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Santander Bank Review

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Reviews 757
Santander
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Santander
Santander
Poor
Reviews 757
Michael Graw
Nov. 15, 2022
3 min read
Michael Graw
Santander Summary
Santander Bank blends both traditional and online banking. The bank has more than 2,000 ATMs across the Northeast and Florida and a capable mobile app that supports check deposits, bill pay, and instant transfers. Santander offers competitive interest rates on savings accounts, and provides users with credit cards and loans in addition to online bank accounts.

Pros

  • Over 2,000 ATMs and 575 branches
  • $25 minimum deposit
  • Competitive interest rates

Cons

  • Branches and ATMs are mostly in the Northeast and Florida
  • High overdraft fees

Santander at a glance

8.8
Editorial score

Fees?

Low fees, waivable
8.0

Security

FDIC insured, SSL/AES encryption and supports 2 factor and biometric authentication
10.0

Customer service

Early morning, evening and weekend phone service
6.0

Online experience

Excellent user friendly site with transparency of rates and full online banking capabilities
10.0

Mobile experience

Excellent mobile app with all mobile banking features enabled, including digital check deposits
10.0

Santander Santander Visit Site

Advantages Over Traditional Banks

Santander Bank is a traditional bank with a number of online banking services. You can manage your accounts, deposit checks, pay bills, and transfer money all through the online portal and mobile app (for iOS and Android). On top of that, Santander offers a range of services, including loans, credit cards, and retirement investing accounts. 

Cutting-Edge Banking Services 

Santander Bank makes it easy to manage your finances through the mobile app. For example, you can deposit checks instantly from anywhere using your smartphone, or transfer money to friends and family using Zelle. The online bill pay center enables you to handle all of your bills—including the ones that can’t be paid electronically—from a single mobile-friendly portal. 

Traditional Banking Services

Santander Bank started as a traditional bank before moving into the online banking sphere. It has more than 575 branches and 2,000 ATMs, although most of these are in the Northeast. Santander offers several rewards credit cards, lending programs for mortgages and personal loans, and retirement investing accounts. Santander also has a commercial banking arm that offers banking and lending for small businesses. 

Interest Rates and Fees

Santander has several checking and savings accounts with different fees and benefits.

If you’re interested in checking, you can choose between four account types:

  • Basic: The Basic account has a $3 monthly fee that can’t be waived and requires $25 to open.
  • Simply Right: The Simply Right account is similar to the Basic account, except that it has a $10 monthly fee that’s waived as long as you make one transaction per month.
  • Premier Plus: The Premier Plus account is an interest-earning account that reimburses ATM fees. It requires a minimum deposit of $50 and has a $25 monthly fee, which is waived if you have a $25,000 balance or at least $4,000 in direct deposits each month.
  • Select: The Select account is similar to the Premier Plus account, but requires a $150 minimum deposit and has a monthly fee of $75, which is waived if you have $150,000 in assets with Santander Bank.

For savings, your options are Savings, Money Market, Premier Plus, and Select. Santander’s Savings account has a $1 monthly fee and the Money Market account has a $10 monthly fee. These fees are waived if you have a Santander Bank checking account. You can only open a Premier Plus or Select savings account if you have a Premier Plus or Select checking account.

All Santander Bank savings accounts start out with 0.15% APY. You can earn up to 0.25% APY if you have a balance greater than $100,000.


Mo. Fee
How to Waive Fee
Key Benefits
Basic Checking
$3
None
No transaction requirements
Simply Right Checking
$10
Make one transaction per month
Waive account fee
Premier Plus Checking
$25

$25,000 balance

$4,000 direct deposits

Earn 0.15% APY 

Reimburse ATM fees

Select Checking
$75
$150,000 balance across Santander accounts

Earn 0.15% APY

Reimburse ATM fees

Savings
$1
Link any checking account

Earn 0.15% APY

Money Market Savings
$10
Link any checking account

Earn 0.15% APY

Premier Plus Savings
$0
None

Earn 0.15% APY 

Select Savings
$0
None

Earn 0.15% APY

Customer Service 

You can get in touch with Santander Bank by phone from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET, 7 days a week.

Mobile App

Santander offers a mobile app that enables you to access all of the bank’s services. You can easily check your balances and transfer money between accounts. The mobile app also gives you access to the bill pay center, so you can monitor your payments and add bills on the go.

Learn more about Satander’s mobile app below:

Security

Santander Bank uses advanced digital controls to keep all of your accounts safe. All of your data is encrypted with 256-bit AES when you log into your account. You can easily lock your debit or credit cards through your online account if they’re ever lost or stolen. On top of that, Santander uses text and email alerts to let you know right away if there’s suspicious activity in your accounts. 

Summary

Santander Bank offers a mix of traditional and online banking that could work for you if you’re in need of a new bank. The bank offers helpful features like mobile check deposits and online bill pay. Plus, if you live in the Northeast and Florida, you can access Santander’s more than 575 locations and 2,000 ATMs. We also like that Santander’s savings accounts offer 0.15% APY and the monthly fees for most accounts are easy to waive. 

Santander Santander Visit Site

Methodology

This review is based on information from Santander Bank’s website, as well as from online resources and customer reviews posted on third-party websites.

Michael Graw
Written by
Michael Graw
Michael Graw is a Bellingham, Washington-based writer focusing on finance, tech, and science. His work has been featured in print magazines and high-impact websites. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎
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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Santander
Bad • Reviews 757
on
Excellent
7%
Great
1%
Average
1%
Poor
3%
Bad
87%
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Fr
Frederik
3 weeks ago
Goede online spaarrekening
Spaarrekening geopend bij de Santander Consumer Bank. Het betreft een spaarrekening bij de Belgische dependance van deze Spaanse bank. Je geld is tot 100k verzekerd door het deposito garantie stelsel. Openen ging makkelijk en allemaal online. Heel tevreden.
sun hwang
4 weeks ago
Best Bank for Senior
Being kind to customers seems to mean something like this. Steven Pierce so kindly addresses many difficult issues for the elderly. We solved everything with a smile for a long time. I was very grateful and proud to have been a long-time customer of this bank.
Marilyb Vitale
2 months ago
Great teamwork on display!
I had a wonderful experience at santander bank 86thst 18th ave branch.All those who work there have been very helpful over last 30 yrs that I have been a customer. Yesterday Cindy and Francesca attended to my request to add another name to my checking acct.They both gave much of their professional time, since my partner is not a resident of New York state. They were both so very concerned that this be done properly, and advised me of how to proceed which took much planning on both their parts. I am so satisfied with the customer care at this branch. Cindy is just all in with helping and Francesca gave much personal time and courtesy to us both. Without their advice I could never have accomplished this goal. Thank you to great teamwork,and complete interst in solving my dilemma.
JV
June Viveash
3 months ago
Great service…
I have read some of the reviews and find them very strange. I have been with this bank for over 50 years from when it was Abbey National. I have always been treated with courtesy and staff being helpful. and I use the service frequently.
AM
Angela Milne
5 months ago
Kyle at Union Street Aberdeen is so…
Kyle at Union Street Aberdeen is so kind and patient explaining and speaking me through everything. What a great front line person. Thanks
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