Are you are curious what effect you checking account has on your credit score? Don’t worry. Banks check your credit score when you open credit accounts like loans, mortgages, and credit cards. Creditors send a request to credit bureaus like TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Then the bureau registers the inquiry and every future creditor knows that someone checked your creditworthiness. Checking is another type of bank account.

When the bank opens a checking account aka a debit account, it requests ChexSystems. It is another bureau that keeps records of issues like a closing checking account with a negative balance. As a rule of thumb you should always keep some extra money on your checking account when you are about to close it. Opening and closing a checking account by itself doesn’t affect your credit score. But if you close an account with a negative balance, the bank makes a record in ChexSystems that you are not a trustworthy client so that other banks be aware.

Some banks like to check information about future customers before approving them for a new account. It means if you have a bad reputation some big banks can reject your next application for a checking account. It is a big deal if you like to churn a signup bonus from big banks. Banks like Chase, Wells Fargo, and PNC Bank often offer a bonus of $200 when you open a checking account and receive a direct deposit. However, you can use prepaid cards like American Express Bluebird or second-chance banks like Chime bank. The negative mark on your name is not forever, it will expire and disappear from ChexSystems after 7 years.

Opening a Bank Of America checking account doesn’t affect credit score too. It works in the same way for other banks. But when you apply for a Bank Of America credit account, it makes a hard pull of your credit score and it drops FICO a few points south.

Here is a list of new credit accounts that includes credit cards and auto loans. Can you see that there are no checking accounts are in the list?

With this in mind we conclude that opening bank account doesn’t affect your credit score. If you open a no fee account like Chime with a signup bonus can actually give you a $100.