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2.8

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: December 14th, 2023

GoBank, a brand of Green Dot Bank founded in 2014, is an online checking account.

To open an account, purchase a starter kit for $2.95 at a Walmart store, deposit $20 (the minimum opening deposit), and then follow the instructions in the kit to complete set up. Two other options are to go to GoBank.com or download the mobile app to start your account. The account can be opened on a smartphone or computer, and the starter Mastercard debit card is immediately activated and usable until the permanent card arrives.

It is important to note that GoBank assets are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which means your money is just as safe as it would be in a normal bank.

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Attention: GoBank and GO2bank are separate Green Dot Bank products

In January 2021, Green Dot Bank introduced its new online banking program for consumers with limited access to financial products, GO2bank. Although both GoBank and GO2Bank are similar in name and function, they are not the same product and are meant to serve different consumer audiences.

 

Learn more about GO2bank's products and services

Continue reading for pros and cons of this online bank, as well as GoBank reviews from real customers.

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The Good

Award-Winning Mobile App

To take full advantage of what GoBank has to offer, customers are encouraged to download its mobile app.

Through the app, customers can check their balance, view their transaction history, find free ATMs, deposit checks, send money to other GoBank cards, and receive account alerts.

The app also includes the following helpful, and unique, features:

        • Fortune Teller — An exclusive feature to the GoBank mobile app. After building a budget on the app, Fortune Teller checks against your balance, budget, and a purchase amount to see if your next purchase will fit your budget.
        • Money Vault — If you want to set a certain amount of money aside, you can put it in the Money Vault for safe keeping. You can move money in and out whenever you want to, allowing you to set money aside as needed.

The app is available for both Android and iOS.

Monthly Fee Waiver

GoBank will waive the $8.95 monthly fee for your card account if you have signed up for Direct Deposit and have a monthly payroll or government benefits deposit of at least $500.

Easily Transfer and Receive Funds

Through the GoBank mobile app, you can easily send and receive money in just a matter of minutes.

It is important to note that money can only be transferred from your GoBank card to another GoBank card and vice versa. This makes it easy if many of your friends and family are GoBank customers, but if they are not it may not be an ideal way to send money.

Large ATM Network

Unique for an online banking service, GoBank has a massive free ATM network available for its customers. Through the GoBank app you can easily see the nearest ATMs to you.

Please note that for withdrawals made outside of the GoBank ATM network, you will be charged a $3 fee in addition to any other fees that the ATM owner may charge.

Deposit Cash Nationwide

GoBank makes it easy to deposit cash to your checking account at over 100,000 retail locations nationwide. This cash deposit service will cost you up to $4.95, or $0 at Walmart locations, and the process is simple and easy. At a participating location, you ask the cashier at the register to deposit cash directly to your GoBank card, and those funds should be available in your account within minutes.

It is important to note that this service is not available in the state of Vermont.

Uber Visa Debit Card

Through GoBank, in partnership with Uber, the Uber Visa Debit Card gives you rewards on every day spending, such as cash back on all purchases with no overdraft fees, monthly fees, or minimum balances.

It is important to note that this card provides larger cash back rewards at specific locations such as, Exxon and Mobil, Advance Auto Parts, and Jiffy Lube.

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The Bad

Multiple Fees

GoBank has multiple fees to be aware of:

  • $8.95 monthly fee which can be waived if you meet certain criteria
  • Out-of-network ATM fee of $3 if you withdraw money from an ATM outside of GoBank's network
  • Cash deposit fee up to $4.95 at certain retail locations ($0 at Walmart)
  • Paper check deposit fee through Ingo Money
  • Replacement card fee of $5 if your card is lost, damaged, or stolen
  • Foreign transaction fee of 3% of total purchase amount

Paper Check Deposit Stipulations

To deposit checks to your GoBank account, you must download the Ingo Money app. This may be inconvenient for consumers looking to do all their banking in one app. 

Ingo will generally accept checks from $5 to $5,000, and you are limited to how much you can deposit per day and per month. Your funds should be available to you within minutes, but for a fee. Checks deposited through Ingo require a fee of 2 percent for payroll and government benefit deposits with a pre-printed signature, 5 percent for all other checks, with a $5 minimum fee per check.

Slow Electronic Payments

Electronic payments take two to three days if done before 1 p.m. Otherwise, it will take longer. Also, there is no notification when the payment recipient cashes the check. Cash withdrawals cannot exceed $500 within a 24-hour timeframe.

Missing Card Response

If your GoBank debit card is lost or stolen, it could take up to four weeks to get a replacement. In the meantime, funds cannot be accessed and you may be charged a cancellation fee for the missing card.

Account Closure Process

To officially close your GoBank account, you need to spend or transfer the money in your account down to a $0 balance and then contact GoBank to close it. The $8.95 monthly fee will still be charged until your account is officially closed.

Customer Reviews

Of the more than 370 GoBank reviews, 90 percent of customers gave GoBank a 1-star rating.

Customers regularly complain about GoBank randomly closing accounts for unauthorized reasons, in addition to frequent reports of fraudulent use of GoBank debit cards. Some complaints include misallocated funds, misuse of the card or stolen card numbers, and intended funds that were never completed. This can upset balance transfers and cause banking issues. These problems usually result in a closed account, either closed by GoBank, or the account holder, losing out on future account opening opportunities. 

Even though GoBank advertises that it has 24/7 customer service, customers report that they stop answering the phone after a certain time in the evening. This is super frustrating for customers with questions about instant pay, online purchases, credit scores, points, statement credit, as well as Uber and Lyft questions concerning the Uber Visa Debit Card. Other customers report that customer representatives are insensitive and inflexible to their needs and individual requests, even though those needs and requests fall within the legal guidelines and normal expectations a checking account holder would have.

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The Bottom Line

GoBank can be a dream come true for people on the go who want to avoid working with big, traditional banks.

Those who choose to use GoBank's services can expect limited fees and penalties, online access to funds, and deposit limitations.

It is important to note that you must have a monthly direct deposit in order to qualify. Besides the direct deposit, good luck might be a requirement. Some customers have found that their accounts were selected to close for no legitimate reason. In addition, if you lose your debit card or it is stolen, it could take weeks before another is issued, and your funds cannot be accessed without a card.

View Best Online Banks

For more information, see GoBank reviews below. GoBank consistently receives poor reviews from its customers.

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Star Rating

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1.3

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451 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

5%

4 grade

1%

3 grade

1%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

91%

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KGroomes

They serve it's purpose. I am account holder and use go bank as a 2nd option from my bank card. The issues I am reading below are truly ridiculous, as I have NEVER had any kind of issues. This is another card you can load for free at any Walmart. Most cards such as this charge. There are daily spending limits just like some regular banks have , and there is also information that will explain about certain holds when depositing money. I find that some people complain without reading the fine print. Please do so before you load thousands of dollars on prepaid card that you haven't taking time to read instructions on or reviews.

5 years ago

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Peter Jaeckle La Habra, CA

I have been using GoBank for a long time now. The bank is fine as long nothing extraordinary happens. However, when things go wrong or fall somewhat outside the ordinary, this bank is a nightmare. They cannot direct deposits from a 'foreign' bank despite the fact that the deposit would come from a domestic bank and is a social security payment from Europe. They cannot accept a paper check for deposit. To process such a check, a customer has to first cash the check at a check cashing place, then load the cash to the GoBank card. That costs on average about $ 12.00 per check. Together with the bank charge of $ 8.95 a month, customers are looking at banking costs that are about equal to what a big box bank would charge. Where is the advantage of GoBank? I do no longer see it. Dragging around to deposit a measly $ 200.00 for close to a month now without success. Customer service is lousy. Reps apparently do not read email. Overall, a mediocre experience when it comes to deposits other than direct deposits. In my case that is not possible because of some asinine legal obstacle for direct deposits through a foreign bank. I will have to look for another bank.

6 years ago

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PATRICK DALE Spring, TX

The only problem ihave is with the rewards program. They say i will get 8% back when paying my Sprint bill or in stores. When i started paying Sprint with auto pay on my go bank card i no longer got this. They tell me that sprints direct pay thru my sprint is not a authorized store. Very frustrating. Customer service is a joke. Im glad i found that out before using them for my main account.

5 years ago

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Why Mt. Pleasant, SC

Very pissed I had a transaction that I didn’t purchase and they can’t refund my money back !

4 years ago