Atlantic Union Bank Review: A Full-Service Bank With Accessible Customer Service
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Atlantic Union is best for those looking for their go-to.
If you're looking for a full-service bank, then Atlantic Union might be a good choice. It offers both in-branch and online service, affordable monthly fees and opening deposits and accessible customer service.
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, it has locations throughout the state as well as in Maryland and North Carolina. While the breadth of its services and products is one reason why Atlantic Union giving the Gold in GOBankingRates’ Best Banks in Virginia in the Best Banks of 2025 rankings, there are other factors to consider.Â
Atlantic Union Bank Checking Accounts
Atlantic Union offers five different checking accounts. Here are the details for each checking option:Â
- Prism Checking: This is a great option for a low-cost checking account with no overdraft fees. There is a $25 opening deposit requirement and a $5 monthly maintenance fee. However, the fee is waived if under 25 or 62 or older.
- Free Checking: If you want to avoid monthly service charges and minimum balance requirements, this account has neither. The minimum opening deposit is $25. The account also comes with a free Visa debit card that you can personalize if desired.
- Loyalty Checking: Like Free Checking, this account has a minimum opening deposit of $25. The perks of Loyalty Checking include tiered interest rates, depending on balance, and higher rates on some of the bank’s savings products without having to meet any qualifying requirements. However, it does have a monthly service fee of $10, which can be waived with a $2,500 minimum daily balance or a $10,000 combined balance.
- Preferred Checking: Atlantic Union considers this account its highest level of checking, so it comes with many more perks than its other checking options, including higher rates on select savings products. Like Loyalty Checking, this account requires a $25 minimum opening deposit. However, it has a higher $25 monthly service fee, which you’ll have to pay unless you maintain a $25,000 minimum daily balance or a $50,000 minimum combined balance.Â
- ThankU Checking: This is reserved for current or retired teachers or administrators, law enforcement, first responders, firefighters, health care professionals and members of the U.S. armed forces. Like Free Checking, it has no monthly service fees or minimum daily balance requirements, but it features tiered interest and a minimum opening deposit of $25.
Best For
Mobile App
Low Monthly Fees
Banking in Virginia
Loan Options
Low Minimum Deposit
Flexible Checking Account Options
Atlantic Union Bank offers checking accounts to suit a variety of financial needs, from no fees to premium perks.
Fees
$0 to $25 monthly, waivable
APY
Up to
Min Opening
$25
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro balance transfer fee
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- No bonus offer
Quick Take
Atlantic Union Bank has a great checking account selection designed to fit a variety of financial situations.
Show Pros, Cons and More
Hide Pros, Cons and More
Atlantic Union Bank Savings Accounts
Atlantic Union offers savings accounts to help you meet your savings goals, including the Personal Savings and Deluxe Savings Club accounts. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Personal Savings account offers competitive rates and requires a $25 minimum deposit to open.Â
- The account also has a $5 monthly service charge, but as long as you maintain a $300 minimum daily balance, the bank will waive it.Â
- Atlantic Union’s Deluxe Savings Club account allows you to save for holiday gifts all year long, so you don’t have a credit card debt to contend with in the new year.Â
- You can open the account with just $10, and there’s no monthly service charge.Â
- The account allows you to add funds automatically via account transfers throughout the year, and in October of each year, the account pays out so you can make debt-free holiday purchases.
Best For
Mobile App
Low Monthly Fees
Banking in Virginia
Loan Options
Low Minimum Deposit
Low Deposit and Easy Savings
Atlantic Union Bank offers practical savings accounts with tools for steady savings, including a holiday-focused option with no monthly fees.
Fees
$0 to $5 monthly, waivable
APY
Min Opening
$10 to $25
Pros
- The Deluxe Savings account provides a good way to save for the holidays to help prevent you from going into debt when shopping.
- Low opening deposit requirements
Cons
- Personal Savings charges a $3 activity fee, if there are more than three withdrawals per month.
- No high-yield savings accounts
Quick Take
Atlantic Union Bank has safe savings options with money management tools to help you stay on track with your savings goals throughout the year.
Show Pros, Cons and More
Hide Pros, Cons and More
Atlantic Union Bank CD Rates
Atlantic Union offers a variety of certificates of deposits that vary in term lengths. Here are some key factors to consider:
- CD term lengths range from three months to five years.
- No matter which term you choose, all CDs require a $1,000 minimum deposit.Â
- APYs for online CDs range from to .
- CD specials, which range in term length from three months to 19 months range in APY from to .
Best For
Mobile App
Low Monthly Fees
Banking in Virginia
Loan Options
Low Minimum Deposit
CD Specials Up to APY
Atlantic Union Bank CDs offer fixed returns but charge fees for early withdrawals, making them ideal for funds you can set aside until the CD matures.
Fees
No monthly service fee
APY
Up to
Min Opening
$1,000
Pros
- ompetitive rates and APYs
- Your money grows at a guaranteed fixed rate.
Cons
- If you try to access your funds before the account reaches maturity, you will incur an early withdrawal penalty.
Quick Take
Atlantic Union Bank CDs are a great low-risk investment strategy to steadily grow your money.Â
Show Pros, Cons and More
Hide Pros, Cons and More
Atlantic Union Bank Money Market Accounts
If you’re looking for rates that are more than what a typical savings account can offer, one of Atlantic Union’s Money Market or Loyalty Money Market Account might be a good choice. Here are some key takeaways:Â
- With Atlantic Union’s Money Market account, you have the opportunity to earn tiered interest, which means that the higher your account balance, the more you can earn.Â
- This account requires a $500 minimum deposit to open, which is considerably more than the savings account minimum deposits, and it carries a $12 service charge.
- If you maintain a minimum daily balance of at least $2,500, the bank will waive the service charge.
- The Loyalty Money Market account offers higher savings rates than the Money Market account.Â
- The only way to qualify for this account is if you have Free Checking with a qualifying direct deposit of $500, or any of the bank’s personal checking accounts.Â
- It requires a $500 minimum deposit to open, and if you don’t maintain a $2,500 minimum daily balance each month, you’ll incur a $15 service charge.
Best For
Mobile App
Low Monthly Fees
Banking in Virginia
Loan Options
Low Minimum Deposit
Higher Yields and Easy to Access
Atlantic Union Bank Money Market accounts offer tiered interest rates and flexible access, but you’ll need to maintain a $2,500 daily balance to avoid fees.
Fees
$12 to $15 monthly, waivable
APY
Up to
Min Opening
$500
Pros
- Higher balances lead to higher yields
- You can access your money at any time.
Cons
- You must maintain a minimum daily balance of $2,500 to avoid the $12 monthly maintenance fee.
Quick Take
You can boost your savings in this Money Market account you’re looking to maintain access while growing your money.
Show Pros, Cons and More
Hide Pros, Cons and More
Banking Experience
Beyond account choices and rates, there are other important factors to consider before opening an account at a bank. Here are the standout features at Atlantic Union.
Minimum Opening Deposits
Atlantic Union’s minimum opening deposits aren’t the lowest in the industry. However, they are affordable for the most part with the checking and savings options ranging between $10 to $25. Money market accounts require a minimum opening deposit of $500, and CDs require $1,000 each.
Monthly Fees
When it comes to monthly fees, Atlantic Union offers a couple of accounts that don’t have any fees. For accounts that do have fees, account holders have the opportunity to meet requirements to have them waived such as meeting balance requirements.
Customer Service
Atlantic Union has customer service hours that are worth a second look. You can reach a customer care service representative from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. Plus, the bank has customer service hours on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., which isn’t always the case with other banks. You can also use the bank’s live chat feature or secure messaging, or you can drop by or make an appointment to speak with a banking representative at your local branch.
Mobile App
Atlantic Union Bank received a 4.2 star rating out of 5 on Google Play and a 4.7 rating on the Apple App Store, making mobile experience qute positive for users.
How Does Atlantic Union Compare?
If you’re wondering what you may be gaining or missing out on if you bank at Atlantic Union instead of other banks, here’s a quick look.
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
$0 to $25 monthly, waivable
$5 to $35 waivable monthly fee
$12, waivable
APY
APY
APY
Up to
Up to
N/A
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$25
$25
$50
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
$0 to $5 monthly, waivable
Up to $12 monthly service fee – can be waived
$5, waivable
APY
APY
APY
Up to for Platinum Savings accounts
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$10 to $25
$25
$25 to $50
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
No monthly service fee
Early withdrawal penalty may apply
No monthly service fee
APY
APY
APY
Up to
Up to
Up to
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$1,000
$2,500 to $5,000
$1,000
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
$12 to $15 monthly, waivable
$25 per wire transfer; free for Diamond status — 3 per cycle
$12, waivable
APY
APY
APY
Up to
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$500
$0
$50
Atlantic Union vs. Bank of America
Bank of America offers a Preferred Rewards program, which offers some lucrative perks like interest rate boosters, discounts and credit card rewards bonuses if you meet qualifying requirements. However, Bank of America does not offer any free checking options like Atlantic Union does, and free checking can be helpful if you’re just looking for a no-frills, affordable banking experience.
Atlantic Union vs. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo has a much broader footprint than Atlantic Union across the United States. However, you can open a CD at Atlantic Union with a minimum deposit of $1,000, while you’ll have to have at least $2,500 to open a CD at Wells Fargo.
Atlantic Union vs. Truist
Truist has a larger selection of checking accounts than Atlantic Union. For example, it has five checking options versus Atlantic Union’s four. However, Atlantic Union offers three savings account options and two money market options, while Truist only offers one each.
Final Take
The bottom line is that Atlantic Union offers a nice selection of accounts with affordable minimum opening deposits. Additionally, the bank’s monthly maintenance fees are lower than those of some of the largest banks in the U.S., and the bank offers account holders the opportunity to waive fees by maintaining an average minimum daily or combined balance. GOBankingRates gave it the Gold for the Best Banks in Virginia for 2025.
Atlantic Union Bank FAQ
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Atlantic Union Bank.- What is the minimum balance to avoid fees at Atlantic Union Bank?
- Though minimum balance requirements to avoid fees will vary by account, there are no fees with Free Checking. For other deposit accounts the daily balance requirement ranges from $300 to $2,500.
- What types of accounts does Atlantic Union Bank offer?
- Atlantic Union Bank offers a variety of accounts including multiple checking, savings, CD and money market account options.
- Does Atlantic Union Bank provide free checking accounts?
- Yes. Atlantic Union has a Free Checking account that has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.
- Are there any bonuses for opening an account with Atlantic Union Bank?
- Yes, though promotions will vary and operate for a limited time only, Atlantic Union Bank often offers sign-up bonuses for new customers opening an account. Make sure to check on these at your local branch to take advantage if you’re considering opening a new checking or savings account.
Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 20, 2024.Â
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
To discover the Best Banks by state, GOBankingRates analyzed the top institutions (excluding online banks and neobanks) by state branch locations. To determine rankings, GOBankingRates looked at the following factors: (1) total assets as sourced from the FDIC; (2) checking product minimum deposit; (3) monthly checking fee ratio (percentage of the minimum to avoid fees compared to the monthly fee itself); (4) savings product minimum deposit; (5) savings product APY; (6) Bauer rating (out of 5 stars); (7) products/services offered (auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services and insurance); and (8) the average mobile app rating between the Google Play (Android) and Apple stores. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factors (1), (2) and (4) were weighed 0.5 times, factor (5) was weighed 2.5 times and factor (7) was weighed 1.5 times. All products and offerings had to be available as of Nov. 8, 2024, to be considered. Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 20, 2024. To qualify as one of the Best Banks in the state, the institution needed at least five branch locations in the respective state, with some exceptions for larger and/or smaller states.
