Best Bank to Open a Checking account

[freelancer_babe]

if i open a checking account sa bpi family, can i use my bpi savings account to transfer funds to the checking from bpi family? TIA 

Yes!

Easiest way to transfer funds is through online banking. But you can do it via phone banking (landline) and (I think) mobile banking too. Withdrawing the funds via an ATM, then getting into the BPI Family branch to deposit into your checking account could be quite a hassle, but this can be done. At least you can do this ANY BPI Family branch nationwide, FREE!

[Red Rack 21]

i go for BPI for stability and customer friendly services. imagine you can bank anywhere. deposit and withdraw in any branch. i am not from BPI ha. i am a current/checking account holder lang since 2005.  i also love their ATM deposit  machine okay na okay kapag may hahahabulin kang popondahan na check kasi real time ang credit. pwede ding cardless ang pag deposit. and to share lang of all banks that i've been lahat yata either naging depositor ako or nag encash lang ng check pinakamabilis ang service sa BPI. The most terrible BDO ang bagal ng service hindi pa nag proprovide ng chairs sa client. kawawa mga preggy and senior citizen. well, siguro depende din sa branch ng BDO.

[littlemisschievous]

I would recommend opening a checking account with Bank of Commerce since the maintaining balance is only Php2,000.00 although not earning interest. I think having a checkbook is a necessity especially when having to pay a big amount of money also to mention issuing post dated checks for certain purchases.

[freelancer_babe]

Just spotted:

EastWest Bank offers Basic Checking Account with a maintaining balance requirement of only P1,000: http://www.eastwestbanker.com/info/pb_bc.asp

I don't exactly know how this is different from their Regular Checking Account which comes with a maintaining balance requirement of P5,000. Di nakaindicate kung ano ang catch or restrictions ng Basic Checking nila.

i go for BPI for stability and customer friendly services. imagine you can bank anywhere. deposit and withdraw in any branch. i am not from BPI ha. i am a current/checking account holder lang since 2005.  i also love their ATM deposit  machine okay na okay kapag may hahahabulin kang popondahan na check kasi real time ang credit. pwede ding cardless ang pag deposit. and to share lang of all banks that i've been lahat yata either naging depositor ako or nag encash lang ng check pinakamabilis ang service sa BPI.

True, you've nailed it sis. I own a BPI checking account. Ang dali sa kanila. A very minor annoyance that I have against them is that, I hope they consider redesigning their checks to a modern looking one. And yes, those ATM cash deposit machines are really great - bihira na akong pumasok sa bank to transact with a teller, and I could fund the account even if the bank is closed. And if you deposit a BPI check into your BPI account - it's as good as cash - cleared na agad!

The big disadvantage is that you have to put up with a P10k maintaining balance for regular BPI branches and P5k lang sa BPI Family. But I think that's a good deal already because of their streamlined operations and much better customer service. Kaya ko pinatulan.

I wonder now kung ano pa ang magiging improvements pa ng BPI. Padami nang padami ang conveniences nila. I still have more positive things to say about them (as well as some negative things) but basically, putting up with the high maintaining balance to avail their checking account is all worth it.

[babyboo.0326]

Yes!

Easiest way to transfer funds is through online banking. But you can do it via phone banking (landline) and (I think) mobile banking too. Withdrawing the funds via an ATM, then getting into the BPI Family branch to deposit into your checking account could be quite a hassle, but this can be done. At least you can do this ANY BPI Family branch nationwide, FREE!

Great! I have online banking, phone and mobile banking eh. So hindi pala ako mahihirapan just in case. We need it kasi to pay for the condo we're going to rent.

I currently have yung Citimax checking ng Citystate Bank. Although mura nga sana to open and madali, 1500 lang kasi ang initial and maintaining balance. Interest earning rin siya, downside is ang layo ng bank, though open ang bank kahit Sundays ha in fairness. Kaso kailangan ko pa siyang dayuhin, and the bank opens at 10am pa. 

[det060403]

I have a checking account sa PSBank din. Mababa lang kasi yung maintaining nila compared sa iba (sa pagkakaalam ko) Ang baba nga lang ng interest! hay!

[gurlygirltoo]

I've been a ChinaBank client since 2002 and very much satisfied with their service. Min. maintaining balance is just 5k and if you have 20k in your account, it earns interest (0.125% PA). Plus it's very convenient to transfer funds or pay bills since you can do it online. Marami na ring ChinaBank in the city, lahat ng SM malls may ChinaBank din (I heard Mr. Henry Sy of SM is part owner of the bank; so it's a stable bank din). 

[mhy_pie03]

BPI Family since mas maraming branches + easy to do transactions via expressonline.

[freelancer_babe]

magkano ang kaltas sa deposit ko if i don't meet the monthly 10k maintaining balance ng BPI?

The service charge costs P300, if you fall below minimum balance. It's pretty much the same rate na rin with other leading banks on their savings/checking accounts if you also don't meet their minimum balance requirement.

[crazybeautiful_]

Hi! Need help sana whr I can open an account the quickest and easiest. I need it for my rental kase. Yun lang talaga sole purpose nya. Hope you guys can help!

[babyboo.0326]

you can try citystate savings bank, 1500 lang to open.

or you can also try yung bagong basic checking ng eastwest, 1k lang to open 

[beachpatrol]

Any feedback on PNB's budget checking account? 2,500php maintaining balance but limited to 3 issuances only per month.

[freelancer_babe]

Any feedback on PNB's budget checking account? 2,500php maintaining balance but limited to 3 issuances only per month.

Para sa akin, di na sulit yan, unless you want to use PNB kasi meron ka nang existing na ibang accounts doon - so it'll be easy for you to transfer funds, probably via online banking.

If you look at the previous posts of this thread, may mga mas mababa pa ang maintaining balance requirement without that restriction. Kaya ko nasabi na hindi sulit yan.

[crazybeautiful_]

I'm back from bank searching

I went to EastWest Bank - they require na mag CI pa, it would take 1-3 business days daw. So nevermind.

Sa Maybank I went din since my ninang banks with them. Since may parang "backer" I can easily open a checking account na yung 2k initial and maintaining. Unli checks per month pero if you encash otc, may p20 charge

[Len0523]

Just opened a checking account last week at PSBank. They entertained me very well naman.
I gave them my IDS and I filled up the form to open the account, but I did not inform them yet magkanu yun deposit ko. Since wala rin akong savings account sa kanila, thankful pa rin kase hindi naging hassle. Pero naghintay pa ako kase naman, dalawa lang sila sa "NEW ACCOUNT" yun isa daw nagllunch pa. So yun mega hintay ako. Premium checking ang inopen ko since kung yun regular checking lang, walang interest even mareach nya 25k na minimum maintaning balance ng premium checking. And based on experience naman, parang di issue kung may savings account sa kanila o wala.

[mxherr5]

^
It must have been you lucky day. 

@crazybeautiful, that the same thing I had to go thru
when I opened a checking account in the now defunct
banco filipino. Nagulat ako na may CI pa haha

[Len0523]

Baka yun CI is for those who don't have an savings account pa. Pero siguro kung meron naman existing account and proven na yun capacity to pay mo approved na siguro agad yun. Hhe

[mxherr5]

Nope, I have a savings account and a six figure
TD account with them for a more than 2 years
before I opened a checking account with them.

On a related note, when they closed down
I opened a checking account with Bank of Commerce
and they ofcourse cited the 6 month savings account
rule.

But it eventually worked out. Lol
I just asked what was the rationale behind the rule
and the manager said it was to gauge my financial
responsibility. I just countered that I already had
a checking account and then she just kinda smiled
and gave me the ok 

[Red Rack 21]

The service charge costs P300, if you fall below minimum balance. It's pretty much the same rate na rin with other leading banks on their savings/checking accounts if you also don't meet their minimum balance requirement.

i don't see any charges even if i go below 10k. i don't know why... maybe because my hubby's monthly remittance directly goes to our current acct. they do charge us kapag matagal ng walang remittance pumapasok sa bank kasi wala pang new project si hubby.

[freelancer_babe]

i don't see any charges even if i go below 10k. i don't know why... maybe because my hubby's monthly remittance directly goes to our current acct.

Kung one month lang bumaba below 10k, they won't charge on that month.

The charge happens on the following month (2nd month) IF the maintaining balance is still below 10k.

Baka ganun ang nangyari sa account mo. You went down below 10k on the first month, tapos above 10k on the 2nd kaya wala kang nakitang charge. I don't think the remittance has something to do with it, kasi remittance ko rin napoppondohan ang BPI account ko.