Best Online Digital Saving Accounts

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Savings accounts are the next-generation upgrade for all our banking needs. Having a digital savings account allows you to access, manage, and transact with your accounts from the comfort of your home, which is becoming more and more important in our increasingly digital world.

But what are the best digital savings accounts? In this guide, we talk about the top digital savings accounts that offer many features and benefits to help you reach your financial goals.

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What is a Digital Savings Account?

A digital savings account allows you to access your money anywhere, anytime through an electronic deposit of your money. You can use a digital savings account safely and securely. It helps to keep track of your expenses online and can be automated to pay your bills with the click or tap of a button.

👍 Pros

Earn higher interest. Sitting idle never pays off. Savings accounts are no different. In this way, your money earns interest instead of just sitting in your digital savings account.

Early access to your funds. Having access to your funds early is a great alternative to waking up early and going to the bank. Who doesn't like to sleep in a little longer? You can access your funds anytime, anywhere through a digital savings account.

Safe and secure: With a digital savings account, your account balance is securely stored on a secure server.

Track your expenses: With a digital savings account, you can keep track of all your expenses over time.

Pay your bills. Taking the position "bills are piling up" is no longer necessary. When your bills are due, you can set up your digital savings bank account to pay them right away.

Start investing. Do you want to open a fixed deposit or invest in mutual funds? Digital savings accounts let you do all of these things and more.

👎 Cons

No personal relationships: In general, traditional banks with branches on the high street offer more personalized service, which can be an advantage if you need additional banking services, such as mortgages or loans. Additionally, if your circumstances change and you need to adjust your account terms, a bank manager usually has some discretion.

Less account variety. Brick-and-mortar banks offer a wide selection of checking and savings accounts, as well as CDs, money market accounts, loans, and sometimes investment services. With all your money managed in one place, it is easy to keep track of your finances. It's not quite as easy to find a wide variety of options with digital banks.

Can be difficult to deposit cash. With a physical bank, you can walk in and deposit cash, and it will be reflected in your account minutes later. The process isn't as simple with online banks.

List of the Best UK Digital Banks

When choosing the best digital banks in the UK, we took into account a wide range of parameters, such as lending and deposit rates, investment opportunities, commissions, regulation in the UK, and more.

Bank Percentage rate Minimum Deposit Account fee

Revolut Savings Vault

Up to 0.07% APY

$0

None

Open an Account

Quontic Bank High Yield Savings

1.85% APY

$100

None

Open an Account

SoFi Bank

Up to 2.00%

$0

None

Varo Savings Account

Starting at 1.20% APY

$0

None

Axos Bank High Yield Savings

0.61% APY

$0

None

CIT Bank

Starts at 0.30% APY

$100

None

Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield Online Savings Account

1.70% APY

$0

None

Best Digital Saving Accounts

Revolut Savings Vault

Open an Account
Your capital is at risk.
Via Revolut's secure website.

When you open a Revolut account, you’ll gain access to their Savings Vault, a type of savings account. You may be interested in the Savings Vault if you want to earn interest. It should be noted, however, that there are some online banks that offer higher interest rates.

Spending on a linked prepaid card equal to or greater than the balance in your savings vaults each month will earn you interest on your Savings Vault account. However, a traditional high-rate savings account may be a better option if you don’t spend enough to maximize the savings bonus.

The Revolut Savings Vault offers customers more than competitive interest rates. It also offers real flexibility, no minimum deposit amount, withdrawals at any time, and daily interest payments. The FSCS also protects customers' savings up to £85,000 per account.

By rounding up card payments to the nearest whole number, this product makes it easier for Revolut users to grow their savings. You can also make one-time deposits or recurring deposits and track how far you are towards your savings goal.

👍 Pros

Earn 0.05% on Savings Vault

No monthly fee for Standard subscription plan.

👎 Cons

Must meet spending requirements to earn bonus rate.

Charges fees for ATM withdrawals that exceed $300 a month

Quontic Bank High Yield Savings

Quontic offers consumers two types of savings accounts: high-yield savings accounts and CDs.

There is an interest rate of 1.85% APY on Quontic's High Yield Savings account, which is 18 times the national average rate on savings. There are very few savings accounts that offer such competitive returns as this one.

A minimum deposit of $100 is required to open an account. Over 90,000 surcharge-free ATMs are available to customers, and there are no monthly fees. The interest is compounded daily and credited monthly.

There are five terms of CDs offered by Quontic, ranging from six months to five years. The minimum deposit for opening a CD is $500.

👍 Pros

Get a competitive APY on savings deposits

Manage your Quontic Bank account easily with the Quontic Bank mobile app

No monthly fees or hidden charges

👎 Cons

Access to branch banking is limited

There are other online banks that offer higher APYs for high-yield savings accounts

SoFi

SoFi Bank is yet another digital-only bank that offers its customers a high-yield savings account. In SoFi's savings account, you can designate different subaccounts for different savings goals. These are called Vaults. The Vaults allow customers to earn 2.00% APY not just on the first $50,000 in their checking and savings accounts, but also on an additional $100,000 stored within them.

Additionally, SoFi offers automatic savings programs. Those who have at least one Vault can also set up Roundups, which allows SoFi to deposit the difference from debit card purchases into the customer's preference Vault.

👍 Pros

High interest rate.

No monthly maintenance fees or overdraft fees.

Fee-free access to more than 55,000 Allpoint ATMs.

👎 Cons

Cash deposits cost up to $4.95 and are available only through third-party retailers.

Varo Savings Account

Varo savings account is a premier digital banking service that provides competitive interest rates and various types of savings accounts.

Upon meeting certain conditions, Varo offers 5.00% APY, and 1.20% APY without those conditions. Savings accounts are typically offering only 0.13% APY on average.

For the 5.00% APY, you must receive at least $1,000 in total qualifying direct deposits, keep your balances above zero at the end of each month, and never exceed $5,000 in your Savings Account.

Varo savings accounts have no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. However, interest is earned only on balances higher than the minimum.

Additionally, Varo offers two automatic savings programs linked to its bank account. With Save Your Pay, you can direct a portion of your direct deposit to your savings account. A second feature, Save Your Change, allows you to save your change from banking transactions.

Savings transfers and withdrawals are unlimited with Varo, which not all banks offer. There is, however, a $5,000 transfer limit per transfer and a $10,000 transfer limit per month for transfers to external accounts.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures Varo accounts. Depositors, ownership categories, and institutions are insured up to $250,000 by the FDIC. In other words, your Varo savings and banking accounts are each insured up to $250,000.

👍 Pros

No monthly fees

No minimum balance

Good annual percentage yield, or APY, on savings

👎 Cons

Limits and fees for cash deposits.

Must meet requirements to qualify for the highest savings rate.

Axos Bank High Yield Savings

Axos Bank offers a free savings account with a strong annual percentage yield (APY). A $250 deposit is required to open the High Yield Savings account. There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. For balances under $25,000, it offers a healthy 0.61% annual percentage yield. A balance between $25,000 and $99,999.99 earns 0.25% APY, while a balance over $100,000 earns 0.15% APY. Direct deposits of $1,500 or more earn 0.40% APY.

👍 Pros

Excellent checking rates and rewards.

No monthly fees for checking or savings.

Savings account comes with a debit card

👎 Cons

No branches.

CD rates are low for an online bank.

CIT Bank

Customers with different needs can choose from various kinds of savings accounts at CIT Bank. A Savings Connect account, for instance, offers customers a 1.90% APY and requires a $100 minimum deposit.

The money market account is another savings option CIT Bank has to offer. When you open a money market account, you’ll benefit from 1.30% APY. Regardless of your balance, you'll earn the same rate. In this account, there are higher rates than for other banks that offer money market accounts, which usually require a minimum balance of $2,500. In addition, there are no monthly fees, but you must have $100 to open one.

You might also consider CIT Bank’s Savings Builder account, which offers attractive rates. To qualify for the 0.80% APY, you'll need to you must be able to keep at least $25,000 in your account or deposit at least $100 each month. If you don't, you can receive 0.34% APY. Opening an account requires $100.

Plus, CIT Bank offers above-average CD rates. Five-year CDs pay 0.50% APY. Additionally, the bank offers a CD with an 11-month term that doesn’t charge early withdrawal penalties. A minimum deposit of $1,000 is required. For national banks, this is typical, but some credit unions and online banks have lower minimums. The Term CDs offered by CIT Bank range in length, from six months to five years.

👍 Pros

Savings and checking accounts have no monthly fees.

CIT offers great rates on money market and high-yield savings accounts

Money market accounts don’t require a high minimum deposit.

👎 Cons

The CIT ATM network isn’t free, but CIT will reimburse up to $30 every month for ATM fees charged by other banks.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield Online Savings Account

Marcus by Goldman Sachs offers a High-Yield Online Savings Account for its clients.

Compared to the national average APY of 0.13%, Marcus' savings rate is 1.70%. The account requires no minimum deposit and there are no monthly fees, but it's not a great option for moving money.

Withdrawing money from the bank is less convenient than with other banks - an ATM withdrawal is unavailable. You can transfer funds to other bank accounts, wire them or request a check. Several methods are available for depositing money into the account, including direct deposits, transfers, checks, and wire transfers.

Unlike some of its competitors, Marcus lets you deposit money for up to six years. Within 10 days of opening your CD, you can receive the highest rate offered by the bank with a $500 minimum deposit.

Make sure you withdraw your money as soon as your Marcus CD matures, as it automatically renews after 10 days. If you want to withdraw early without paying a penalty, Marcus offers three no-penalty CDs.

👍 Pros

Competitive APY

No minimum balance requirement

No monthly maintenance fee

FDIC insured

👎 Cons

Limited deposit options

ATM card access could be improved

What Types of Savings Accounts Do Digital Banks Offer?

High-yield savings accounts: A high-yield savings account is similar to a standard savings account, but it pays a much higher interest rate. 0.06% is the national average yield on savings accounts. There are, however, high-yield savings accounts that pay up to 0.60%.

High-yield money market accounts: A high-yield money market account offers a higher interest rate but charges a monthly maintenance fee. In the long run, it pays less than it appears.

CDs: A CD is a certificate of deposit. You can save money in a CD at a fixed interest rate for a fixed period of time, such as six months, one year or five years.

Share certificates: These certificates allow you to earn high interest rates by agreeing to leave money in a credit union for a set period of time

How to Choose a Digital Bank Savings Account

Consider digital tools. You can simplify your banking by taking advantage of digital banking features that provide financial insights and help you grow your money. A variety of tools are available, including, automated savings tools, highly rated mobile apps, tracking tools, savings goal setting, and more.

Find a bank with great customer service.

It's important to have a bank that you can reach when you need assistance. Before opening an account with a bank, find out what customer service options they offer. If there aren't any physical branches, look for a bank with customer service teams or online chat options.

Check out their fees. A bank's fees can reduce the amount of interest you earn on your savings. Beware of other hidden or common bank fees that can cost you money in the long run.

Consider access to funds.

What happens if there are no bank branches to access your funds? Depending on your institution, you may be able to deposit and withdraw funds via online transfer, wire transfer, or telephone call. Depending on your savings account, you may need to link your checking account to your savings account in order to use mobile check deposit and ATM withdrawals and deposits.

Summary

In the same way that it's important to carefully choose things before purchasing them, it's equally important to choose the right savings account.

Thorough research and planning regarding the different types of online savings accounts offered by different banks will help to alleviate the confusion.

There are, however, certain factors that will help you decide which type of account is most suitable for you, such as interest rate, minimum balance requirement, transaction charges, and withdrawal and deposit limits. The choice will vary according to your individual needs.

FAQs

What is a high-yield digital savings account?

Typically offered by online banks and credit unions, high-yield savings accounts provide a higher interest rate than traditional savings accounts found at brick-and-mortar banks.

What is APY?

APY refers to annual percentage yield. Your account balance will earn interest at this rate.

What is an online savings account?

Online savings accounts are accounts that operate online, with digital services and tools that enable you to bank anywhere you have access to a smartphone.

Are online savings accounts safe?

Yes, online savings accounts are generally safe. A variety of reputable banks and financial institutions offer online savings accounts, many of which are FDIC-insured.

Team that worked on the article

Ivan Andriyenko
Author at Traders Union

Ivan is a financial expert and analyst specializing in Forex, crypto, and stock trading. He prefers conservative trading strategies with low and medium risks, as well as medium-term and long-term investments. He has been working with financial markets for 8 years. Ivan prepares text materials for novice traders. He specializes in reviews and assessment of brokers, analyzing their reliability, trading conditions, and features.

Olga Shendetskaya
Author and editor at Traders Union

Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.

Olga has extensive experience in writing and editing articles about the specifics of working in the Forex market, cryptocurrency market, stock exchanges and also in the segment of financial investment in general. This level of expertise allows Olga to create unique and comprehensive articles, describing complex investment mechanisms in a simple and accessible way for traders of any level.

Olga’s motto: Do well and you’ll be well!