The Worst and Best Banks According to Customer Reviews

Americans have many choices for how to save, invest, and store their money. From local credit unions to global conglomerates, consumers are always looking for reliable banks where their money is safe.

Unfortunately, consumer issues tell us that all banks are not equal. With so many options, and so many disappointing reviews about those options online, we dug into the feedback to find the best banks for customers – and the worst. 

Among the many PissedConsumer features available, we used the overall bank ratings based on customer reviews and their volume to determine a bank’s position on this list. To help consumers make informed decisions about their banking, here are American banks from worst to best. 

Key Insights

• There are currently 4470 FDIC-insured commercial banks in the United States. 
• Only 16% of customers are willing to pay for account transactions and fees at a bank, even if service is good. 
• 9 out of 10 consumers are happy with their current bank. 

8. PNC Bank: “Treated me like garbage”

Number of PNC Bank Reviews – 871

PNC Bank rating* – 1.4 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 2

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earned $21.1 billion in revenues in 2022. The bank offers a range of services including loans for cars and mortgages as well as standard checking and savings accounts for consumers. 

PNC Bank rating

PNC Bank currently has 871 reviews on PissedConsumer.com, and 91% of those reviews are negative. Those reviews have left the company with 1.4 out of a total of 5 stars. Currently only 17% of reviewers would recommend PNC to a friend or colleague. Similarly, PNC Bank customer service also earned only 1.4 out of 5 possible stars. 

Top customer concerns related to PNC Bank

Customers complain that PNC will not fix mistakes and that the company overall is “difficult to work with” even if some branch employees are friendly. Some customers find the opposite to be true, with the corporate offices being more helpful than local branches.

One customer recently complained about a “horrible experience” with a local branch manager. The customer said that the branch manager “treated me like a piece of garbage” and said that the customer’s situation “was not on his priority list of things to do.” When the customer called the customer service corporate complaint line, however, he found PNC to be “very helpful and empathetic.”

7. Synchrony Bank: “Synchrony reps were entirely dismissive and unhelpful.”

Number of Synchrony Bank reviews – 1357

Synchrony Bank rating* – 1.4 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 14

Working entirely online, Synchrony Bank is part of the larger Synchrony company. Synchrony is a large provider of credit cards as well as online savings accounts for consumers. 

Synchrony Bank rating

Synchrony Bank has a total of 1357 online reviews from customers. These reviews have left the company with a total rating of 1.4 stars out of a possible 5. While 90% of these reviews are negative, 35% of customers would still recommend Synchrony Bank to a friend or family member. 

Poor customer service is listed as one of the top consumer issues for Synchrony. Currently, Synchrony Bank customer service has a rating of 1.3 out of a possible 5 stars. 86% of customers report being able to reach a real person when they call, and 17% of issues were ultimately resolved with the bank. 

Top customer concerns related to Synchrony Bank

Customers complain about issues primarily with Synchrony Bank credit cards and customer service. While some customers are pleased that the bank simply answered the phone when they called, others are frustrated by what they consider poor or even unethical practices.

In the review #5916792, a customer had an Amazon store credit card with Synchrony for years. Even though he “never missed a payment” and “paid [the card] off several times”, Synchrony Bank “determined I had too much credit and lowered my limit.” Ultimately the customer cancelled his account. 

6. GoBank: “Money disappeared from my account”

Number of GoBank reviews – 3247

GoBank rating* – 1.5 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 15

Moving further along in our bank comparisons, GoBank offers an entirely digital experience to customers. With no branch locations or conventional hours, customers can use the app, ATMs, or other banks to complete financial transactions. 

GoBank rating

PissedConsumer users have left 3247 reviews about GoBank. 88% of those reviews have been negative and only 15% of reviewers would recommend the company to a friend. Overall, GoBank has a rating of 1.5 stars out of a possible 5. 

GoBank customer service also scores poorly with a rating of 1.3 out of a possible 5 stars. Customers have made more than 12,700 calls to the company but only 9% of issues are resolved. 

Top consumer concerns related to GoBank

Customers claim it is easy to open an account with GoBank, but are frustrated by just about everything else. The top concerns about GoBank include being unable to reach a company representative, no online customer service, no humans to speak with, and some feel the company may be fraudulent. 

One customer left the review #5214999 that their funds “disappeared from my account” and for days he was told it was “a technical issue and should be resolved soon.” 

Biggest mistake was getting this bank, they hold money for 2 weeks and then state it been returned it doesn't show for days.

5. Capital One: “Wrong charge and rude customer service”

Number of Capital One reviews – 2150

Capital One rating* – 1.6 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 16

One of the larger banks on this list, Capital One earns more than $30 billion in revenue. The bank offers a range of financial services including credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, savings accounts, and more. 

Capital One rating

Capital One currently has a rating of 1.6 out of a possible 5 stars. This is based on 2150 customer reviews. Of those reviews, 85% of them are negative. Despite that, 37% of customers said they would recommend the bank to a friend or family member.

Top consumer concerns related to Capital One

66% of customers say that they won’t use the bank in the future and many customers cite Capital One customer service as the primary issue with the company. It is currently rated 1.4 out of a possible 5 stars. 

For example, one customer claims the bank “double-charged me for a significant amount,” however customer support was not really helpful.

I called someone tonight for help as the charge still hit…he [the customer service rep] was rude and didn’t care about my situation… He said that he had already told me he couldn’t do anything..

4. Chase Bank: “A nightmare to deal with”

Number of Chase Bank reviews – 2399

Chase Bank rating* – 1.7 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 19

Firmly in the middle of the pack, based on our customer reviews for banks, Chase Bank is one of the largest financial institutions on this list with both commercial and consumer services offered.

Chase Bank Rating

Chase Bank currently has 2399 customer reviews. 83% of rated reviews are negative, but 43% of customers claim they would recommend Chase to a friend or family member. These reviews have created a 1.7-star rating for Chase out of a possible 5 stars.

Chase Bank customer service has a lower rating with 1.4 stars total out of a possible 5. Customers frequently call the company about payments, charges, and other account issues, and 20% of those calls are successful. 

Top customer concerns related to Chase Bank

Customers find that the convenience of Chase is a pro, especially the number of ATMs available. But most reviews cite customer service as a serious flaw for the company. 44% of users think that Chase should improve its customer service.

For example, one Chase customer recently had a flood in her home. Since the insurance company “cut checks in both of my name and Chase’s,”  the bank is “impeding the process” of getting repair work done on the damaged home. 

The customer claims Chase has “been a nightmare to deal with” and the bank has been “holding up the checks” for “at least a month.” The customer also notes that the “customer service team, who is outsourced, is not pleasant to deal with.” 

3. Varo Money: “Basically refuse to provide customer service”

Number of Varo Money reviews – 2359

Varo Money rating* – 1.7 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 54

As we move closer to the top banks, Varo Bank is another all-digital bank on our list. The digital bank offers traditional bank accounts and debit cards for consumers.

Varo Money rating

2359 customer ratings for Varo Money on PissedConsumer.com have left the bank with a 1.7 star rating out of a possible 5 stars. 81% of the current reviews are negative, but only 14% of users would recommend Varo Money to a friend or colleague. The company does have 11% positive reviews, which is higher than the other banks on this list. 

Top customer concerns related to Varo Money

Customers like that Varo Money is online and that it is easy to set up an account with no fees. However, they struggle with finding ways to communicate with the company. Varo Money customer service is ranked lower than the overall bank score at 1.5 stars out of a possible 5, and only 6% of customer issues are resolved with the company. 

Some customers are concerned about fraud with the bank as well. In review #4565824, one Varo Money customer claims that the bank employees “basically refuse to provide customer service.” The customer had $3,000 stolen and “Varo refuses to credit [her] account at all.” The bank is requesting “documents” but there are “no documents unless they are meaning ATM slips.” 

2. Bank of America: “Use another bank.” 

Number of Bank of America reviews – 2347

Bank of America rating* – 1.8 ⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 15

Varo Money

Bank of America is the largest bank on this list with $98.6 billion in revenues. Bank of America is a multi-national bank, and despite its size, Bank of American scores well among consumers. 

Bank of America rating

Bank of America currently has a 1.8-star rating based on 2347 customer reviews left on the PissedConsumer website. While 83% of those reviews are negative overall, 47% of the consumers would recommend Bank of America to a friend or colleague.

Top customer concerns related to Bank of America

Bank of America customers enjoy the online platform and the number of locations for the bank. However, Bank of America customer service is a primary concern for customers. Customers have called Bank of America at least 11,200 times through the PissedConsumer website and 15% of those issues have been resolved.

One customer “made an ATM $600 withdrawal” but the machine “did not dispense any cash.” After multiple failed attempts to contact the company due to the customer service hours available, it took 15 days for the customer to receive a “temporary credit” for $600 while the bank will “continue the investigation.” The customer is “very upset” and recommends others “use another bank.” 

1. Woodforest National Bank: “Opening this account has been one big waste of valuable time.” 

Number of Woodforest National Bank reviews – 595

Woodforest National Bank rating* – 1.9⭐⭐

Resolved issues – 6

Among the top banks on this list, Woodforest National Bank has its headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. Woodforest National Bank is also Walmart’s largest retail partner and offers financial services for Sam’s Club members.

Woodforest National Bank rating

There are currently 595 Woodforest National Bank reviews on PissedConsumer.com. 77% of rated reviews are negative, leaving the bank with a 1.9 star rating out of a possible 5. It is worth noting that 100% of reviewers say that Woodforest National Bank customer service needs to improve, but also 100% of customers say they might also continue to use the bank if the customer service issues were resolved. 

While more than 3,000 PissedConsumer users have called Woodforest National Bank, only 9% of those issues have been resolved. Currently, Woodforest National Bank customer service has a 1.9 star rating out of a possible 5 stars. 

Top customer concerns related to Woodforest National Bank

The top customer concerns about Woodforest National Bank relate to customer service. Customers do like the hours of operation and the easy sign-up options with the bank. They do get frustrated, however, by the lack of consideration by bank employees. 

In the recently complain #5784690 one customer said that it took “an hour to make a deposit” in a local Woodforest branch, while being the only client. 

I stood there, while they made at least a half dozen calls, trying to get a code, to enable them to process the deposit. Looks like opening this account has been one big waste of valuable time.

Choosing the right bank for you

When it comes to your own money, ultimately bank rankings can only take you so far. You will need to consider what banks are in your area, what services they offer, and ultimately what local consumers have to say. Even within nationwide or international banks, the service provided in your local branch can vary wildly. Have you had an experience at one of the best or worst-rated banks in your area or on this list? Why not write a review? 

*Disclaimer: Ranking and statistics are based on our users’ review texts and Pissed Consumer posters’ reviews. Also, a company’s rating is calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the profile, including users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company’s responses, etc. The algorithm is subject to change in the future.