At a Glance
Rating Breakdown
Performance Overview
Scores out of 5, based on our editorial analysis
About Huntington Bank
Huntington Bank made a calculated bet that eliminating overdraft fees would attract enough new customers to more than offset the lost fee revenue. They were right. The 24-Hour Grace period is the centerpiece: if your account goes negative Monday morning, you have until end of business Tuesday to deposit enough to cover it with zero fees charged. This is not a marketing gimmick with hidden conditions; it works exactly as advertised. On top of that, the $50 Safety Zone means overdrafts of $50 or less never trigger any fee regardless of whether you cover them within the grace window. And Standby Cash provides a $100-$1,000 interest-free, fee-free overdraft line of credit for qualifying customers. The tradeoff is straightforward: Huntington makes its money on lending margins, not deposit rates. Their savings APY is effectively zero (0.02%), and their CD rates are well below online competitors. You do not use Huntington to grow your savings. You use Huntington as the checking account that will never punish you for an honest mistake. For people who have been burned by overdraft fees at other banks, particularly those with variable income or tight cash flow, Huntington's model is a real solution. The 2021 TCF Financial acquisition expanded their footprint from primarily Ohio into the broader Midwest corridor, and they are now the largest SBA lender in America by number of loans, which makes their business banking stronger than their consumer deposit products suggest.
Key Features
24-Hour Grace Period, No Catches
The grace period runs from when the overdraft occurs until midnight the next business day. If you overdraft Friday evening, you have until end of business Monday. Weekends and holidays extend the window. There are no hidden conditions, no per-transaction limits, and no annual cap on how many times you can use it. It applies automatically to all checking accounts.
$50 Safety Zone
If your account is overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the grace period, no fee is charged and no overdraft is reported. This handles the most common overdraft scenario: a small transaction pushing your balance a few dollars negative. At most banks, that $3 coffee would trigger a $35 fee.
Standby Cash
Qualifying checking customers can access a $100-$1,000 interest-free line of credit that automatically covers overdrafts. There is no interest, no fee, and repayment is flexible. The qualification criteria include having an active checking account for at least 12 months with regular deposits. This is essentially a free overdraft protection product that costs the customer nothing.
#1 SBA Lender by Volume
Huntington originates more SBA loans by number than any other bank in the United States. For small business owners in their 11-state footprint, this is a significant draw. Their SBA lending team is specialized and experienced, and approval rates are notably higher than big bank competitors for loan amounts under $350,000.
How It Works
Open Huntington 5 Checking
The Huntington 5 Checking account includes all overdraft protections, early direct deposit, and 5 fee-free non-Huntington ATM uses per month, with no monthly fee and no minimum balance. This is the account most customers should open.
Set Up Direct Deposit
Link your payroll for Early Pay, which makes direct deposits available up to 2 business days early. This also helps qualify for Standby Cash after 12 months of account history.
Apply for Standby Cash
After 12 months with regular deposits, apply for Standby Cash to add a $100-$1,000 interest-free overdraft line. Approval is based on account behavior, not a credit pull.
Park Savings Elsewhere
Huntington's savings APY is 0.02%, which rounds to zero in practical terms. Use Huntington for checking and overdraft protection, then pair it with a high-yield savings account at Ally, Marcus, or a similar online bank for any money you are saving.
What They Do
- Checking Accounts
- Savings Accounts
- CDs
- Money Market
- Credit Cards
- Mortgages
- Auto Loans
- Personal Loans
- SBA Business Loans
Debt Types They Take On
- Huntington 5 Checking
- Asterisk-Free Checking
- Huntington 25 Checking
- Premier Savings
- Relationship Savings
- CDs
- Money Market
Fee & Cost Structure
Regulatory & Trust
Review Summary
Notable Case Studies
Overdraft Fee Elimination in Practice
Gig worker with variable weekly income switched from Chase (where she paid $280 in overdraft fees the prior year) to Huntington Asterisk-Free Checking. Over 12 months, her account went negative 7 times.
SBA Loan for Small Restaurant
Restaurant owner in Columbus, OH applied for a $150,000 SBA 7(a) loan through Huntington after being denied by two national banks for insufficient collateral.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 24-Hour Grace period eliminates overdraft punishment with no hidden conditions
- $50 Safety Zone and interest-free Standby Cash provide layered overdraft protection
- Largest SBA lender in America, making it a strong choice for small business banking
- 1,000+ branches across 11 Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states
Cons
- Savings APY of 0.02% is effectively zero; you must pair with an external high-yield account
- Branch footprint limited to 11 states; outside the Midwest, Huntington is not practical as a primary bank
- CD rates significantly below online bank competitors, making Huntington unsuitable for deposit growth
User Reviews (10)
meh
It's a bank. Does bank stuff. Nothing special nothing terrible.
Best Midwest bank hands down
Been with Huntington for 11 years. They're everywhere in Ohio. Drive-through is fast, app works, and I've never had an issue with customer service. Not the highest interest rates but I stay for convenience.
good for checking, savings rates are bad
Checking account is fine. The savings rate is pathetic though like 0.02% or something. I keep my savings at Ally and checking at Huntington. Works out.
Asterisk free checking is actually free
No minimum balance, no direct deposit requirement, no monthly fee. It's actually free checking which is getting harder and harder to find with big banks. Shoutout to Marcus at the Worthington branch for setting us up.
The 24 hour grace period saved me
I overdrafted twice last month and both times they gave me until the next business day to fix it. No fees. At my old bank that would have been $70 gone.
Hold times are insane
Tried calling about a disputed charge and waited 47 minutes. FORTY SEVEN MINUTES. Then got transferred twice and had to explain everything three times. The branch was better but come on, it's 2025.
Solid but limited geography
Great bank if you live in the Midwest. Moved to North Carolina and there's nothing. Had to keep the account open for direct deposit but can't do anything in person anymore.
They froze my account for no reason??
Deposited a check from a freelance client and they froze my ENTIRE account for "verification." Took 9 days to resolve. Nine days without access to my money. I had bills due. Called three times and nobody could give me a straight answer about when it would be released. Almost switched banks over this honestly I'm still thinking about it.
ok I guess
Would recommend if you're in Ohio or Michigan. Otherwise there are better options.
Business checking is decent
Use them for my landscaping company. The business checking has reasonable fees and the local branch knows me by name at this point. Only complaint is the business app is clunkier than the personal one.
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- Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) shown are accurate as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. APYs may vary by region and account tier. Contact the bank directly for the most current rates.
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