What is a checking account and what comes with it?

Updated March 25, 2024  |   Published February 23, 2023

Categories:  
• Banking
• Webster First

A checking account is the most flexible and least restrictive bank account you will have. It will often be the center of your financial life. It can be the account that your paycheck goes into via direct deposit and the account that bills and essential purchases come out of.

At Webster First Federal Credit Union, our First Advantage Checking account has $0 in monthly maintenance fees with many additional perks. For young adults ages 15 – 22, our Jump Start Checking account is also free with the same flexibility and convenient features. So what are the perks that you can get when you open a checking account at Webster First?

 

Debit card

Your debit card is the piece of plastic that allows you to make a point of sale purchase and have the money withdrawn from your account immediately. It’s also what you can use to place orders at online stores. It’s like cash, but safer. If your card is lost or stolen, we will immediately turn it off and have a new one made for you. And if someone did use it before it could be turned off, we can reverse the charges as a part of Mastercard’s Zero Liability Protection† (which you’ll read about later) so you don’t suffer any monetary loss.

 

Access to nearly 30,000 ATMs

Webster First is part of the SUM and CO-OP networks, and our debit cards can be used at any in-network ATM. This means you have the freedom to make no-fee withdrawals from nearly 30,000 ATMs nationwide. To find a Webster First, SUM, or CO-OP ATM near you, view our ATM locator.

 

Earn cash back rewards

Earn cash back‡ on qualified debit card purchases with our free program. In online banking, look for the “Purchase Rewards” tile on the homepage after you log in. Click the “Earn Cash Back Now” button and follow the prompts. In mobile banking, you’ll find Cash Back Rewards when you tap the “More” menu (indicated by three dots). Click on “Cash Back Rewards” and follow the prompts.

Once you’ve enrolled, simply tap the rewards you want to activate and make purchases with your card.

 

Checks

Just as the name implies, a checking account enables you to write checks off of it. While you wait for your first book of checks to be delivered in the mail, you can have a sheet of temporary checks printed at any of our branches so you can start writing them right away.

 

Earn dividends

At the end of each month, you’ll earn dividends on all checking account balances over $5. See our rate sheet for more info on what you could earn.

 

Mobile wallet

Add your debit card to Apple Pay®, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay for convenience and speed at checkout. Just hold your phone near the card reader to pay. This way of paying provides additional security at checkout by avoiding any potential skimming devices that criminals use to steal card information. A unique code is created by your mobile wallet each time you pay online, which can only be used once. So even if the code ended up in the hands of a criminal, it would be useless to them.

 

Complimentary fraud monitoring and Zero Liability Protection†

All of our checking accounts come with complimentary fraud monitoring. If a potentially fraudulent transaction is detected, our Card Alert Notification Program will notify you via text message right away. Because our debit cards are backed by Mastercard®, you have Zero Liability Protection† in the case of an unauthorized transaction. This applies to transactions made in store, online, over the phone, via a mobile device, and at ATMs.

For additional security, you can enroll in Mastercard’s ID Theft Protection™ program at no additional charge. This program notifies you if your or a family member’s identity is compromised, so you can rest easy knowing that your banking and personal information is protected.

 

Online and mobile banking

All of our members with checking and savings accounts have the ability to enroll in online and mobile banking for 24/7 account access. You can check your balances, make immediate transfers from one internal account to another, and schedule bill pay transfers to external accounts.

Banking online allows you to enroll in eStatements to cut back on paper. Looking for an exact transaction while sifting through piles of paper statements could take hours of your time. Online banking makes it easy to search for specific transactions by typing in keywords or transaction amounts. It also comes with free budgeting tools to help you keep track of spending and manage debt.

With our mobile app, you can make transfers while you’re on the go to avoid embarrassment at the checkout line. You can also use your phone to take photos of checks and deposit them to your account electronically. Regular funds availability rules apply.

 

Telephone banking

Some prefer to do their banking over a voice call or text message. With our checking accounts, you can do that too. In fact, you can do this with any of our accounts. Audio Response is available 24/7 with no fees to check balances and make transfers. To access Audio Response, dial (888) 459-3328.

With text message banking you can view balances and review your most recent transactions by texting commands to 454545. Click here to view the list of accepted commands at the bottom of our mobile banking page.

 

Ready to open your account?

Opening an account at Webster First is easy. Become a member today!