What do you need in order to open a checking account? Checking accounts are something that a lot of people have, and they are very easy to get. A checking account offers some flexibility in how you pay your bills if you aren’t big into paying your bills on the Internet. While checks have been replaced with debit cards in most situations, a checking account is still something good to have.
The first thing you are going to need to open a checking account is to open an account with the bank. This means that you will have to spend some time filling out forms and proving that you are who you claim to be. Be ready to show up with the appropriate ID which usually is just a drivers license or some other proof of identity.
Some banks don’t really care how much you have in your account, but some might have a minimum deposit. A good idea is to have at least 50 dollars that you can throw into the account to get it going. If you are lucky, you might even get money for opening an account with a certain bank. This is free money that you shouldn’t pass up.
As long as you have proper ID and a minimum starting balance, you should be all set to go with your new account. If you have an old account with the same bank, they may go ahead and link your checking and savings accounts to one card. This can be annoying at first, but it is really a lot easier once you get used to having one new card.
Once everything is set up, you are good to go with your new account. You should be able to use your new account as soon as it is opened, and the subsequent debit card should be good to go as soon as you get it. It might take a few days to mail a new card, but you might be able to use your old card until the new one is activated.
That is how you set up a checking account. Remember your ID, have some cash to set up the account and be willing to wait a couple of days for a debit card to go along with your checking account. Now you should be able to pay bills online as well as with paper checks and you don’t have to rely on all cash for your payments.