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Direct answer: Second chance checking is a checking account for people turned down because of their banking history, usually a ChexSystems or Early Warning report. Get your free reports, dispute errors and settle old bank balances, then apply for a no-overdraft account. Bank On certified accounts charge no overdraft fees.
By the numbers: ChexSystems' current practice is to keep reported information for five years from the report date, unless the bank that reported it asks for removal. Source: ChexSystems FAQ, read Oct. 22, 2026
“Many banks and credit unions offer checking accounts and prepaid cards that are designed to reduce risks for both you and financial institutions by preventing overdraft and overdraft fees.” — CFPB, Why was I denied a checking account?
Updated 2026-10-22
A checking account for people who can't open a standard account because of past banking history, such as an unpaid overdraft that led the bank to close the account. These accounts usually block overdrafts, so the bank takes less risk. The CFPB says you may qualify for one even if you were recently denied another account.
Request it online through the ChexSystems Consumer Portal, by phone at 800-428-9623, or by mail to Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Consumer Relations, PO Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458. Federal law (15 U.S.C. 1681j) gives you a free copy every 12 months, plus one within 60 days of being denied based on it.
ChexSystems says its current practice is five years from the report date, unless the bank that reported it asks for removal. The Fair Credit Reporting Act's outer limit for most negative items is seven years. Paying the balance doesn't delete an accurate record; the bank updates it to paid or settled.
Not by itself. ChexSystems says the bank isn't required to remove an accurate report, but must update it to show paid in full or settled. That can still help: the CFPB notes some banks require you to pay old unpaid charges before they will open an account. Get a paid-in-full letter.
File a dispute with ChexSystems (online, by phone or by mail) and also with the bank that reported it. Reinvestigations are usually done within 30 days (21 days in Maine), and can run up to 15 more days if you send new documents. Include proof such as statements or a paid-in-full letter.
An account the CFE Fund certified as meeting its Bank On National Account Standards: no overdraft or NSF fees, $25 or less to open, and a low monthly fee ($5 or less, or up to $10 if easy to waive, under the 2025-2026 standards; $5 or less under 2027-2028). Screening only for actual past fraud is recommended, not required.
No. Both are checking account reporting companies, and a bank may use either one, or your credit report. Early Warning is owned by seven large banks. You can get a free Early Warning file disclosure by mail, fax or its secure upload portal, and dispute errors the same way as with ChexSystems.
As of Oct. 22, 2026
Sources: CFPB: denied a checking account · CFPB: checking account reports · 15 U.S.C. 1681j · ChexSystems FAQ · ChexSystems dispute · Bank On Standards 2025-2026.
The CFPB says negative checking history usually comes from:
Banks report this to checking account reporting companies such as Chex Systems and Early Warning Services. ChexSystems says it “neither approves nor declines” accounts: each bank sets its own rules, and some also pull your regular credit report. A ChexSystems file can include forcibly closed checking or savings accounts, returned checks reported to Certegy, inquiries and check orders.
Sources: CFPB: denied a checking account · ChexSystems FAQ.
| Company | How to request | Dispute | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChexSystems (FIS) | Consumer Portal online; phone 800-428-9623 (representatives 8 a.m.-7 p.m. CT, Mon-Fri); or mail the request form to Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Consumer Relations, PO Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458. Free. You must be 18 or older. | Online, phone or mail. Usually done within 30 days (21 for Maine residents); up to 15 more days if you send new documents during the review. If that doesn't resolve it, you may be able to add a statement of up to 100 words. | ChexSystems free report · ChexSystems dispute · ChexSystems FAQ |
| Early Warning Services | Print and sign the consumer identification form, add a copy of a driver's license, ID card or passport, and send it by mail (Early Warning, Attn: Consumer Services, 5801 N Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250), fax (480-656-6850) or its secure upload portal. No fee. Deposit Score: 1-800-745-1560. | Through its dispute page. Early Warning says it never charges to disclose your file, reinvestigate or remove inaccurate information. | Early Warning · Early Warning: request |
Other checking account reporting companies the CFPB lists: Certegy Payment Solutions, TeleCheck Services, CrossCheck and Global Payment Check Services. If a bank turned you down, its adverse action notice names the company it used. You have 60 days from that notice to get that company's report free (15 U.S.C. 1681j(b)); by law the company must finish a dispute within 30 days, extendable by up to 15 (1681i). Sources: CFPB: checking account reports · 15 U.S.C. 1681j · 15 U.S.C. 1681i.
Enter the date the closed account was reported (your free report shows it). Works in your browser; nothing is sent.
EXAMPLE The date filled in (June 10, 2023) is only an example. Five years later is June 10, 2028; seven is June 10, 2030. ChexSystems' FAQ says five years from the report date (and, in another answer, from the date of closure), unless the bank asks to remove it sooner. Sources: ChexSystems FAQ · 15 U.S.C. 1681c · CFPB: denied a checking account.
The Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund certifies low-cost accounts against its Bank On National Account Standards. These are the core features every certified account must meet:
| Feature | 2025-2026 Standards (current) | 2027-2028 Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Money to open | $25 or less | $25 or less |
| Monthly fee | $5 or less, or up to $10 if you can waive it entirely with a single transaction (at least two ways, like direct deposit or a debit card purchase) | $5 or less |
| Overdraft and NSF (bounced payment) fees | None | None |
| Activation, closure, dormancy, inactivity and low-balance fees | None | None |
| Out-of-network ATM fee | $2.50 or less (up to $3.00 with a free partner ATM network) | Same |
| Deposits | Free cash and check deposits in branch and at the bank's ATMs; free direct deposit | Same |
| Bill pay | Free if the bank has it, otherwise at least four free money orders or cashier's checks a month | Same |
| Statements | Free electronic; $2 or less for paper | Same |
| Deposit insurance | FDIC, NCUSIF (credit unions) or regulator-sanctioned equivalent | Same |
Approval isn't guaranteed. Screening applicants through ChexSystems or Early Warning only for past actual fraud is a “strongly recommended” feature, not a required one, so a certified bank can still turn you down. The CFE Fund says the current Standards go through 2026 and it will recertify accounts toward the end of 2026. Sources: Bank On Standards 2025-2026 · Bank On Standards 2027-2028 · Bank On certification FAQ.
EXAMPLES Not recommendations, and not every bank in your area. Search your state on the Bank On list for all of them, including credit unions.
Sources: Bank On certified list · Wells Fargo Clear Access · Capital One 360 Checking.
Related: My bank closed my account · Credit report disputes · Get a bank fee refunded · Open an account without an SSN · Banking hub. Sources: CFPB: denied a checking account · ChexSystems dispute.
Facts, not legal advice. We summarize what the CFPB, federal law, the reporting companies and the CFE Fund publish, with dates. Each bank decides who it accepts.
A checking account for people who can't open a standard account because of past banking history, such as an unpaid overdraft that led the bank to close the account. These accounts usually block overdrafts, so the bank takes less risk. The CFPB says you may qualify for one even if you were recently denied another account.
Request it online through the ChexSystems Consumer Portal, by phone at 800-428-9623, or by mail to Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Consumer Relations, PO Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458. Federal law (15 U.S.C. 1681j) gives you a free copy every 12 months, plus one within 60 days of being denied based on it.
ChexSystems says its current practice is five years from the report date, unless the bank that reported it asks for removal. The Fair Credit Reporting Act's outer limit for most negative items is seven years. Paying the balance doesn't delete an accurate record; the bank updates it to paid or settled.
Not by itself. ChexSystems says the bank isn't required to remove an accurate report, but must update it to show paid in full or settled. That can still help: the CFPB notes some banks require you to pay old unpaid charges before they will open an account. Get a paid-in-full letter.
File a dispute with ChexSystems (online, by phone or by mail) and also with the bank that reported it. Reinvestigations are usually done within 30 days (21 days in Maine), and can run up to 15 more days if you send new documents. Include proof such as statements or a paid-in-full letter.
An account the CFE Fund certified as meeting its Bank On National Account Standards: no overdraft or NSF fees, $25 or less to open, and a low monthly fee ($5 or less, or up to $10 if easy to waive, under the 2025-2026 standards; $5 or less under 2027-2028). Screening only for actual past fraud is recommended, not required.
No. Both are checking account reporting companies, and a bank may use either one, or your credit report. Early Warning is owned by seven large banks. You can get a free Early Warning file disclosure by mail, fax or its secure upload portal, and dispute errors the same way as with ChexSystems.
Facts and math only, not financial or legal advice. Fees, rates and rules come from providers' own pages and federal rules with dates; confirm terms with your bank, card issuer or transfer provider before acting.