Checking-HeroImage-mobile-393x274
Everyday Rewards

Checking Pays Debit Card Rewards Account

Checking Pays rewards members up to 3% cash back for everyday purchases. Enjoy no monthly fees and ATM fee refunds when you complete simple monthly actions like using your debit card and receiving a direct deposit.
ACCOUNT OVERVIEW

What is Checking Pays?

Checking Pays is a free rewards checking account from Keesler Federal that helps members earn up to 3% cash back and additional benefits through everyday banking activity. By using your debit card and completing simple monthly qualifications, you can earn rewards while managing your money with convenient digital banking tools.

  • No minimum balance required to earn rewards

  • No monthly maintenance fees

  • Earn up to 3.00% cash back on debit card purchases, up to $300 in total purchases¹

  • Up to $9 total cash back per monthly qualification cycle¹

  • Nationwide ATM fee refunds up to $25 per month (maximum $4.99 per transaction)¹

  • Get paid early with Priority Pay — Get your direct deposit up to two days early in your Keesler Federal personal checking or savings account.

  • Checking Saver account included — a free savings account that automatically grows with each dividend reward

  • Add-on extra benefits such as travel and dining rewards.

Friends laughing at a gathering.

How a Checking Pays Account Works

Checking Pays rewards members for everyday banking activity such as using a debit card and managing money through digital banking tools.
checking-icon-white
Open Your Checking Pays Account
Start by opening a Checking Pays account online, by phone or at a branch. Once your account is active, you can begin using your debit card and digital banking tools.
card-1-icon-white
Use Your Debit Card for Purchases
Use your debit card for everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, and online shopping. Debit card activity is one of the key ways members qualify to earn account rewards.
digital-icon-white
Enroll in Digital Banking
Enroll in online and mobile banking to monitor account activity, transfer funds, deposit checks, and manage your finances anytime.
checklist-icon-white
Meet Monthly Reward Requirements
Complete the required monthly transactions and activities to qualify for Checking Pays rewards.
Reward Qualifications

How to Qualify for Checking Pays Rewards

Checking Pays rewards members who actively use their checking account for everyday banking. To earn rewards during each Monthly Qualification Cycle, the following activities must post and settle to your account.

  • At least one direct deposit, ACH credit, or ACH payment transaction

  • At least 12 debit card purchases during the qualification cycle

  • Enrollment in online banking with eStatements

If monthly qualifications are not met, the account remains free and members can qualify again during the next monthly cycle.

Woman looking at paperwork at a desk.
Add-on Account Features

Optional Benefits and Account Enhancements

Checking Pays includes built-in rewards and optional account enhancements that help members get more value from everyday banking. Members can choose additional benefits such as lifestyle rewards or identity protection services to expand the advantages of their checking account.
Ultimate Benefits

Ultimate Benefits is an optional enhancement available to Checking Pays members who want access to additional lifestyle savings and everyday rewards. This feature bundle provides discounts, protection services, and travel perks that help members save money on purchases they already make.

Benefits may include:

  • Travel discounts and rental car savings with 3–5% cash back opportunities

  • Entertainment savings through TicketXpress for movies, sports, concerts, and more

  • Purchase protection and extended warranty coverage for eligible purchases

  • Cell phone protection coverage up to $600

  • Cash back rewards from more than 3,000 online merchants

  • Local merchant discounts through participating community businesses

  • Health savings including pharmacy, dental, vision, and hearing discounts

  • Pet health insurance savings on medical and wellness plans

  • Mobile savings tools that help members access deals from thousands of retailers

Ultimate Benefits is available for $3.99 per month, charged to your Keesler Federal checking account. A Keesler Federal checking account is required to enroll.

AdobeStock-213792629
AdobeStock-213792629
Ultimate Benefits

Ultimate Benefits is an optional enhancement available to Checking Pays members who want access to additional lifestyle savings and everyday rewards. This feature bundle provides discounts, protection services, and travel perks that help members save money on purchases they already make.

Benefits may include:

  • Travel discounts and rental car savings with 3–5% cash back opportunities

  • Entertainment savings through TicketXpress for movies, sports, concerts, and more

  • Purchase protection and extended warranty coverage for eligible purchases

  • Cell phone protection coverage up to $600

  • Cash back rewards from more than 3,000 online merchants

  • Local merchant discounts through participating community businesses

  • Health savings including pharmacy, dental, vision, and hearing discounts

  • Pet health insurance savings on medical and wellness plans

  • Mobile savings tools that help members access deals from thousands of retailers

Ultimate Benefits is available for $3.99 per month, charged to your Keesler Federal checking account. A Keesler Federal checking account is required to enroll.

AdobeStock492038594
Ultimate ID® Plus

Ultimate ID® Plus provides identity theft monitoring and protection services that help safeguard your financial information and personal data.

Benefits may include:

  • $1 million identity theft insurance coverage

  • Daily three-bureau credit monitoring

  • Instant credit inquiry alerts

  • Secure credential vault for passwords and personal information

  • Fully managed identity restoration services

  • Lost document replacement assistance

  • Internet and dark web monitoring

  • Driver’s license and Social Security number monitoring

  • Medical identity monitoring and protection

Ultimate ID® Plus is available for $7.00 per month, charged to your Keesler Federal checking account.

Early Pay

Get Paid Early with Priority Pay

Priority Pay* lets you receive your direct deposit up to two days early in your eligible Keesler Federal checking or savings account. To get started, download and complete the Direct Deposit Form to set up direct deposit with your employer or payer.

Once your direct deposit is submitted, funds are made available as soon as they are received. Future payments may be available up to two days earlier than your scheduled payday, depending on when the deposit is sent.

Priority Pay is free and provides a secure way to access your money sooner without relying on paper checks.

Woman at cafe looking at a cell phone.
Checking Pays FAQ

Checking Pays Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the Checking Pays checking account, including how rewards work, qualification requirements, and account benefits.

No. To open a checking account, members are required to have a savings share account with a minimum $5 balance at all times.

Yes, each debit card linked to your checking account must have the same Smart Change status.

During business hours, call Keesler Federal. After hours, use the listed card activation, PIN change, lost or stolen card, or fraud alert numbers depending on card type and need. 

Each debit card purchase will still appear on your account for the actual amount of the transaction. At the end of each business day, one Smart Change transfer will be made for the total of the rounded up difference for each of your debit card purchases posted on that day. This transfer will appear as on your account as a single line item transaction.

Example:

Day 1 Debit Purchase: Gas $28.15

Day 1 Debit Purchase: Grocery $55.48

Day 1 Debit Purchase: Amazon $44.75

Day 1 Smart Change Transfer to Savings: $1.62 (.85 +.52 +.25)

If your account balance is insufficient to cover the entire amount of your automatic Smart Change transfer, we will only transfer the amount of funds up to a $0.00 (zero) balance.

Example: Your checking account balance is $1.00. Your round up funds for that day totals $1.50. In this case, Smart Change will only transfer $1.00 to your Smart Change savings account. If your account has a negative balance, the entire Smart Change transfer for that day will be skipped.

NOTE: There are no “catch up” transfers for skipped transactions due to an insufficient balance. Transfers can only occur on the same day that your debit card purchases post. Please also be aware that although your Smart Change transfer amount will be adjusted (or skipped) for an insufficient or negative balance, your actual purchase amount will still post even if it results in an overdraft on your account.

Yes, you may make up to 6 withdrawals per month through online and mobile banking or by calling or visiting a branch.

You can order checks online, by calling our Member Contact Center or visiting a branch. You will need your routing number, account number, and zip code.

The debit card you ordered during the sign up process should arrive in 7-10 days. Once you have activated it, be sure to add it your preferred digital wallet.

No. Smart Change savings accounts can only receive funds via automatic system transfers resulting from your debit card purchases.

1Qualification Information

Account transactions and activities may take one or more days to post and settle to the account and all must do so during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in order to qualify for the account’s rewards. The following activities do not count toward earning account rewards: ATM-processed transactions, transfers between accounts, debit card purchases processed by merchants and received by our credit union as ATM transactions, non-retail payment transactions and purchases made with debit cards not issued by our credit union. Transactions bundled together by merchants and received by our institution as a single transaction count as a single transaction for the purpose of earning account rewards.

“Monthly Qualification Cycle” means the current statement cycle.

Click here for Monthly Qualification Cycle dates.

“Statement Cycle” means the period of time for which our credit union provides a summary of the financial activities and transactions that post and settle to the accountholder’s account. Visit www.kfcu.org/save-spend-borrow/checking/ for specific Statement Cycle dates.

3Reward Information:

When Checking Pays qualifications are met during a Monthly Qualification Cycle, you will receive 3.00% cash back on up to a total of $300 debit card purchases that post and settle to the account during that cycle period. A maximum of $9.00 cash back payments may be earned per Monthly Qualification Cycle.

You will receive reimbursements up to an aggregate total of $25.00 for nationwide ATM withdrawal fees incurred within your Checking Pays account during that Monthly Qualification Cycle. We reimburse ATM withdrawal fees based on estimates when the withdrawal information we receive does not identify the ATM withdrawal fee. If you have not received an appropriate reimbursement, we will adjust the reimbursement amount if we receive the transaction receipt within sixty (60) calendar days of the withdrawal transaction.

When your Checking Pays account qualifications are not met, no cash back payments are made and ATM withdrawal fees are not refunded.

Cash back payments and nationwide ATM withdrawal fee reimbursements will be credited to your Checking Pays account on the first day following the current statement cycle.

Rates, rewards, and bonuses, if any, are variable and may change after account is opened without notice to you. No minimum balance is required to earn or receive the account’s rewards. Rewards less than a penny cannot be distributed.

Additional Information:

Membership restrictions may apply.

Account approval, conditions, qualifications, limits, timeframes, enrollments, log-ons and other requirements apply.

$25 minimum deposit is required to open the account.

Having at least 1 direct deposit, ACH credit, or ACH payment transaction are conditions of this account.

Enrollment in electronic services (e.g. online banking, e-statements) and log-ons may be required to meet some of the account’s qualifications.

Limit of 1 account(s) per social security number.

There are no recurring monthly maintenance charges or fees to open or close this account.

This account is not to be used for commercial purposes. If the account is closed, you will forfeit any rewards that have not been credited to your account.

Advertised information and rewards are based on all account qualifications being met during each cycle period.

Contact one of our credit union service representatives for additional information, account details, restrictions, reward calculations, processing limitations, cycle dates and enrollment instructions.

*Priority Pay

Eligible direct deposits are limited to electronic deposits of items such as your payroll, pension, and government benefits made through ACH. Other deposits or credits to your account such as deposits of funds from person-to-person payment services, checks or mobile deposits, and other online transfers or electronic credits are not eligible.

Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer, Generally, funds are available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to two days earlier than the scheduled payment date. Early availability of direct deposits is not guaranteed and may vary from deposit to deposit. Any direct deposit not posted early will be made available in accordance with the payment instructions in the ACH file.

Daily transaction limits apply. New member hold limits apply. Federal holidays may affect availability. Available for personal accounts only.

After we have made the deposit available to you and you have withdrawn funds, you remain responsible if any deposit to your account is returned or uncollected by Keesler Federal.