As someone who has been in your shoes, I do understand that for one reason or the other, it can be necessary to bank without ID. Generally, however, most banks tend to adhere to regulations, which means they would require your ID to meet legal jurisdictional requirements. Fortunately, though, you still have options. So in this post, I will tell you how I do free online banking no ID required for any of the online banks in this list.
The situation has put you in a position you need to skim through and just bank right away without the bottlenecks of identity verifications. This is possible—you will learn how to just “open and use” with a few clicks. However, while you can get free online banking with no ID required, there will be limitations. This is due to the missing KYC (know your customer) protocol. It might be worth it after all.
Table of Contents
Can I Get Free Online Banking with No ID?
Yes, you can get free online banking with no ID. I know this because I have various online bank accounts that do not require my ID. When you open a free online bank account without your ID, you will face limitations.
As I explained earlier, banks everywhere, including in the United States, need you to provide some form of identification. This is necessary to prove who you are when opening a bank account online. Many popular money transfer services and payment apps (also called neo banks) allow you to send and receive small amounts without identity verification. However, there might be issues with channeling funds through banks which require proper KYC procedures. In this case, they require bank verifications as a form of ID.
Some payment apps are lax in applying KYC rules and might consider a ‘personal account’ with a low turnover to be “low risk”. These are the services we’d be looking into in the next section of this article.
However, it has to be said that most of these apps have certain limits. So, expect the limits to prevent you from using the money services to send or receive large amounts of money with no ID required. That said, the payment apps we’re going to be talking about would need you to verify with an ID if you intend to use them for anything ‘serious’.
- Open A Bank Account In Denmark
- French Bank Account For Non Residents
- Open Citibank Checking Account Online
- How To Open a Bank Account Online In UAE
- Open South African Bank Account Online For Residents/Non-Residents
- U.S. Bank Checking Account
Free Online Banking No ID Required
You can experience the ease of free online banking no ID required with almost any of the virtual bank accounts or payment apps. I have compiled the best on this list, paying attention to the convenience of signing up and availability to everyone. As I mentioned earlier, these online banking apps come with restrictions, typically the amount of money you can send daily, weekly, or monthly.
Here are my best recommendations:
1. Venmo
This innovative platform offers you free online banking with no ID required. With Venmo, you can do quite a bit without needing to prove who you are. You can send money to others or pay businesses using your bank account, credit card, or debit card. Receiving money from fellow Venmo users and transferring it to your bank account is also possible.
However, if you have not done the identity verification yet, there is a weekly spending limit of $299.99. This limit covers person-to-person payments and payments to authorized sellers. If you eventually decide to verify your identity on Venmo, open the app, go to the Me tab, click the Settings gear in the top right corner, and then select Identity Verification.
Once verified, you can send up to $60,000 per week through Venmo. You can also spend up to a combined total of $7,000 each week on various purchases. This includes using your in-store QR code, making online checkouts with Venmo, and using Venmo in other apps.
Payments to other users on Venmo contribute to this purchase limit, and your payments might be declined for other reasons besides these limits.
2. Cash App
It will be no justice if I do not mention Cash App as one of the best apps for “free online banking no ID required”. One thing we traditionally know about Cash App is convenience for everyday transactions. You can use Cash App without giving your ID. Just download the app, create an account, and when Cash App asks for your SSN, simply click Skip. You won’t have access to all the features, but you can still use some of them.
Cash App supports two banking options:
- Verified
- Unverified
If you verify your Cash App account, you will need to provide your full legal name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your SSN to the app. On the other hand, if you are unverified, you can still use the app, but there are limits on how much you can send or receive in specific time frames.
For unverified accounts, the sending limit within a one-week period is $250, and the receiving limit within a one-month period is $1,000. Nonetheless, be mindful of the sending and receiving limits for unverified accounts. You can review your transaction history to keep track of your limits.
Sign Up3. Wise
Formerly known as TransferWise, Wise has a virtual bank account called the “Borderless Account” that lets you hold different currencies. With this account, you can handle money in up to 28 different currencies and send money abroad at lower rates. You only pay a small and clear fee for this service, and you’ll always see these upfront.
It’s a new account designed for those living who need bank accounts in other countries. It lets you pay, get paid, and spend with your Wise debit card around the world. In addition to this, there are no hidden fees, and you’ll no longer need bank accounts in multiple countries. So, I leveraged this banking system as a way to enjoy free online banking no ID required – but with limitations.
Anyone can sign up for this account easily online. Signing up for a Wise Borderless Account is always easy. You just need to give basic information, including your name and address.
That means you’ll get:
- A UK account number and sort code
- A European IBAN
- A US account number, routing number, and wiring number
- An Australian account number and BSB number
These are your personal bank details. You can give them to your friends, family, companies, or people in the UK, Europe, US, and Australia. They can send you money in the local currency of each country, and nobody has to pay extra fees.
But sometimes, especially when you’re moving significant amounts of money, Wise might ask for identity verification. The requirements for verification usually depend on your location.
Sign Up4. Payoneer
For those on the hunt for platforms that offer online banking no ID required then Payoneer ranks up there amongst the best you can think of. Payoneer is a global payment platform that offers virtual bank accounts to people and businesses. It allows you to get paid in various currencies and even provides you with a Mastercard debit card.
You can sign up without an ID, and there are no monthly fees. However, for certain transactions, you might need to provide some personal information.
Payoneer allows you to receive funds to your unverified account, even from another Payoneer account (verified or unverified). However, this comes under the condition that your Payoneer must have received up to $1000 from a company or agency such as Amazon, Upwork, Fiverr, ClickBank, etc. Outside this, you can’t make transfers to another account as this requirement is a must. Also, you may face delays in your transactions if unverified. The good news is that you can withdraw the funds as long as you have verified your bank account.
Sign Up5. PayPal
If you reside in a PayPal-supported country, then you have access to free online banking no ID required as long as you do not hold a PayPal balance. When you sign up on PayPal, they only ask you for information, including your name, email address, etc. If you hold a balance, PayPal is under a legal obligation to confirm your identity.
PayPal is not a bank, however, they have to comply with the same government regulations as other financial institutions. So, as someone who is not interested in using an ID, you’ll only be able to send money and make PayPal purchases using your bank or debit/credit card. Therefore, you only need to verify your bank on PayPal. During this process, you will receive two deposits from PayPal, and then use the deposit amounts to verify your bank.
Sign UpLimitations You Might Face with Online Banking Without ID Verification
When you try to access any financial service without verifying your ID, below are some limitations you you should expect.
1. Limited Transactions
In most cases, you are only allowed to send or receive a limited amount of funds per day, week, or month. This means that if your limit is $99 daily, you cannot send $100. Also, if your receiving limit is $250 for the week, people sending you money will not be able to – the funds will simply be reversed to their account. Some apps will notify you of the funds but with a requirement to verify your ID to access the funds within a set period.
2. Limited Features
On some online banks, you won’t get access to certain features or services if you haven’t verified your ID. PayPal, for example, will not allow you to hold a PayPal balance. This means that all your funds go straight to your linked bank account.
Conclusion
The online banking services I have mentioned in this post are just the best of them regarding the focus of this discussion “free online banking no ID required”. All in all, your acceptance comes with transaction limitations that might just be reasonable. The most important thing is that you have a bank account. you will need to verify your bank account to link to the online banking app. Some will also take prepaid cards.