Sensitive

Achieva Credit Union

Affinity Federal Credit Union

Alliant

Amalgamated

Ardent Credit Union

Armed Forces Credit Union

Axos Bank

BB&T

Bell Bank

BMO Harris

Capital Bank

Chase

  • Successfully opened with 20+ new accounts on my ChexSystems report

Citizens Bank

City National Bank

Columbia Bank

Comerica Bank

Current

Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU)

Discover

East Boston Savings

Excite Credit Union

FirstBank [TN, GA, AL]

FirstBank [CA, AZ, CO]

First Fidelity Bank

First National Bank of Long Island

First Tennessee

  • No issue with 30+ accounts on my ChexSystems report in last three years

Forcht Bank

  • Approved with 30/50 in the last 12/24 months

Fulton Bank

GTE Financial

Hanmi Bank

HomeTrust

HSBC

Interior Federal Credit Union

Investor Bank

Lakeland Bank

LegacyTexas

Liberty Savings Bank

Lili Bank

Mazuma Credit Union

MECU Credit Union

MSUFCU

Muncipal Credit Union

M&T Bank

My Banking Direct

Northfield Bank

NorthOne Bank

Old National Bank

P1FCU

Pinnacle Bank

Porte Bank

Pyramax

Quorum Federal Credit Union

Republic Bank

Redstone Federal Credit Union

Santander

Service Credit Union

State Bank of India

Sterling Bank & Trust

Sterling National Bank

Stoneham

TBK Bank

TCF Bank

TD Bank

Tech Credit Union

The Police Credit Union

TIAA Direct

UMB Bank

Unify Financial Credit Union

United Community Bank

United States Senate Federal Credit Union

Upgrade

U.S. Bank

Visions Federal Credit Union

Washington Savings Bank

Webster

Wells Fargo

Final Thoughts

I’ll update this page as more data points come in, but these reference articles are only as useful as you make them so make sure you share your data points and then everybody benefits.

View Comments (284)

  • Denied from Flagstar in August 2025 via email:

    "Thank you for submitting a new account application with Flagstar Bank, N.A. We reviewed your application and unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we cannot open your account due to the information received from ChexSystems, Inc., a customer reporting agency. ChexSystems did not make the decision to deny your account application and is unable to provide you with specific reasons why the decision was made."

    I opened 15 new personal bank accounts + 4 brokerage accounts in the past 6 months.

  • 2 online applications to Flagstar denied for chex. Then an in branch application also denied. Banker said they saw 8 hits on chex from accounts in the last 2-3 months I had opened. She said the system would not allow her to move forward, no idea when it would fall off

      • Yes I'm aware but for the sake of their application, they clearly didn't count anything from last year for example. I'd be well above 8.

        • Based on what the banker told you as you described, it looks like they take a closer look at the # of inquiries in the previous 3 (or 1 to 3) months and are sensitive to Chex inquiries in that period.

          I may be wrong, but I think if someone with higher authority (e.g., the branch manager) is willing to override the system (it looks like the banker did not try this), you may still get approved for your in-branch application. But this can be highly YMMV.

  • Opened BMO Harris in branch with 40/6, had to some explaining lol. Still got both personal and business opened.

    • Did you just start your churning career in the past 6 months? If not, I'll need you to explain how you found 40 Chex-pulling offers in the past 6 months.

  • #ChexSystem #question:

    Could it be that the some banks look at your Chex but their check doesnt register? similar to been denied for ink cards when u r at or above 5/24, even when it wont count against a 5/24 status still is taken into consideration...

    Any idea what can be the situation here? I have been trying to open a few accounts, all online, in the last week or so and most of them have been instantly denied, pending and then denied, only one approved instantly (US bank) plus a CD w GTE (current relationship), below more detailed info, any insights please let me know. I just got my Chex report and I can only see two items for 2025, the only 2 that got openned, does this mean the ones which are not open dont show or that means those banks that didnt open my account didn't even check Chex and it was their internal system which denied me? Chex image, look: https://snipboard.io/tgGAuj.jpg

    • SeaCoast bank, las week, personal bank bonuses, Pending: call and said no application found, not to re apply but just wait for a call back, call back never came, call again n I was advised to re apply but no point now cuz the bonus expired, NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AT MY CHEX REPORT. (I have never have been able to open an acc in this bank and I have never gone to a branch either)
    • WellsFargo, las week, both personal and business bank bonuses, INSTANTLY DENIED: GO TO BRANCH, NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AT MY CHEX REPORT.
    • U.S. bank: this week, personal, INSTANTLY APPROVED, @ MY CHEX REPORT, see image above. (I have churn this bank twice but in about 4years, I still have a log in, last churn was over a year ago)
    • GTE CD: this week, I am current member w checking n savings, pending, then manually approved after a call @ MY CHEX REPORT, see image above.
    • (again) WellsFargo, yesterday, both personal and business bank bonuses, INSTANTLY DENIED: GO TO BRANCH, NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AT MY CHEX REPORT.
    • TD bank, yesterday, personal, INSTANTLY DENIED: GO TO BRANCH, NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AT MY CHEX REPORT. (I have never have been able to open an acc in this bank and I have never gone to a branch either)
    • Citizens, yesterday, personal, INSTANTLY DENIED: GO TO BRANCH, NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AT MY CHEX REPORT. (I churned this account open online about a year ago and I closed it about 14months ago, never have been inside a branch)

    Another doubt that I have is, if I applied for a bank account at 5pm and get denied at 5pm or 6pm and I request my Chex system report online at 7pm the denied pull of this bank account should show or I will have to wait a few days/month to show? is it a treal time report?

  • Veridian Credit Union based out of Waterloo, Iowa does NOT pull Chex. I just joined them this morning online and can personally confirm. They soft pull Transunion and have a message at the start of the online application to unfreeze Transunion and state during the application process that it’s only a soft pull. Also, my membership was instantly approved, and I was immediately able to register for online banking which is awesome because that rarely happens with credit unions.

  • Should I wait until an application is fully processed to freeze my Chex, or can I freeze as soon as the inquiry shows on the report?

    • I almost always wait until the app is completely processed and I receive an approval or denial before refreezing Chex. You never know if they will try to pull Chex again for some reason and then possibly deny you for having it frozen.

  • Declined at Lafayette Federal Credit Union. Just opened an account the day before. Otherwise 5/12