Goodbye, Discover. It's been fun while it lasted.
After seeing more and more posts from employees unhappy with the merger, along with the early signs of Discover accounts being folded into the Capital One brand, it really feels like the writing is on the wall for the Discover checking.
That’s honestly disappointing because Discover used to be one of the best checking accounts out there. But with the Capital One merger, it seems like the things that made Discover feel different are slowly starting to get peeled away. Even though I haven’t personally seen anything officially announced about Discover checking accounts yet, I have seen some discussion and posts on here around Discover savings accounts, and the uncertainty alone was enough to make me start looking elsewhere.
Right now, Primis Bank looks like one of the strongest alternatives. Their checking options are pretty solid: Primis Perks Checking offers 1% cash back on debit card purchases with no cap unlike discover, no overdraft fees, free nationwide ATM use, early direct deposit, and only $1 to open. Their savings account is also competitive, currently showing 3.85% APY, no minimum balance, no service fees, no transaction limits, and only $1 to open.
I also spoke with Primis Bank directly, and they seem pretty solid. The people I dealt with were helpful, upbeat, and actually seemed happy to answer questions, which is refreshing. Customer service matters a lot, especially when you’re moving your money from a bank you used to trust.
I've been using it for about a week now and honestly I like it, but only time will tell.