Despite not having branches and interacting with customers primarily through digital channels, direct banks are outperforming traditional retail banks, along with making customers feel supported during challenging times, according to a study from J.D. Power in Troy.
The U.S. Direct Banking Satisfaction Study, released today, shows overall customer satisfaction with direct bank checking accounts is 692 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is 24 points higher than the average regional bank and 35 points higher than national banks. Savings account satisfaction is even higher (705), which is 89 points higher than regional banks and 98 points higher than national banks.
“Customers of online-only direct banks have higher levels of satisfaction because these banks make them feel supported during challenging times,” says Paul McAdam, senior director of banking and payments intelligence at J.D. Power. “Direct banks do this by enabling customers to grow their money, access credit when needed, improve their creditworthiness, and by helping customers manage their spending or budget.
“Direct banks further improved customers’ feelings of being supported during challenging times by making it easy to access customer service; delivering great app and web experiences; and making sure customers fully understand products and services. Making customers feel supported during challenging times drives a huge bump in customer satisfaction, and the top-performing direct banks are delivering these experiences consistently.”
Among the key findings of the 2025 study are:
Checking satisfaction increases while savings satisfaction declines: The overall customer satisfaction score for direct bank checking accounts is 692, up 4 points from 2024. Overall satisfaction for direct bank savings accounts is 705, down 5 points from 2024. Both scores are still far higher than the average overall satisfaction scores for midsize banks, regional banks, national banks and neobanks.
Support during challenging times drives satisfaction scores: The key performance indicator of “bank completely supports me during challenging times,” is responsible for a 73-point rise in checking account satisfaction and an 84-point rise in savings account satisfaction when banks hit the mark. When direct banks achieve these gains, customers reward the banks with higher utilization of direct deposit, higher investment account and credit card ownership, and a lower likelihood of moving deposits to another financial institution.
Bank support resonating with younger customers: Members of Gen Z1 and Gen Y have the highest year-over-year increase in perceived level of direct bank support. Boomers believe their overall level of direct bank support has declined year over year.
Charles Schwab Bank ranks highest in overall satisfaction among checking providers with a score of 740, marking the seventh consecutive year of being top ranked in the study. American Express (711) ranks second and Ally (694) ranks third.
Charles Schwab Bank ranks highest in overall satisfaction among savings providers with a score of 748. American Express (737) ranks second and Marcus by Goldman Sachs (735) ranks third.
See the rank chart for each segment here.
The U.S. Direct Banking Satisfaction Study, now in its ninth year, measures overall satisfaction with direct bank and neobank checking and/or savings/money market products based on six dimensions (in alphabetical order): customer service; ease of moving money; helps grow money; level of trust; managing account via mobile app and managing account via website.
J.D. Power says the study defines direct banks as online/branchless institutions with federal banking charters, with either the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as their primary regulator. It is based on responses from 9,391 direct bank customers and was fielded from December 2024 through March 2025.
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