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First U.S. – Official Site of Better Than FREE Checking
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First U.S. – Official Site of Better Than FREE Checking

Phone number
none
Category
Money
Auto tags
money
Eligibility
Everyone
Auto Summary
First U.S. offers Better Than FREE Checking, a popular checking account with unlimited check writing, no monthly service charge, no minimum balance, and no direct deposit requirements. Additional benefits include free checks, a 1% cash-back VISA Debit Card, free ATM transactions, an ATM surcharge rebate, and a first NSF fee waiver.
Value
$1
Espanol
# Primer U.S. - Sitio oficial de Mejor Que GRATIS Cuenta de Cheques
URL
https://firstus.org/
Better Than Free Checking is a no-frills checking account from First U.S. Community Credit Union, a not-for-profit credit union based in Sacramento, California.

What it costs

  • $0 to open the account.
  • No minimum balance.
  • No monthly service charge when you sign up for eStatements (paperless). Members 60 and over have the fee waived automatically, paper statements or not.

What you get

  • A free First U.S. Visa debit card.
  • Two ATM surcharge rebates per month — if a non-network ATM charges you a fee, First U.S. refunds it (up to two times a month).
  • Access to 30,000+ CO-OP network ATMs with no surcharge.
  • Online and mobile banking, mobile check deposit, and eStatements.
  • Direct deposit funds available up to 2 days early.
  • 1.00% APY on your first $500 in the account if you set up a recurring direct deposit of $500 or more.

Who can join

You can join First U.S. if any of the following apply:
  • You live, work, or worship in one of 12 Northern California counties: Sacramento, Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, Amador, Yuba, Yolo, Sutter, San Joaquin, Solano, Sierra, or Contra Costa.
  • You are a federal employee anywhere in California.
  • You work for Safeway in Northern California or Northern Nevada.
  • You belong to one of their select employee groups.

How to open the account

  1. Visit firstus.org/accounts/checking or call (800) 556-6768.
  1. Click "Become a Member" and complete the membership application (you'll need ID and a small deposit to open a savings account, which establishes membership).
  1. Open Better Than Free Checking as part of, or after, joining.
  1. Opt in to eStatements during account setup to keep the monthly fee at $0 (or skip this if you're 60+).

Why this is on the resource list

For someone who doesn't keep a big balance and wants a real checking account — paper checks, debit card, direct deposit, no surprise fees — this is one of the more affordable options in the Sacramento region. Big-bank "free checking" accounts often quietly require direct deposit, a minimum balance, or charge for paper statements; this one doesn't.
Source: firstus.org/accounts/checking, retrieved 2026-05-17.