Bank of America checking accounts do not include credit monitoring as a standard feature
Bank of America does not offer credit monitoring through its standard checking accounts. If you hold a basic Bank of America checking account—whether it's the Advantage SafePass, Advantage Plus, or Premium Rewards checking—you do not receive access to credit monitoring, credit scores, or identity theft protection as part of the account itself.
Bank of America does offer credit monitoring and identity theft protection through separate products and services, but these are not bundled with checking. You would need to purchase them separately or hold specific premium accounts that include them as add-ons. The distinction matters because many banks now include credit monitoring with checking accounts at no extra cost, so knowing what Bank of America does and does not provide helps you decide whether to look elsewhere or add these services on your own.
Key Takeaways
- Standard Bank of America checking accounts do not include credit monitoring, credit scores, or identity theft protection.
- Bank of America offers credit monitoring through separate paid products like MyCredit Guide and identity theft protection plans, which you purchase independently.
- Some Bank of America credit cards include credit score tracking and identity theft protection, but these are card benefits, not checking account benefits.
- If credit monitoring is important to you, compare it against other banks that bundle it into checking accounts at no cost.
- You can obtain free credit monitoring from other sources, including the three major credit bureaus and non-bank services, without opening a Bank of America account.
What Bank of America checking accounts actually include
Bank of America checking accounts focus on transaction features, not credit monitoring. The Advantage SafePass account includes online and mobile banking, bill pay, and access to Bank of America's ATM network. The Advantage Plus account adds overdraft protection and a higher interest rate on balances. The Premium Rewards checking account ties rewards to debit card spending and includes higher interest rates.
None of these accounts bundle credit monitoring. Bank of America does provide fraud monitoring on your checking account itself—meaning they watch for unauthorized transactions on the account—but that is different from credit monitoring. Fraud monitoring alerts you to suspicious activity on your specific account. Credit monitoring tracks your credit report across all lenders and alerts you when new accounts are opened in your name or when inquiries appear on your file.
Where Bank of America offers credit monitoring separately
Bank of America sells credit monitoring through MyCredit Guide, a separate service you can purchase. This product provides access to your credit score, credit report information, and alerts when changes occur on your credit file. It is not free and is not included with checking.
Bank of America also offers identity theft protection plans through a third-party provider. These plans cover identity theft monitoring, fraud resolution information, and sometimes credit monitoring as part of a bundle. Again, these are separate purchases, not checking account features.
If you hold a Bank of America credit card, some cards include credit score tracking and identity theft protection as card benefits. The Bank of America Premium Rewards card, for example, includes access to your credit score and identity theft protection. But this comes from the card, not from a checking account.
How this compares to other banks
Many banks now include credit monitoring or credit score access with checking accounts at no additional cost. Chase, for example, includes credit score tracking with some of its checking accounts. Discover includes free credit score monitoring with its checking account. Capital One 360 includes credit monitoring with checking.
If credit monitoring is a feature you want without paying extra, Bank of America checking may not be the best fit. You would need to either pay for MyCredit Guide separately, hold one of their credit cards that includes it, or open a checking account at a different bank that bundles it in.
Free credit monitoring outside of Bank of America
You do not need a Bank of America account to access credit monitoring. The three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—each offer free credit monitoring and free annual credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also check your credit report directly from each bureau's website.
Non-bank services like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame offer free credit score tracking and monitoring without requiring you to open any bank account. These services are funded by lenders who use the data, so they remain free to you. If you want credit monitoring but do not want to pay Bank of America for it, these free options cover the basics.
Why the distinction between fraud monitoring and credit monitoring matters
Your Bank of America checking account includes fraud monitoring on the account itself. This means Bank of America watches for unauthorized transactions—someone using your debit card without permission, for example—and alerts you to suspicious activity. This is valuable protection for your checking account specifically.
Credit monitoring is broader. It watches your credit file across all lenders and alerts you when someone opens a new credit card in your name, takes out a loan, or makes a hard inquiry on your credit. Fraud monitoring on your checking account will not catch this activity because it only watches that one account. If identity theft happens, you want both: fraud monitoring on your accounts and credit monitoring on your credit file. Bank of America provides the first for free with checking; you have to pay for the second or get it elsewhere.
What to do if you want credit monitoring with your Bank of America checking
If you want to keep your Bank of America checking account and add credit monitoring, you have three routes. First, you can purchase MyCredit Guide directly from Bank of America. Second, you can explore for a Bank of America credit card that includes credit score tracking and identity theft protection as a card benefit. Third, you can sign up for free credit monitoring through Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, Credit Karma, or Credit Sesame and use that alongside your Bank of America checking account.
The third option costs nothing and requires no additional Bank of America product. Many people use this approach: they keep their checking account where it is and layer in free credit monitoring from a non-bank source. This separates the decision about where to bank from the decision about where to monitor credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bank of America check my credit when I open a checking account?
Bank of America performs a soft credit inquiry when you open a checking account, which does not affect your credit score. They also check ChexSystems, a banking history database, to see if you have had problems with previous bank accounts. This is standard practice across banks and is not the same as credit monitoring.
If I get a Bank of America credit card, do I get credit monitoring with my checking account too?
No. Credit card benefits explore only to the card. If your Bank of America credit card includes credit score tracking or identity theft protection, you can use those benefits, but they do not extend to your checking account. The checking account itself still does not include credit monitoring.
Can I see my credit score through Bank of America online banking?
Only if you have a Bank of America credit card that includes credit score access, or if you purchase MyCredit Guide. Standard checking account holders cannot view their credit score through Bank of America's online banking platform without buying a separate service.
What happens if someone commits fraud using my Bank of America checking account?
Bank of America's fraud monitoring will detect unauthorized transactions on your account and alert you. You can dispute fraudulent charges, and Bank of America will investigate. However, if someone opens credit accounts in your name using your personal information, that is identity theft and requires credit monitoring to catch—fraud monitoring on your checking account alone will not detect it.
Is MyCredit Guide worth the cost?
That depends on what you need. If you want credit monitoring bundled with your bank and do not want to manage multiple services, MyCredit Guide integrates with your Bank of America account. If you are willing to use free services like Credit Karma or the bureaus' free monitoring, you can save the cost. Compare what each service offers and what you actually use before deciding.