Back in March, I decided to open up a checking account at ING Direct. I would have done it sooner, but ING Direct has some weird rule where they won’t allow minors to open a checking account – even when an adult will be on the account too. Now that I’ve been able to use the account for a while, I can give an honest (and unbiased!) review.
The Good
Ease of use is ING Direct’s main priority. Their website is incredibly easy to navigate and you’re never left guessing “How do I do X?”. In the unlikely event you get confused, there’s a handy “Help” button in the top right corner of the screen that will answer any common questions for those new to ING Direct and online banking.
Bill pay is fantastic. If possible, ING will try to pay the business electronically. If it isn’t able to, they will actually mail a paper check for you. For free. Even better, you can directly deposit money into someone else’s checking or savings account. I use this feature every month when my cellphone bill is due. Since I’m on a family plan, I simply transfer over my payment to my dad’s checking account.
A debit card is provided, as is standard with any checking account these days. ING uses MasterCard for their cards and the Allpoint ATM network for free cash withdrawals. Allpoint is a large network, with 37,000 ATMs around the world. You can check if one is near you by checking out Allpoint’s website. Even if you aren’t located near an ATM, you can always receive cash back when you buy something at a store. Just remember to select “Debit” on the PIN pad.
You get interest – on your checking! OK, the rate is minimal (0.25% as of this writing), but it’s better than 0%!
The Bad:
ING Electric Orange Checking does not have check writing privileges. You can go ahead and order checks if you’d like, but ING Direct will not process them. This is a completely electronic account. The only thing you will receive in the mail is a debit card. With all that said, I don’t consider this a con. I love not having to worry about a checkbook. On the rare occasion (it hasn’t happened yet) that I need to write a check, I have an account at my local bank.
You have to be 18. I briefly mentioned this before, but I think it’s an important point. ING Direct won’t allow a joint account to be opened if one of the individuals is under 18. I’m guessing this has something to do with random liability policies, but it’s still annoying. Ironically, kids and teens are the least likely to even need to write a check, but they can’t have an account at a bank that refuses checks. Even more puzzling – ING Direct Orange Savings accounts can be opened with a minor on the account.
If you’d like to sign up for the ING Direct Electric Checking Account, you can use one of the links below. If you use one of the text links, deposit at least $250 and you’ll receive a $25 signup bonus. I’ll receive $10.
*Use only if depositing $250 or more.*
ING Direct Electric Orange Checking
ING Direct Electric Orange Checking
If you can’t deposit that much cash right now, please use this link:
Learn about Electric Orange from ING DIRECT USA. Every dollar earns high interest.
