The Worst and Best Banks According to Customer Reviews

We work hard for our money, and we want to know that it’s stored safely. With so many options for banks – from online offerings to global conglomerates – it’s hard to know what’s your best option for keeping your money safe, putting it to work for you, and avoiding extra hassles and fees.

According to bank reviews on PissedConsumer, 14.3% of US bank clients complain about customer support, 8.8% have issues with fees, and 8.3% worry about fraud regardless of the bank they are using.

So, what do the bank reviews tell us? Who has the best and worst customer service? We’ve sorted out the data into a list of the worst banks and one for the best. 

Key Insights

• 9 out of 10 consumers are happy with their current bank. 
• Varo Money and GO2Bank are the worst-performing banks on this list according to customer service experience. 
• Customer experience and feedback determined that Discover Bank is the best bank in this ranking. 

List of the Worst Banks

So, what is the worst bank to work with? Hundreds of responses described the consumer issues with the banks that wound up in this category. To find the worst banks, PissedConsumer examined how satisfied customers are with the bank’s customer service. 

We considered three key aspects: how many issues are resolved, how satisfied customers are after speaking with the bank’s customer service, and how likely customers would recommend the bank to others. When these factors are combined, it’s not hard to sort out the best and worst banks. The rating is based on survey responses, with a detailed methodology outlined below.*

The banks with the lowest overall rankings according to actual customers are outlined below. 

Varo Money: “Basically refuse to provide customer service”

Varo Bank currently sits at the very bottom of this list of the worst and best banks according to consumers’ opinions. It is a digital bank offering traditional bank accounts and debit cards for consumers.

2416 online reviews for Varo Money on PissedConsumer.com have left the bank with a 1.7 star rating out of a possible 5 stars. And only 13.53% of users would recommend Varo Money to a friend or colleague. 

Customers like that Varo Money is online and that it is easy work with the direct deposit features. However, customers struggle with finding ways to communicate with the company. Varo Money customer service only resolves 32.86% of customer issues and has a satisfaction score of 23.91%, according to the survey respondents. 

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.” 

GO2bank: “Really screwed a lot of things up for me.”

GO2bank is another online bank near the bottom of our list. The bank is exclusively online with app and ATM access for financial transactions. However, hundreds of negative reviews have given the bank 1.5 stars out of a possible 5. Customers complain most about a lack of human support and the potential for fraudulent activities in their accounts.

While some customers do praise the early direct deposit features, the GO2bank customer service satisfaction score is only 36.67% and only 23.21% of customers would recommend the bank to a friend or colleague. 

Customers are frustrated by the lack of solutions created by the bank’s customer service department, which often results in lost funds. For example, in review #6425078 a customer bought the bank card through the company’s website and loaded it with $450. However, they faced issues with verification that were left unresolved. 

…it locked the card to where I could only use it in store and couldn't take money off or anything. Plus, I couldn't get on the website to check my balance or anything. It really screwed up a lot of things for me..

Pathward: “All of my money is gone!”

Pathward is a financial services company that works with other third-party companies to deliver banking to customers. They are not a traditional bank but assist other companies with credit solutions, digital payments, and other financial services.

Despite this, customers have strong opinions about their services and Pathward has landed squarely in the middle of our worst banks, according to the consumers. Pathward currently has 759 reviews on PissedConsumer. Some customers do praise the reliable nature of the financial service, but considerably more complain about poor customer service and unresolved payment issues. These reviews have given the company only 1.7 out of a possible 5 stars. 

When customers call Pathward customer service, 44% of them can resolve their issue, and another 44.44% are satisfied with the customer service experience. However, only 13.33% of customers would recommend Pathway to a friend or colleague. 

Many customers complain about funds being diminished on gift cards or funds disappearing entirely without much in the way of customer service support. In review #6232583 customer claimed their “card was used in a different state” without their authorization and now “money is gone!!” 

Chase Bank: “A nightmare to deal with”

As we approach the best of the worst banks, 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 currently has 2402 customer reviews on PissedConsumer.com, and 41.03% 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 out of a possible 5. Customers frequently call the company about payments, charges, and other account issues, and 62.5% of these issues are resolved, as reported by consumers. While many customers complain about poor customer service and security issues, others praise the convenience of the bank and accessible ATMs. Currently 41.03% of customers would recommend Chase to a friend or colleague. Many 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.” 

Capital One: “Wrong charge and rude customer service”

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 currently has a rating of 1.6 out of a possible 5 stars. This is based on 2154 customer reviews. Despite negative reviews, 32% of customers said they would recommend the bank to a friend or family member.

Customers praise the support that is available over the phone and the user-friendly banking app. Despite this, many cite Capital One customer service as the primary issue with the company, as well as hidden fees. According to the consumers, 46.15% of issues are resolved by customer service, and the company has a 44.44% score for its customer service satisfaction. 

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..

List of the Best Banks

We used the same methodology to determine our list of the best banks as ranked by consumer reviews and survey responses*. Overall, these banks had the highest scores when it came to issue resolution, customer satisfaction and the highest percentages of recommendations by existing customers to friends and colleagues.

Here is our list of the best banks as ranked by consumer input: 

Discover Bank: Short wait time to call customer service

Established in 1911, Discover expanded from credit cards to a full range of financial services and claims that “Treating people special is kind of our thing.” This may be why Discover Bank made it to the top of the five best banks on our list.

Overall, Discover Bank has 425 reviews with 1.7 out of a possible 5 stars. However, other customers praise the cashback offer, the 0% interest for the promotional period and the short wait time for customer service. 

Based on the survey results, 66.67% of customers were able to resolve their issues and the customer service satisfaction score is 85.71%. When customers do call Discover Bank customer service, they spend about three minutes online and wind up on hold in less than one minute. The Discover website promises customers “live U.S.-Based Customer Service anytime” and has options to message or call agents around the clock. 

Sadly, this doesn’t mean things are perfect all the time with Discover Bank. 

Customers do still have issues including a customer who worked with the bank to withdraw a large sum of money from their online checking account. 

Long story short they approved the window but proceeded to repeatedly reject the transactions. I spoke to them 6 different times (min) and the final excuse was its a security issue we have no control over.

Bank of America: Convenient locations 

Bank of America is one of the largest banks, with more than $100 billion in revenues. It is a multi-national bank, and despite its size, Bank of American scores well among consumers, landing it in the second spot on our list of the best banks. 

The company currently has a 1.7-star rating based on 2358 customer reviews left on the PissedConsumer website. 45.76% of the consumers would recommend this bank to a friend or colleague and the overall Bank of America customer service satisfaction score is 73.9%.

While customers complain about customer service and website issues, many of them praise convenient locations and friendly staff.

Despite the number of ATM and storefront locations, things don’t go perfectly all the time. 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.” 

PNC Bank: Friendly branch employees 

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PNC Bank is near the top of our list of best banks. The bank offers a range of services, including loans for cars and mortgages, as well as standard checking and savings accounts for consumers. 

Many negative reviews have left the company with 1.5 out of a total of 5 stars on PissedConsumer.com. Currently only 16.67% of reviewers would recommend PNC to a friend or colleague. However, things are not all bad! Once customers reach support, 33.33% of issues are resolved, and the overall PNC Bank customer service score is 80%.

Customers say PNC is 'difficult to work with' despite friendly branch staff. Some people find the opposite to be true, with the corporate offices being more helpful than local branches. This mixed message about the helpfulness of the bank is evident in some of its customer reviews. 

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.”

PNC offers customers the option to call during business hours, an option to visit one of the locations that may be nearby, or customers can to set an appointment for a virtual meeting with bank representatives. 

Synchrony Bank: Efficient website and easy approval

Working entirely online, Synchrony Bank is part of the larger Synchrony company, which is known for credit cards as well as online savings accounts for consumers. Synchrony Bank is also on our list of the top five best banks according to customer feedback. 

There are fewer options for contacting Synchrony Bank than other banks on this list. The bank’s website offers customers the option to chat, send an email, or look up information on the website. Users must log in to use any of the contact options. 

This lack of options may be reflected in reviews. Poor customer service is listed as one of the top consumer issues for Synchrony, among 1360 online reviews, forming a total rating of 1.4 stars out of a possible 5. And only 19.35% of customers would still recommend Synchrony Bank to a friend or family member. 

Despite that, 60% of customer issues are resolved by customer service, and the overall Synchrony Bank customer service satisfaction score is 50%. 

Customers do praise the bank for having an efficient website and easy approval for patrons with fair credit.It seems, however, that approvals can shift as patrons use or adjust their own credit usage and score.

For example, in the review #5916792, a customer had an Amazon store credit card with Synchrony for years. 

Never missed a payment. Paid more than the minimum due. Paid it off several times. But they determined I had too much credit and lowered my limit.

GoBank: Easy to Open an Account

In the middle of our bank comparisons and the last on the list of the best banks, 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. 

PissedConsumer users have left 3263 reviews about GoBank, and has a rating of 1.5 stars out of a possible 5. GoBank customer serviceis the top complaint about the company, although customers do praise how easy it is to open an account. 

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. When people called customer service, 33.33% of reviewers were able to resolve their issue and overall, customers awarded GoBank support with a satisfaction score of 75%, one of the highest on this list. However, only 18.8% of reviewers would recommend the company to a friend. 

Customers have the option to chat with the company through a browser or they can write to the bank using traditional mail. There are options to call the company as well. 

Despite this, some customers still experience frustration. For example, one user 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.

Combining Financial Security with Customer Service

The best banks combine high customer satisfaction scores with the services that customers are seeking. While no bank can please everyone all the time, the top banks can resolve issues for most customers, earning their high rankings.

As time passes and companies develop and improve their customer service skills, digital presence, and available services for customers, each bank will offer a new balance of function and support. But it’s easy to determine if a bank is the best for you – just read the reviews! 

Customers will always leave feedback about their interactions with companies, and often, these reviews are the catalyst companies need to improve certain aspects of their customer service. Why not write a review to share your experiences with others or start a conversation of your own with your bank about a question or concern?

*Our Methodology

PissedConsumer.com conducted an online survey among 893 U.S. visitors in 2024, focusing on their engagements with customer service teams to understand how consumers ranked the worst and best bank services. The report highlights responses to three key questions: issue resolution, customer satisfaction, and likelihood of recommendation (NPS score). Each company's analysis is based on a minimum of 50 responses per question.

To calculate the rating of the company with the best customer service, we multiply each of the above 3 factors by the given coefficient of 10. The formula:

Issue Resolution Score = % of Issue Resolution *10

Communication Satisfaction Score = % of Communication Satisfaction *10

Recommendation Score = % of Recommendation *10

Best Customer Service Rating = Issue Resolution Score + Communication Satisfaction Score + Recommendation Score

*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.