MidFirst Bank Review: Plenty of Options With Waivable Fees

By Cynthia Measom

January 18, 2022

GOBankingRates Score

4.3

Quick Take: MidFirst offers a host of banking products and services, including a variety of checking accounts and the option to waive monthly service fees. The bank also prides itself on providing highly personalized customer service and well-trained staff to assist customers with their financial goals.

• Minimum Opening Deposits
  4.0
• Monthly Fees
  4.0
• Customer Service
  4.5
• Account Options
  4.5

How did we calculate this?

About MidFirst Bank

MidFirst Bank, with over $31.3 billion in assets, ranks as the largest privately owned bank in the United States. Even though it can compete with larger banks when it comes to the range of products and services it offers, it strives to act as a community-oriented bank in the personalized way that it serves its customers. The bank serves 900,000 customers across the nation and has primary markets located in Oklahoma, Phoenix, Dallas and Denver. Find out why MidFirst Bank made GOBankingRates’ list of Top 100 Banks for 2022.

Checking Accounts

MidFirst Bank has five checking accounts, which makes it easier to find a checking solution that works well with your financial goals. Here are the details for each account.

LiveFree Checking

Just like its name states, this no-frills account is free of monthly maintenance fees. It’s designed for depositors who want to be able to complete banking tasks online but aren’t interested in earning interest or relationship discounts. The account requires a minimum deposit of $100 to open, and there’s no monthly service charge as long as you opt for eStatements.

eChecking

MidFirst’s eChecking account also requires a $100 minimum opening deposit, but this account allows you to earn an increased interest rate on balances up to $20,000. To earn the increased rate, you’ll need to complete at least 15 debit card transactions and one direct deposit or online bill payment. This account includes a $10 monthly service charge that can be waived with a $500 average daily balance or a $250 monthly recurring direct deposit.

M Account

If you’re looking for a more traditional checking account, the M account is a non-interest-bearing account that requires a $100 minimum opening deposit. It includes free money orders and official checks, as well as discounts on wallet checks and safe deposit boxes. If you prefer paper statements, the fee is $4, but it’s waived for account holders who are 60 or older. Additionally, the $10 monthly service charge is waived if you have at least one of the following: a $250 monthly recurring direct deposit, a $1,000 average daily balance or $50,000 in combined deposit balances.

M+ Account

The M+ account has the same benefits as the M Account, such as free money orders and official checks, plus discounts on wallet checks and safe deposit boxes. However, unlike the M Account, this account allows you to earn interest and does not have a paper statement fee. The account requires a minimum opening deposit of $100, and there is a $15 monthly service charge. But the bank will waive it if you have a $2,500 minimum average daily balance or $50,000 in combined deposits.

Go! Checking

Students ages 17 to 24 can qualify to open a Go! Checking account, which does not include a monthly service charge. The account requires just $25 to open. Individuals who are younger than 17 can open this account jointly with a parent or guardian. If paper statements are desired, a $4 monthly fee applies.

Savings Accounts

MidFirst has a couple of savings options to choose from.

Performance Savings

If you’re looking for a savings account that has a low minimum balance requirement to avoid a monthly service charge, this is it. All you have to do is maintain an average daily balance of $250, and you won’t have to pay the $4 monthly service fee. The account requires a $100 minimum opening deposit, and interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. It also allows for six free withdrawals per monthly statement cycle; each withdrawal in excess during the same month will incur a fee of $8.

iSave Savings Program

The iSave Savings Program is designed for children under 17 to help them establish good saving habits with a reward for their efforts. After 12 consecutive deposits, MidFirst Bank will match 50% of the average of the highest single deposit each month for a total of $25 each year. The minimum opening deposit for this account is $25, and there’s no monthly service charge. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. Upon account opening, your child will receive a handy custom deposit journal to track savings.

Money Market Account

The Titanium Money Market account requires a $100 minimum opening deposit and offers tiered interest rates to increase earning potential. A $10 monthly service charge applies if your average daily balance is lower than $5,000. If you happen to exceed the six free withdrawals limit in a month, a $10 fee applies to each additional withdrawal that month.

CD Rates

MidFirst Bank offers two certificate of deposit options. Here’s more about each one, including their rates.

Relationship CD

MidFirst’s Relationship CD offers a range of terms and interest rates to help you meet your investment needs. Terms range from 91 days up to 10 years, with interest rates from 0.10% APY to 0.70% APY, and minimum opening balances are as low as $1,000. Interest is compounded daily, and you can earn rate increases based on your relationship.

Callable Relationship CD

With the callable feature on this type of CD, MidFirst can redeem the CD any time after the designated lock period, which means you’ll receive the stated APY for the investment period. Terms range from two to seven years, and lock periods range from three months to two years. You’ll have to have a bit more cash on hand to open a Callable Relationship CD, which requires a $5,000 minimum opening deposit. APYs range from 0.20% to 0.60%, depending on term, and you may qualify for interest rate increases if your CD is part of a Relationship Package.

Banking Experience

Now that you know more about the types of deposit accounts MidFirst Bank offers, here are some of its standout features.

Minimum Opening Deposits

The minimum opening deposits at MidFirst Bank are competitive. All of the checking options require a $100 minimum opening deposit, excluding the Go! Checking account, which requires $25. The Performance Savings account requires a $100 minimum opening deposit, and the iSave Savings Program, designed for children under 17, requires a $25 minimum opening deposit. The money market account requires a $100 minimum opening deposit, and the certificates of deposit require $1,000 or $5,000.

Monthly Fees

While some of the account options at MidFirst, such as the LiveFree Checking, the Go! Checking and iSave Savings Program, don’t include any monthly fees, the monthly fees that MidFirst bank does charge are affordable and can all be waived as long as you meet qualifying requirements. For example, checking options that include monthly service fees are $10 or $15, but the bank will waive them as long as you meet average daily balance requirements, direct deposit requirements or combined balance requirements.

Customer Service

MidFirst Bank takes pride in training its staff well and offers personalized customer service seven days per week. Although the bank’s automated line is available 24/7, MidFirst Bank allows you to call in and speak to a personal banker seven days per week, which is a step above what some other banks offer. A banking representative is available at 888-643-3477 Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. CT.

Checking Account Options

While other banks may offer just one or two checking account options, the number of checking accounts MidFirst offers stand out. The bank offers five checking options, and two of them (LiveFree Checking and Go! Checking) are free of monthly service fees. Plus, the other options offer depositors a way to easily avoid the fees.

Easy$ave Option

MidFirst also offers its Easy$ave option to customers, which can help you save without having to think about it and add a boost to your savings balance. To enroll, you must be an owner of a MidFirst consumer checking account with an active debit card and also have a linked MidFirst consumer savings or money market account. Once enrolled, each time you make a debit card transaction, MidFirst will round up your purchase to the nearest dollar and deposit the difference in your linked consumer savings or money market account. According to MidFirst data, an average daily transfer amount of $1.46 for 250 business days would add up to $365 in annual savings.

Editor’s Favorite

The choice of account options — especially when it comes to checking — gives depositors a chance to pick an account that meets their financial needs and goals. Plus, every account that charges a monthly fee has options for waiving it.

MidFirst Bank vs. Competitors

To understand whether MidFirst’s offerings might align with your financial goals, it can be helpful to see how it measures up to its competitors.

MidFirst Bank vs. Bank of Oklahoma

Bank of Oklahoma offers checking accounts with low minimum opening deposits of $50, while all but one of MidFirst’s checking accounts require a minimum deposit of $100. That one account, however, is Go! Checking, which is available for younger customers up to 24 years old. Bank of Oklahoma’s student checking option is available only to those under 18.

MidFirst Bank vs. BancFirst

BancFirst is more convenient for Oklahoma customers who prefer banking in person because the bank boasts it has more locations than any other in Oklahoma. However, MidFirst Bank has locations in states other than Oklahoma, which means its products and services are accessible by a wider customer base.

MidFirst Bank vs. Arvest Bank

Arvest Bank offers six checking options to MidFirst’s five options. However, MidFirst’s checking account options include a student checking account, which Arvest doesn’t offer.

Final Take

MidFirst Bank is a full-service bank with plenty of account options and waivable service fees. While the rates may not be as good as some other banks offer, the bank is still worth considering if you live near one of its locations. Additionally, the bank offers live customer service seven days per week, which is not the standard among banks. Consider opening an account with MidFirst if you live in one of its service areas and believe it’s the right bank for you.

Rates are subject to change. Information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 30, 2021.

This content is not provided by MidFirst Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by MidFirst Bank.

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About the Author

Cynthia Measom

Cynthia Measom is a personal finance writer and editor with over 12 years of collective experience. Her articles have been featured in MSN, AOL, Yahoo Finance, INSIDER, Houston Chronicle, The Seattle Times and The Network Journal. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.