PNC Bank

PNC Bank Reviews

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About PNC Bank Reviews

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Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PNC Bank is one of the largest banks in the U.S. It has branch locations scattered throughout 29 states and offers checking and savings accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages and investment services. Some of PNC Bank's most popular accounts are its Virtual Wallet, which is an all-in-one checking and savings account, and its “S is for Savings” account for kids.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Branch locations in 29 states
  • Variety of account options
  • Strong mobile and online banking
  • Some bank bonuses and promotions

Cons

  • Fees on some accounts
  • Interest rates may be lower than competitors
  • Account options and rates vary by location

Bottom Line

PNC Bank is a full-service institution with a good mix of online banking and in-person branch support. It’s most known for its Virtual Wallet and “S is for Savings” account for kids. But interest rates aren’t competitive across all products, and some accounts have fees.

Featured Reviews

Verified
Los Angeles, CA

The associates, online and in-branch, are warm, professional, knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. Their products are exactly as advertised, and banking is easy and convenient. F...

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Verified
Philadelphia, PA

Love the Virtual Wallet application for PNC bank. Easy to use. Easy to transfer money. Easy to understand your balances and set up automatic transfer to alternate savings accounts...

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What is PNC Bank?

PNC Bank is a large financial institution that serves customers across the nation. Formed in 1983 after the merger of Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation, it offers both personal and business banking services as well as lending options, credit cards, insurance products, investments and more.

PNC Bank has thousands of branches across 29 states and Washington, D.C. You can reach customer service in person or by calling the support center on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

How does PNC Bank work?

You can open a PNC Bank account online or in person using your name, address, Social Security number and driver’s license. Once an account is open, you can access your accounts through the PNC mobile app or online banking platform, where you can check your balances, view transactions and pay bills.

With PNC Bank, you get access to a variety of services:

  • Virtual Wallet accounts
  • Savings accounts for kids
  • Student banking
  • Prepaid cards
  • Military banking
  • Credit cards
  • Mortgages
  • Auto loans
  • Small business banking
  • Corporate and institutional banking

Additionally, PNC Bank offers budgeting and financial management tools to help you stay on top of your finances. Its newly released feature, called “Low Cash Mode,” helps you avoid overdrafts in your Virtual Wallet account.

PNC Bank products and services

You’ll find an array of products and services at PNC designed to help you manage your finances.

PNC Bank offers a suite of checking accounts, most of which are called Virtual Wallet accounts, designed to meet the financial needs of different customers. At the time of publishing, new Virtual Wallet customers can earn a sign-up bonus worth up to $400.

Here’s a brief overview of the different checking accounts offered by PNC Bank:

Virtual Wallet

This account is designed for customers who want a simple checking and savings account with basic features, such as online and mobile banking, free mobile deposits and bill pay. It also includes the option to upgrade to a Reserve or Growth account, both of which earn interest.

Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend

Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend is best for customers who want to earn rewards for their spending. It includes all the features of the basic Virtual Wallet account, plus an interest-earning Spend account and some ATM reimbursements.

Virtual Wallet with Performance Select

Virtual Wallet with Performance Select is ideal for customers who have higher balances and want even more perks. It includes all the features of the Performance Spend account, plus additional benefits, such as higher interest rates, waived fees and higher ATM reimbursement limits.

Virtual Wallet Student

Virtual Wallet Student is designed for students who are enrolled in college. It includes all the features of the basic Virtual Wallet account, plus no monthly service charge for six years and no overdraft fees for the first overdraft.

Foundation Checking

PNC's Foundation Checking account is designed for those who have had trouble opening a traditional checking account due to past financial challenges. This account is meant to help customers build a positive banking history and transition to a more traditional checking account in the future.

PNC Prepaid Card

If you’re looking for a checking account alternative, PNC’s SmartAccess Prepaid Visa Card has no overdraft fees and comes with mobile app access, so you can track your spending on the go.

In addition to PNC’s Virtual Wallet, which comes with its own savings account, the bank also offers:
  • A Premiere Money Market account that earns a higher relationship rate
  • A Standard Savings account with overdraft protection and an auto-saving tool
  • A kids savings account called “S is for Savings,” which features goal-setting tools and financial literacy tips from “Sesame Street”
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs) with terms ranging from seven days to 10 years
PNC Bank offers several credit card options, including cash-back and points-based rewards cards and a secured card for those trying to strengthen their credit.
For those needing to borrow money, PNC offers personal loans, auto loans, student loans, mortgages and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), all with competitive rates and flexible terms.
PNC Bank provides investment options for customers looking to grow their wealth, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), brokerage accounts, education accounts, insurance and more.
You’ll find five small business checking account options at PNC, ranging from basic accounts for budding entrepreneurs to enterprise accounts for established companies. It also features an impressive lineup of savings accounts, business credit cards, merchant services, loans and lines of credit.

PNC Bank fees

Unless you’re a student, most PNC Bank checking and savings accounts have fees. However, almost all accounts offer ways to avoid fees, such as maintaining a minimum balance, setting up direct deposit or making a certain number of transactions each month.

In addition to monthly fees, here are some common PNC Bank fees you may encounter:

  • $36 per overdraft item (maximum of four items per day; can be avoided with overdraft protection)
  • $3 to $5 per transaction for non-PNC Bank ATMs
  • 3% per transaction for international transactions
  • $15 for incoming domestic and international wire transfers
  • $25 to $30 for outgoing domestic wire transfers
  • $40 to $45 for outgoing international wire transfers

PNC Bank FAQ

Does PNC Bank offer mobile banking?

Yes, PNC Bank offers mobile banking services that allow customers to manage their accounts, pay bills, deposit checks and more through the PNC mobile app.

Does PNC Bank charge monthly fees for its checking accounts?

Yes, PNC Bank charges monthly maintenance fees for most of its checking accounts. However, you can often avoid these fees by meeting certain requirements, such as maintaining a minimum balance or setting up direct deposit.

Does PNC Bank offer credit cards?

Yes, PNC Bank offers a variety of credit cards with different rewards programs and benefits, including cash-back, points-based rewards and secured cards.

Can I get an account with PNC Bank if I have bad credit?

It’s highly likely. PNC Bank has several accounts designed to help customers with bad credit, including its Foundation Checking account, SmartAccess Prepaid Visa Card and Secured Visa credit card.

Is PNC Bank legit?

PNC Bank is a legitimate and well-established financial institution that’s been serving customers for decades. With branches in 29 states, it’s a good choice for individuals who value digital banking tools but still want the option to stop by a physical location. The bank is FDIC-insured, which means deposits up to $250,000 per depositor are insured by the federal government.

PNC Bank Reviews

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Page 1 Reviews 0 - 10

Reviewed Sept. 25, 2023

We have banked with PNC for over 20 years and recently experienced a fraudulent attack, where branches cashed fake checks on our account. The $ was returned after much time and conversations (caught within 2 weeks) BUT, they blocked my account for 2 weeks and would not release the block unless I paid for their service to preview and approve every check I write... Refused to give me a letter to explain to my vendors that we were victims of fraud (which made us look like deadbeats) and prevented us from processing payroll through our provider, would give us no insight or detail as to the fraud investigation, refused to reimburse us from return fees for everything that bounced against the block. They severely impacted our ability to do business.

Spoke with approximately 12 people over 2 months until I reached retail support corporately who was unable to escalate my complaint (highest level) and would only provide me a legal address and stated that hiring an attorney would be my only recourse. They refused even to reduce our (recorded!) conversations to writing or tell me what was happening with my fraud case (internal information they'd only supply with a subpoena). All calls to fraud and legal went unanswered. I have never been treated so poorly in all my business experience. The bureaucracy and red tape makes me believe that they are covering for fear of a class action suit and to cover up their culpability. PNC is the WORST. I am moving my business banking elsewhere.

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Reviewed Sept. 23, 2023

PNC repossessed my boat and sold it at auction after failing to update my address in their system! My payments were on autopay and were going to the prior bank (my loan was sold twice). Even after proving I had requested an address change three times and a PNC employee was found to alter an official notice of repossession (updating my address), because one payment in 3 years was late over 30 days, the law states they have a right to repossess a boat (luxury item). I had moved and hadn’t lived at that address for almost two years!

Regardless, they hired a team of attorneys and I lost the lawsuit. To make matters worse, this was 4 years ago and because I refused to pay the amount due plus attorney fees, they continue to hit my credit every month stating the loan is pending repossession. I’ve never missed a payment on a loan. The only reason one payment was late was due to the first mortgage change and the customer service rep told me to wait to make my next payment until the new account was set up. This is the ONLY negative mark against my credit and my score went from the low 800’s to under 700 overnight. I have a rare blood disease and they dragged out this lawsuit probably hoping I would die. Well guess what? I’m still here and I’m pissed. If they are going to continue to ding my credit every month, I am going to let the world know. Really? Come on folks!

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    Reviewed Sept. 20, 2023

    Because PNC is named as the mortgage holder, the insurance company is required to have their name on my insurance claim check. This means I have to endorse the check, and send it to PNC. I did this, and now PNC will not send me back the difference between the principle of the mortgage (so they're fully covered) and what the claim check was for. This means I cannot pay the contractors that are doing the insured repairs to my house. I have never gotten a straight answer from them since the process began. I have been told they mailed the check (waited two weeks never saw it), that they were reissuing the check and gave me a date that I would receive it no later than.

    That date passed and I called again, found out that they hadn't done anything other than "put in a request" for a check much less than what they owed me. Now I'm told that they don't know why on any of these things, but that I have to wait another two weeks for them to process it. It's hard to tell if this bank is just incredibly incompetent, or just thieves and liars. My best guest is criminally incompetent, and they lie to cover it up.

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    Reviewed Sept. 14, 2023

    To whom this may concern/Management: I have been given the RUN AROUND for almost a whole week now and I have reached out several times to PNC customer service and so many times they transferred me to the wrong departments and finally I request to speak to a supervisor and then comes Brian who said that he will only put me on a brief hold (1-3 minutes) for a few minutes then after a call that took 1 hour 41 minutes and 51 seconds to finally not get even a a half of a percent to the solution and on top of all that they hang up on me after almost 2 hours of waiting and I had to verify my identity 5-7 times and I had to explain my story over and over again 5-7 times to finally not get any solution nor a immediate call back.

    I just got hung up on and on top of all that they revoked my account and I had no idea why this happened even after being told after several calls to PNC BANK that someone will contact me after two days and I believe 5 days have passed by and no one reached out to me and then I had to call them back instead. This was by far the Worst experience ever regarding banking customer support. I have no access to my account nor do I have a logical explanation of what’s going on. I mean this is ridiculous, no one was able to give me a straight up explanation or answer to anything regarding my account. Me as the customer I definitely don’t know what’s going, and all the PNC BANK employees and staff also don’t know what’s going on so WHO DOES??? It’s very frustrating and I know believe that it’s time to just involve the law/legal process with my lawyer regarding this unknown issue. PNC THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND VERY WRONG.

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    Reviewed Sept. 12, 2023

    Because of safety they said, I could not purchase a ticket for a conference, they had to make sure it was me. So, I authorize the transaction and it declines, I called 2 different people "customer service", they both said, try again, which I did and... declined again. On the third call a very RUDE SUPERVISOR, comes to the phone and says that after 5 times the merchant puts a hold on my card. WHICH WAS NOT MY FAULT, as I was doing what PNC employees told me to do. End of the story, I DO NOT HAVE TICKETS FOR THE CONFERENCE, IMPORTANT FOR ME and PNC... is still not authorizing my card. Even thought I have never defaulted on one payment.

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    Reviewed Aug. 31, 2023

    I have been a PNC customer for 25 years. I signed up for a PNC promotion to transfer a credit card balance from a Chase credit card to the PNC credit card. The promotion states that you will receive 15 billing cycles with 0% interest on that balance transfer amount. My balance transfer hit my new PNC card 3 weeks ago. However - my chase credit card still shows the entire transfer balance! So I am still paying interest on that balance instead of receiving 15 billing cycles of 0% interest- I am being shorted by one month of no interest. The customer service department was zero help when I called. I asked for a supervisor was transferred to someone who also was no help. I asked to speak with that person's supervisor and was told “there was no supervisor” above him. What the hell!! I am done with this bank! PNC engages in false advertising and doesn’t really care about their customers.

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    Reviewed Aug. 21, 2023

    I deposited check on July 13th 2023, cleared from my friend account on 14th July 2023. I still have not received credit in my account Aug 21st 2023. Called them Aug 3rd they told me they need to verify owner of the check. I was on hold for 30 mins then I hang up. Calling again on 21st Aug. Same damn thing. We need to verify owner of the check. I did online transfer from my another bank to PNC Wednesday. Money go deducted from my account on Thursday, it’s Monday today. Still no credit in my PNC account. This bank is holding people money for no reason.

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    Reviewed Aug. 11, 2023

    I am a 10 year customer. We fell victim to a scam. We caught it and brought it to their attention. We spoke to 9 different people, filled out a police report, etc. Their response to a customer who’s never missed a payment was to close all our accounts. No notice or communication. Absolute **! I will tell everyone I know to never use PNC for any banking or investment needs.

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    Reviewed Aug. 11, 2023

    I would give zero stars if I could. Been a customer for 20 + years. Never an issue until the last 2 years. Kirkwood, MO branch is incompetent. Just paid a house payment and they deducted it twice back to back. First a rep said it was the other bank. The other bank said no. Next day a different rep said it was their fault. Now there's an investigation. Meantime checks are bouncing and fees are assessed. No money to access for four days now. Said they would correct it two days ago. Last conversation was this will take time and maybe we can arrange a provisional credit while they check into their mistake. Don’t bank here.

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    Reviewed Aug. 7, 2023

    I recently had deposited a check via mobile app and apparently they can just deposit it whenever they want to and while you're waiting for your money that you should already have access to, they allow you to go in the negative. Isn't that nice! I am $200 negative in my account and a supervisor had the gall to ask if I was in any financial crisis. Another really great thing is if you do want access to that money that should already be available to you, is you can pay extra to get YOUR money faster. So if I want to not be in the negative I have to spend more money to get my money. Switching banks IMMEDIATELY.

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    PNC Bank Company Information

    Company Name:
    PNC
    Year Founded:
    1852
    City:
    Pittsburgh
    State/Province:
    PA
    Country:
    United States
    Website:
    www.pnc.com