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Ardent Free Checking

Monthly rewards worth bragging about

Our CK350 bonus offer has expired, but there are still plenty of reasons to open a checking account with Ardent. You can qualify for the rewards below just by using your account each month:

  • Receive up to $25 in ATM surcharge fee refunds with Cashback or High-Yield Checking
  • Get 1.50% cash back on debit card purchases (up to $10) with Cashback Checking
  • Earn 1.50% Annual Percentage Yield on balances up to $25,000 with High-Yield Checking

Oh, and all our checking accounts are totally free – but we didn’t stop there. Unlike our competitors, we threw in a slew of premium features at no extra cost, including:

  • No ATM fees from Ardent
  • eBanking with Bill Pay, online and mobile banking
  • Mobile app with card control and security alerts
  • Free initial order of checks
  • And more

Can your bank do all of that?


Questions about free checking?

Provide your contact information and an Ardent team member will reach out.

Which Checking Account is Right for You?

Pick the account that matches your banking habits and open yours online or at any Ardent location. 

Checking

Rates effective starting: March 29, 2024

Features High-Yield Checking1 Cashback Checking1 Basic Checking
Best for member wanting higher interest paid on balances cash rewards for card usage simple account that pays interest
Monthly Service Charge $0 $0 $0
Minimum Daily Balance $0 $0 $0
Interest Rate earn up to 1.50% APY (on balances up to $25,000); 0.10% APY (on balances in excess of $25,000) No 0.01% APY
Cash Back $0 1.50% of debit card purchase amount (earn up to $10 per month) $0
ATM Fee Refund up to $25 monthly up to $25 monthly $0
Requirements to Earn Rewards and ATM Refunds Requires direct deposit, 8 debit card purchases and eStatements during calendar month Requires direct deposit, 8 debit card purchases and eStatements during calendar month N/A
ATM Withdrawal Fee No fee from Ardent No fee from Ardent No fee from Ardent
Checks Free initial order Free initial order Free initial order
Debit Card FREE with:
  • Access to nationwide-network surcharge-free ATMs
FREE with:
  • Access to nationwide-network surcharge-free ATMs
FREE with:
  • Access to nationwide-network surcharge-free ATMs
Other Features
  • Transact at 5,000+ branches in shared network nationwide
  • Account-switching concierge service
  • eBanking with Bill Pay, Mobile Banking and Remote Deposit
  • Incoming electronic transfers from external accounts
  • 24-months of eStatements
  • Member-to-Member Transfers
  • Transact at 5,000+ branches in shared network nationwide
  • Account-switching concierge service
  • eBanking with Bill Pay, Mobile Banking and Remote Deposit
  • Incoming electronic transfers from external accounts
  • 24-months of eStatements
  • Member-to-Member Transfers
  • Transact at 5,000+ branches in shared network nationwide
  • Account-switching concierge service
  • eBanking with Bill Pay, Mobile Banking and Remote Deposit
  • Incoming electronic transfers from external accounts
  • 24-months of eStatements
  • Member-to-Member Transfers

1APY=Annual Percentage Yield. Rate and APY may change after account is opened. To earn the reward (higher APY or cash back) and ATM surcharge refunds, make 8 debit card purchases, get one direct deposit and/or other electronic deposit and receive eStatements monthly. Debit card purchases must post and settle to your checking account during the calendar month. ATM-processed transactions do not count towards qualifying debit card purchases. The deposit must post to the account during the calendar month. Electronic transfers between accounts do not count as a direct deposit. Transactions may take one or more banking days from the date transaction was made to post and settle to your account. If all three qualifications are met during the calendar month, domestic ATM fees up to $4.99 per single transaction charged by ATM owner incurred during the month will be reimbursed up to $25.00. For High-Yield Checking, the first $25,000 of the account balance earns 1.50% APY and balances over $25,000 earn 0.10% APY. Non-qualifying accounts earn 0.01% APY on balances. The High-Yield APY is based on compounding interest monthly. For Cashback Checking, 1.50% of debit card purchases up to $10 during the calendar month will be credited to your account at the start of the next month.  Membership qualifications apply. No more than one checking account of each type per member. Member must maintain their $5 membership savings account to be eligible for checking accounts. For more details, visit ardentcu.org or call us at 800.806.9465.

To earn rewards (cash back, boosted interest or ATM refunds), make 8 debit card purchases, get one direct deposit and/or other electronic deposit and receive eStatements monthly. Debit card purchases must post and settle to your checking account during the calendar month. ATM-processed transactions do not count towards qualifying debit card purchases. The deposit must post to the account during the calendar month. Electronic transfers between accounts do not count as a direct deposit. If all three qualifications are met during the calendar month, domestic ATM fees up to $4.99 per single transaction charged by ATM owner incurred during the month will be reimbursed up to $25 and the reward of either 1.50% of debit card purchases up to $10 (Cashback Checking) or 1.50% APY on balances up to $25,000 (High-Yield Checking) will be credited to your account. Transactions may take one or more banking days from the date transaction was made to post and settle to your account. Membership qualifications apply. No more than one checking account of each type per member. Member must maintain their $5 membership savings account to be eligible for checking accounts. For more details, visit ardentcu.org or call us at 800.806.9465.

Offer valid through March 31, 2023. However, this offer may end at any time. Valid on Cashback Checking or High-Yield Checking accounts. New checking accountholders only. A checking accountholder is considered new if they have not been primary or secondary owner on an Ardent checking account in the last 12 months. Must meet membership eligibility of living, working, worshipping, volunteering or attending school in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery or Philadelphia Counties. The Promotion Code (CK350) must be entered at new account opening to be eligible for this offer and cannot later be added to an account. Ardent Credit Union reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion that an account is ineligible for the promotion because the activity on the account was limited to only the actions needed to qualify for the bonus and is not consistent with regular and repeated use as described above. A qualifying account must be funded, remain open and in good standing to receive the bonus. Bonus will be deposited into the checking account between 95 and 120 days after account opening. 

Bonus amount based on completion of three actions is as follows: make at least 8 qualifying debit card purchases ($100 bonus), two or more qualifying direct deposits ($200 bonus) and enroll in eStatements ($50 bonus). To earn $350, all three actions must be completed within 90 days of account opening. Transactions (debit card purchases and direct deposits) must settle to your account within 90 days. To be eligible for the bonus, regular deposit and transaction activity consistent with normal day-to-day spending patterns must be evident throughout the 90-day qualifying period.  

A qualifying regularly recurring direct deposit is an automated electronic deposit of $250 or more that occurs at least twice during the first 90 days the account is open, such as a payroll deposit. An example of a direct deposit which would not qualify would be a person-to-person transfer or an internet service transfer.  

Qualifying debit card transactions are ones that reflect a wide range of dollar amounts and occur as part of the cardholder’s day-to-day activities. An example of debit card transactions which do not qualify would be card transactions conducted within a condensed time frame.  

The accountholder must make 8 debit card purchases, receive a direct deposit and get eStatements during a calendar month to earn up to $25 in ATM surcharge-fee refunds, plus either cash back (Cashback Checking) or higher interest rate (High-Yield Checking). Transactions (debit card purchases and direct deposits) must settle to your account within the calendar month.  

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