Rewards Checking Plus accounts are an easy way to upgrade your checking account experience. You’ll get an online checking account with no monthly fees and a debit card with rewards.
Add a Performance Savings account* and earn a 4.02% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) with an Active Account and at least $1,000 in monthly direct deposits, or 1.50% APY.1 There are no minimum balance requirements, no monthly fees, and transfers between accounts.2
You can maximize your rewards with an Active Account with at least $1,000 in monthly direct deposits.3 When you use your Upgrade Visa® Debit Card for purchases, you can earn up to 2% cash back on common everyday expenses (maximum of $500 in 2% rewards per calendar year) and unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible debit card purchases, including on common everyday expenses after the $500 maximum with direct deposit.4 And as an added bonus, Rewards Checking Plus customers can receive discounts on new personal loans and cards through Upgrade!5
Customers who set up direct deposit can get paid up to two days early to pay bills, go shopping, or have a night out! In order to take advantage and access your funds up to 2 days early, you must:
- Open a deposit account through Upgrade (Rewards Checking, Everyday Savings, Premier Savings)
- Set up direct deposit into your account, and
- Receive less than $5,000 per direct deposit into your deposit account
Access your paycheck sooner and start using your debit card with rewards!
Upgrade cannot guarantee that you will receive your direct deposit early. The timeframe for you to receive your direct deposit is entirely dependent on when your employer initiates the payroll payment. Cross River Bank will make the funds available in your account when the ACH file is received, which can be up to 2 days prior to the deposit date.
Important Information About Procedures for Opening a New Account
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.
*Checking accounts are insured up to $250,000 in FDIC insurance through Cross River Bank. Deposits to Performance Savings and/or Secured OneCard Savings Accounts are eligible for FDIC and/or NCUA deposit insurance up to $250,000 through Cross River Bank, Member FDIC and Participating Institutions. Learn more about the Custodial Program and Participating Institutions for Performance Savings or Secured OneCard Savings Account. Cross River Bank may place some or all of the funds held in your savings account(s) into an account at one or more other Participating Institutions. Each Participating Institution is either (1) a FDIC-insured depository institution that only covers the failure of insured banks, or (2) a credit union that is eligible for insurance through the NCUA Share Insurance Fund if the credit union fails. Funds are insured up to $250,000 per ownership category and per institution. Certain conditions must be satisfied for FDIC deposit insurance coverage to apply to any funds held at a FDIC-insured depository institution. Upgrade is not a bank and is not FDIC insured. You are responsible for monitoring where your deposits are held (available in your Upgrade dashboard) to determine the extent of FDIC and/ or NCUA insurance coverage available to you.
1 Performance Savings accounts that meet the Active Accounts requirements qualify for 4.02% APY with monthly direct deposits of at least $1000. The APY for Active Accounts is effective as of March 24, 2025, is variable, and may change at any time. Otherwise, the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for the Performance Savings account is 1.5% and is effective as of June 1, 2023. The APY for the Performance Savings account is variable and may change at any time. Please refer to the applicable Cross River Bank Performance Savings Deposit Account Agreement and Truth in Savings Disclosure.
2 Performance Savings account is only available to current customers with a Rewards Checking Plus account through Upgrade. Funds withdrawals are subject to threshold limits. For example, you may be limited from withdrawing funds to external bank accounts, and may only withdraw to the source account that they were deposited from, for 60 days after the original transfer date of those funds. See the applicable Savings Deposit Account Agreement and Truth in Savings Disclosure for additional information.
To earn APY, you must open and fund a Performance Savings account. Rewards Checking Plus accounts do not earn APY.
3 Active Accounts with a monthly direct deposit of at least $1,000 are eligible for additional benefits on Rewards Checking Plus such as additional cash back rewards and more. See the Active Account page for more information.
4 Rewards Checking Plus customers who set up monthly direct deposits of $1,000 or more earn 2% cash back on common everyday expenses at convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants and bars - including deliveries - and gas stations, as well as recurring payments on utilities and monthly subscriptions including phone, cable, TV and other streaming services, and 1% cash back on all other debit card purchases. 2% cash back is limited to $500 in rewards per calendar year; after $500, customers earn 1% cash back on all eligible debit card purchases for the remainder of the year. Rewards Checking Plus accounts with less than $1,000 in monthly direct deposits 60 days after account opening will earn 1% cash back on common everyday expenses and 0.50% cash back on all other eligible debit card purchases. Some limitations apply. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade Visa® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information.
5 The interest rate on a new loan or credit line through Upgrade may be lower than would otherwise be applicable without this discount, as long as you have an active Rewards Checking Plus account as described here. Other terms and conditions may apply. Please refer to the applicable Truth-in-Lending Disclosure and Loan Agreement.