Confidence Checking FAQs
Our Confidence CheckingTM account can be opened in person at any of our community offices, by phone at 844.711.2265 or online (for customers age 18 or older) using any device.
If you’re 18 years or older, you can open an account online, in person or on the phone. Accounts can be opened for someone under age 18 in a community office or on the phone.
Students between the ages of 14 – 17 must have a parent/guardian as a joint owner on the account.
Here’s what you can use:
- Driver's License
- State-Issued ID Card
- County ID
- Passport/Passport Card
- Permanent Resident Card
- Armed Forces ID Card
- Social Security Card
- Birth Certificate
- ID Attestation Letter (Amish Only)
Our Confidence Cards are made from ocean-bound plastic, making a better impact on the environment.
So many ways! Your Confidence Card is powered by Mastercard, which is accepted at millions of locations around the world. You can load your card into mobile wallets (Apple PayTM, Google PayTM, Samsung PayTM, Fitbit PayTM and Garmin PayTM) to pay online or in person with your phone. Once you’re enrolled in Online Banking and our app, you can pay bills or people right from your laptop, phone or tablet. And don’t forget you can access your cash at more than 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs with the Allpoint and Freedom Alliance networks across the country.
The $5 monthly service charge is waived when you complete 5 or more customer initiated transactions during your statement cycle. This includes items like sending money to people you know via Zelle, paying for everyday items like groceries or gas, depositing your pay and transferring money to your savings account.
It’s important to note that the transactions will be counted on the date that they post and clear the account. For example, certain merchants ask us to pre-authorize your purchase, in which case we will place a hold on your balance until the transaction is posted, and there may be a delay between the authorization date and the date that the transaction is presented for payment. If the pre-authorization occurs during one statement cycle and the final transaction posts in the following statement cycle, then the transaction will be counted in the statement cycle of the final posting.
There are a few scenarios that could result in overdrawing your Confidence CheckingTM account but you won’t be charged any fees for doing so. Overdrawing means you’ve attempted to spend more money than what’s available in your account through things like using your debit card or paying bills. We know overdrafts can happen, which is why our Confidence CheckingTM account will do just that – build your confidence that even when you make a mistake, we’ve got your back.
We will decline or return a transaction if you don’t have enough money in your account to cover the charge. It’s important to know that you could still end up with a negative balance if a transaction is approved for a certain amount, but then the actual charge made is higher. Think about it like when you leave a tip at a restaurant or hair salon. You add the tip after the transaction for the meal or hair cut is approved. With our Confidence CheckingTM account, we will not charge you an overdraft fee if this happens. But you are responsible for returning your account to a positive balance, which you can do by transferring money from another First Commonwealth account or making a deposit at an ATM.