| 5 star: | (35) | |
| 4 star: | (17) | |
| 3 star: | (6) | |
| 2 star: | (8) | |
| 1 star: | (54) |
I was more than satisfied with the level of customer service provided me by Rocky. He was pleasant and professional and, though he ultimately was unable to remedy my issue, he put forth a great deal of effort to get to the bottom of the situation. It turned out to be an IT problem and it was frustrating because it caused me a good deal of difficulty in another account of mine. I was very definitely pleased however with the help Rocky was willing and able to provide me.
I can’t say enough their workers their concept it’s so unique I have high hopes
So far an incredible experience w/ Aspiration and their customer service dept. With respect to some of the more negative reviews I’ve read, I felt compelled to add: I’ve been a customer with a few relatively newer, online-only banks, and worked for a large bank myself. While sometimes there can be process hiccups here and there, the product offering and mission is, IMO, worth partnering with them on their growth journey. These aren’t giant mega-banks (though I hope they get there), so while I sympathize with people who’ve had a rough edge case experience, I don’t expect them to have perfected every detail - just the major stuff like customer service, ability to access funds, and a quality mobile and desktop web app, which is fair to expect from anyone and even moreso a company with less tech debt in their IT org (though also fewer software engineers to go around).
I’m excited about the mission and extremely competitive savings returns Aspiration offers. That’s why I became a customer, and assuming those things don’t change, I expect to remain one for a long time.
I can think of only two ways you might enhance your service. 1) Make bank transfers faster. 2) My own personal banker? :) I'm so pleased you've provided an option to 'The Big Three'. Heavy sigh.
When I first signed up with Aspirations they only offered a investment account and customer service was a bit weird but with a promise to deinvest in fossil fuels and invest in ethnically diverse and green energy I was willing to deal with it. Since then I now have a checking and saving account that I love. Being able to access my money at any atm is incredible, getting serious interest rate returns is also cool. They have also increased their customer service quality. I want all the people I love to be connected with Aspiration banking
Advertises that customers get Cash Back Rewards for shopping at businesses with a higher Aspiration Impact Measurement (AIM) score. But you have to give a company money first before you can find out how good/bad a merchant is (posted transaction in app and online reveals score but it's not available elsewhere).
Rewards are not explained in the Disclosures as required by the FTC, but instead are buried in their FAQ's where they explain they have the right to change them without notice. Using the Internet Archive, I see now that on 05/12/2019 they were offering 1% Cash Back for businesses with a HIGH AIM and 0.5% for all others. Ten days later on 05/22/19, they changed that to 0.5% for business with the HIGHEST AIM and 0.25% for all others and for the first time revealed the list of (only 23) businesses with extra rewards:
Adobe Systems CVS Page Plus Cellular
Aetna DirecTV Skype
Allstate eBay Sprint
Apple Esurance Target
AT&T Google Verizon
Boost Mobile Jet.com Walmart
Boots MetLife Xbox
Cricket Wireless Microsoft
My concerns were repeatedly being dismissed by a representative "Nicole W" who at first said she too wanted more clarity on the rewards and then said if I don't understand their legal Terms I should seek legal counsel. She claimed that my request for transparency would require engineers that they couldn't justify for a "one-off" request. However, it doesn't take an engineer to put the score next to the above list or with the list of the THOUSANDS of businesses they advertise they have scores for (website shows Amazon, Netflix, Tesla, Nike, Urban Outfitters, Hyatt, Whole Foods, YouTube, Starbucks) so you have to first do harm by supporting a bad company and then learn from your mistake. Furthermore, "highest AIM" seems subjective as CVS has a 93/100 People Score and 91/100 Planet Score, but Walgreen's has scores of 88/100 and 91/100 and does not earn extra rewards. They've got AIM scores on THOUSANDS of businesses but only 23 are the "highest"(?!!) Assuming their use of "thousands" only means 2000, Aspiration is not rewarding you for shopping at 98.85% of known businesses; 3000 businesses equates to only 0.77% eligible for incentive... (For past 15 years, Global 100 reviews 3.7 million data points to rank 7500 companies and only 1 of their top 100 is in Aspiration's 23: MetLife at #53) "Rewards" for shopping at any known business, except the 23, are same as for businesses Aspiration doesn't know. Again, no where can you find the score until you've already spent money and no where can you see why the score was given or what is considered the "highest AIM" (as required by the FTC). Chief Compliance Officer, Christopher Mates, was contacted about concerns regarding Rewards transparency and provided copy of FTC's Disclosure requirements (read receipt received) and response from Aspiration's rep was that consumer transparency is a feature not a requirement.
Both app and website report purchases with Transaction Date (not Posting Date) so when using third-party financial apps or software, it makes it difficult to reconcile transactions which will have a tip added later. For example if you use You Need A Budget (YNAB) and purchase a $5 cup of coffee every day from Starbucks but tip different amounts, the original authorized amount immediately is imported as $5 on Transaction Date but is sometimes duplicated with the final amount Posted with tip. Original authorized transaction amount imports as "cleared" only to later be changed or duplicated with final amount with tip.
Transactions cannot be exported or downloaded (which would ordinarily show you both the Transaction and Posting Dates) until a statement is generated and then, despite their WebConnect with YNAB and Quickbooks Online (set up by Aspiration NOT by YNAB or QBO), are only available as a PDF. No option for a Quickbooks Desktop file either. Support request for fix during a 1.5hour call 10 days ago provided not even an acknowledgement email.
As an accountant, after reading all the complaints regarding service issues, after personally receiving condescending responses for legitimate concerns, earning $1 for every $400 spent (until they change/lower reward again without notice), doesn't seem worth doing business with Aspiration. You're better off downloading the full Global 100 list and supporting those businesses with a different card that has higher/clearer rewards like "Discover It" which gives 1-2% back on any purchase.
I spoke with Morgan at aspiration today about adding my husband to the account. She was very efficient and told me she would send me an email with the step by step instructions. This saved both of us time and I was very grateful.
I got my Aspiration card back in 2015, and used it with enthusiasm in the States and abroad, where I volunteered until late 2018. The service back then was incomparable - I could get money from my other American bank account to Aspiration, where my ATM fees would be refunded, and Aspiration was therefore a hugely useful resource that I rightly boasted about when asked by other Americans about great products for use abroad.
That was then, this is now. I now live and work abroad, and have had nothing but infuriating experiences and spent probably 20-25 hours on the phone in the last month navigating them before Aspiration closed my account.
Upon my return to Ukraine, I found I couldn't use my card. Aspiration Customer Support recommended I try in a few places - ATMs, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. - to troubleshoot, before another Customer Service Rep ultimately told me that the card can't be used abroad due to OFAC regulations against Ukraine (meaning Russian-occupied Crimea, which for whatever reason means the card is useless across the whole country). When I asked how I managed to use the card in Ukraine from 2016-2018, I was told it was a "fortunate fluke that no one noticed". How can a technical system, operating at the electronic level (i.e. at the Ukrainian ATM) not notice two year's worth of transactions?
Okay, disappointing, but the 2.00% APR in the Save account still had utility, so why not keep Aspiration around? I then sent money to my wife via wire transfer from my Aspiration account. I had to go through four Customer Service Reps before I received the right form and instructions on how to fill it out correctly (the form is not intuitive if there is an intermediary bank involved, and their Operations Team, who approves/rejects all transfers, is unreachable by phone).
My wife's bank then informs us that a foreign financial institution (Aspiration) has not included any of the requisite information on the transfer in order to process it on the receiving end. Multiple reps at Aspiration insist this is not their fault, so I pursue an inquiry from the receiving side, meaning my wire transfer that was supposed to take two days will now take up to a month.
Two weeks later, I receive an email from Aspiration security team saying my account is locked. While on the phone with Reps trying to figure out why, I receive an email saying my account is locked again. Then, another, saying it is closed.
I lose almost an entire day of my honeymoon waiting on hold for an answer as to why my account has been closed. Customer Service Reps have no idea. A Security representative says in an email that someone (myself) tried to use my card in a suspicious country (Ukraine), even though I verbally confirmed my long-term travel to Ukraine with a Customer Service rep before leaving the States. When I said that an Aspiration rep encouraged me to try the card in various places, and that I can provide any information needed about the ATMs and restaurants I tried, the Security rep functionally told me to kick rocks.
At Aspiration's recommendation, I then call all of the banks involved in the wire transfer process to confirm that the information necessary to process the wire transfer has/has not reached my wife's bank. All 3 of them point the finger at Aspiration. When I tell them this, one Aspiration Customer Service Rep (Sarah, bless her) actually goes and does the work that 15 of her colleagues could not, and my wife finally gets the wire transfer, about 35 days later than anticipated. Wire transfer - done.
A note: the Customer Service Team can not interact with any other teams (Security, Operations, etc.), and has no authority whatsoever in the majority of problems such as this. You can't get Ops on the phone, or Security, or a Team Lead, so your entire experience hinges on the knowledge of whatever Rep you connect to on the line. Most were helpful and friendly, some were inadequate, and only one rep solved all the accumulated nonsense left over by other Reps in one fell swoop. Props to her.
Even Sarah, though, could not help me appeal my account closure. I had no say in the matter either, and even if it were reopened, I wouldn't use it at this point. If the high point of their service was a "fortunate fluke", and it's impossible to talk to the people who actually make decisions (Operations, Security, etc.) directly, it's not worth it to play the lottery with Customer Service Reps to solve even minor problems.
This card was once truly great for US citizens abroad, and still has a lot of perks for lots of people with more "typical" banking needs. But for those of us working abroad, it's not worth the plastic it's printed on.
Although I was disappointed at the news I got, it was not due to the agents response to me. He was very fast at replying and honest with me. I appreciate running across someone who does their job in a timely manner.
The only issue I have with this bank is the there dispute process. I haven't received an update for my atm withdrawal in almost a month.
I have banked with many banks in the past. I decided to try Aspiration when they first came onto the scene. I have not been disappointed yet. I have never had a bank that reimbursed all of my atm fees or that did cash back rewards. And their customer service is always quick and efficient..I usually communicate through emails. Even with the transition they did not miss a beat. Thanks Aspiration!!!!!
I contacted customer support via email and received exceptionally thorough responses in just a few minutes. Blown away by their speed and responsiveness. 5 star experience.
Can't imagine better service. My own personal rep?
How might Chase ever compete?
Used to have capital one but switch to these cats and I'm very satisfied
My husband and I heard about Aspiration through TYT. We have had an account with them for about a year and a half. We love putting our money in a bank that invests responsibly. It’s really convenient to be able to use any ATM without being charged. They have GREAT customer service - very knowledgeable and eager to help.
I use this account as an emergency fund with a nice rate of return. All I need is a debit card and a way to transfer money from my main account. It works very well for the purpose it serves, plus you can set the fees at $0 a month if you want. Recently they made joint accounts available. Mobile app is very user friendly. Customer service has always been fast and helpful in my experience.
Transfers take a couple days, customer service phones don't work on the weekends. I'm still giving them 5 stars overall because they donate the money they make.
The app works and I am seeing the money from direct deposit in my account but I still haven't received my aspiration debit card after 3 weeks. Hopefully it arrives next week
Update: the card arrived but one of the cards they originally mailed wasn't delivered and was returned. I also want to compliment aspiration on another thing: they're app and website have stayed functional since I started using it and both discover and m&t bank's app and website have had service interruptions where I couldn't login or do anything in my account
Currently, the transaction list is very misleading. I nearly had an overdraft because of a hold on a deposited check that appeared to be credited to my account. I even thought I was missing money after running the given numbers through a spreadsheet. Happily, customer service sent me a detailed report that should be made available to all customers. Everything was there and it put my mind at ease.
When I first opened my account, I could not make payments from the mobile app (they are weirdly impossible to do from the web interface). Customer service was responsive, but not helpful. It was resolved after I left a poor review of their app in the Google Play store. The developers replied to my review and fixed the issue in the next version of their app.
Lastly, transfers to my connected bank were being rejected without any reason given why. The email notifying me about the rejection seemed to indicate that the connected bank was responsible. Customer service at the connected bank disagreed. At first, Customer service at Aspiration told me that it could be mismatched personal info, but it turned out that I was just attempting to do a transfer that was higher than my daily limit. Simple! They could have said that in the email or validate the amounts in the user interface and don't allow me to make the request in the first place!
I hope I don't get the, "We are so sorry this has been such a bad experience for you. We are definitely working on streamlining our processes so these things don't continue to be such an intensive ordeal." reply. It seems canned. ;P
This Bank has excellent Customer Service and they were able to handle my problems with ease. Great experience
I've seen the bad reviews, but I opened an account anyway because I value Aspiration's mission. There was some delay in starting my account. They seem not to have any sort of confirmation when you send your government documents for identity verification. Nevertheless, I spoke with representatives over email, and now I am up and running. I will amend my review if I run into any problems.
I have used Aspiration for a while and I am generally very happy with their services. I think they are a fantastic online bank. I still have another bank that I keep accounts in because it is helpful to have the option to go to a teller to deposit money, but I use online banks to hold the money because they give much better interest. I also have an investment account with aspiration that I am very happy with. I recently noticed that one of my automatic investments was missing from the list of transactions so I sent an email. The response I got by email was incorrect and when I replied to that message, I never received a reply. So I called a week later. They were able to resolve everything quickly and easily over the phone (the transaction had gone through but didn't appear on my mobile app for some reason so she sent a screenshot of their records to show me). If you are having issues, then you should just give them a call. Their customer service is great by phone.
I am a new customer, and I ran into a problem setting some stuff up with my account. So I contacted Aspiration via their website. Within minutes, I received a response from an actual human being, not an autoresponder. That's better than my brick-and-mortar bank ever did for me!
I have only been with aspiration a month i do like i can transfer between my bank and aspiration and if you use your card then you can get cash back too. ill keep on using this thanks
I had enquired whether I could get immediate notice of two small deposits in my account with Aspiration and was assured I could. I had an emergency situation with my son who is overseas. My problem was solved another way, but imagine my impression to receive an email saying that they were concerned when the two small deposits never arrived. Now THAT's class service in my book. Thanks Aspiration.
Hello ,
Up until now Aspiration has been great ,However I’m an American Citizen with a Legal Address in the U.S.A. Aspiration has decided because I’m Overseas they will close my Account !! RIDICULOUS !!
Further more I received an extremely bleak email stating the closure of my Account with no details.
It took 2 Representatives and a Supervisor to clarify the reason , The only assistance I have received is there giving me 60 Days to plan accordingly instead of the initial 30 day closure date on my account.
DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED NOW TO BE FORMER CUSTOMER !!
THANKS FOR NOTHING ASPIRATION !!
Back in November an ATM in their network (US Bank) ate about $3000 that I was trying to deposit.
This was back when Aspiration was using Radius Bank.
After multiple MONTHS of back and forth with both Aspiration and Radius, I was unable to recover the money. They take zero responsibility, and expected me, their customer, to deal with Radius & US Bank directly.
If this is not an example of your own Bank STEALING money from you in such a blatant way, I don't know what is.
I will qualify my review by saying that I do not use Aspiration as my primary bank. I originally set up the account as a way to save and invest, separate from my main checking account at my credit union. As such, I don't use the account much, I don't use the debit card, and I don't pay bills from the account.
Direct deposit is set up as well as monthly withdrawals from my Aspiration Save account to each of their investment options. As of yet, after nearly 2 years, I haven't run into any problems. Customer service may leave a little bit to be desired, but I have never had problems resolving issues in a timely manor. So far so good.
I am now doing business overseas and will be receiving wire transfers, ask Aspiration and my local bank the same question. Aspiration answered in less than 1 hour, my local bank....still waiting.
I opened an IRA and an investment account back in April of 2018. I have never had any problems. I recently added the Spend and Save accounts (checking and savings). I had an issue with adding my husband to the account and emailed customer service. They got back to me in minutes! Fastest response time that I’ve ever had with ANY company. They informed me that they are unable to provide joint accounts at this time but are looking to add the option soon (kinda lame). I plan on only adding small amounts of $ for now. I would really like to see this company grow! I would definitely be interested in switching my mortgage over to a bank with a conscience.
I am not sure if my other review was posted but they are nice over the phone and have good parts about it like how they don't do business with ghuns and tobacco or oil. Hey, it's free for me, so, why not make a little extra?
Better than Chime, Simple, and many others I tried. One star off of Rating and Customer Service as the transfers take long and they out you on hold. But the rep was nice, you are supporting a good cause and earning nice interest that no other bank seems to offer.
I was recently hacked. It was the most violating experience Iv ever experienced. It started with a phone call . They claimed to be calling from Apple . I am not dumb, but they mentioned my daughter. Listed the interactive games she plays etc . After hours on the phone I realized I was being punked. I check my two accounts and one was completely empty.
I called Aspiration’s custamer service and what an angel!!!!
I hung up the phone with some sense 0f calm. A completely different experience than I recieved at my other banking institution.
Because my account was online , it was considered prepayed and apparently far beneath them. I was given zero support. They actual claimed that since I allowed the hacker into my computet to “ protect my daughters lap top”. That it may not even be considered theft.
So when you compare Aspiration Bank to the online banking services available at this time, as far as I’m concerned , while they may not be 5 stars yet , they are darn close in my book !
Maybe I was just unlucky but I had the worst rep everrrr and all I was trying to do was get my debit card sent out because I never received it. 8 emails later still no confirmation of a debit card on its way. She was unimaginably horrible. We went back and forth for countless hours. Surprisingly enough I called the 800 number and got thru and resolved in about 45 seconds. Her name was Gail Bucholz. she was unhelpful and inefficient and clearly doesn’t understand her job and in my honest opinion should be coached or immediately terminated before she diminishes the quality of the company as a whole.
They fail to respond to an email request, and then on a phone call initiated by me, their "Customer Service" tells me they will resend an email that they claim was sent on a prior occasion. This email also fails to materialize. If this is their idea of handling anyone's financial information, good luck to their current customers.
The companies going through changes. It was understaffed and didnt realize the success of their product and the needs of the customers overwhelmed this new start up company. They are so good. Many companies are coping them. They fixed this by hiring new employees. It takes time to hire, get all secured verification done. Overall people reacted to raging and being unhappy as a result of not knowing how aspiration accounts work and not having a pretty understanding that if its a start up company migrations are hard on everyone and the companies growing. Before I started working for them I saw negative reviews but could tell through reviews that it didnt reflect what aspirations about. I decided to work for aspiration. I choose to be a customer. I can tell before becoming a customer or an employee. They care about their customers. Its just new, there was a migration, and it had so many emails. (Fantasy Ex: 1 person 30 000 emails) Not factual but it makes sense. I've tried so many banks and best advice always have another financial institution to go to, always have two. I've tried multiple fiancial institutions and dislike many over 8+ but I can tell aspiration does care and advocates for the customers and now even working at aspiration I can completely tell everybody here wants to do their best for all aspiration customers. It just takes patience but theyre getting everything together for perfection. Everyones so friendly and its amazing for environment - planet that the companies conscious of how they impact our environment and theres no fees. Everyone wants the bank to be established but an adult has to be a baby first to become an adult. You cant skip steps in business growth and adding developmental additions over time. I worked at a startup and my friends and I start off as 3 people in a room. You never can anticipate your product going viral, like no expected dated for so many people to love it. So many people love aspiration and its amazing how fast its growing. A few angry people do not determine the incredible amount of success the company is achieving. Customer Service is #1 at this company. If you can accept its continuous growth and its huge success in hiring more employees to reach every customer, overall its just a great company. Theres so much to be achieved in the futurefor this company, I reccomend it.
I opened an account, set up direct deposits and started using Aspiration. I closed an account with my credit union and received an official (bank) check. I attempted to deposit the check into my Aspiration account. The app instructed me to mail it to their partner bank. After I mailed it at the post office I received an email stating that they could not accept the check. Why did they instruct me to mail it and then change their minds? Customer support could not answer why. After many attempts to get a reason why a bank check will not be accepted I got nowhere. It took 4 days to get my check back. I am now going to open an account with a real bank. I found Aspiration to be useless.
Similar to the last few reviews, avoid this bank at all costs. They broke off from Radius Bank in March and it has gone downhill ever since. No transaction detail, a big lag between transactions so you are not truly getting what you bank balance is at any time, terrible customer service. Do not use this bank. I switched over to Ally Bank and it is excellent so far. Highly recommend.
Made an account just to report my experience. Used to be great. Now for over 3 months my account just says "ACH Withdrawal" and "ACH Deposit" for every transaction. They've refused to fix it or roll back their terrible code. To get my transaction descriptions, I have to call them, like a chump, and ask them to read them to me.
Aspiration was my primary account since 2016 and I used to love them. Now I hope they go away. They're a terrible company and you should avoid them. Go use Radius Bank, they're way better than Aspiration ever was.
Aspiration allegedly separated from Radius, but I think it was because they needed a new name to avoid all the Radius bad reviews.
You can put lipstick on a pig ... but it is still a pig.
I have a credit score over 800 - in other words, perfect credit. I submitted my driver's license and social security card.
Three weeks later they rejected the account and of course, refuse to say why.
When I signed up, i clicked the button to pay nothing per month because I wasn't willing to pay anything until I experimented with their service. That is part of their selling gimmick.
Yet, my account was rejected. Was it because I said I wasn't going to pay them? If so, that is advertising fraud, but I am not sure who to report to.
Just like Radius -- only worse. Read the reviews. After reading nothing but bad reviews, I am glad to have been part of the rejected community.
Never in my life have I seen anything like this.
For absolutely no warning or reason, Aspiration locked my account and sent a form email requesting identifying documents. You would think they would have asked for the documents before accepting my money. After sending the requested documents - RADIO SILENCE from Aspiration. They have my money and ID information. Account still locked.
Could this bank be a scam, have they gone broke already, or are they just incompetent? Either way, they should not be handling anyone's money. If I'm lucky enough to finally get my account unlocked, I'm taking my money and getting as far away from this company as I can.
I fully expect to see this bank's executives on the news for executing a Ponzi scheme.
BEWARE. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
I waited in line for an opportunity to become an Aspiration customer back in 2016 as a backup checking account/possible primary. I received my account in early 2017 and after firing Wells Fargo later that year I began using Aspiration as my primary checking account. I f**king LOVED it - UNTIL late 2018.
They went from offering a really nice product into becoming a complete dumpster fire that I have to waste my time creating accounts on sites like these in an attempt to save others from the headache.
It was the most astonishingly rapid descent in quality that I've ever seen in any product in any industry ever.
I opened account out of goodwill and a desire to earn more interest than my Credit Union accounts. While I could just let my money sit for about year with no issues (though I never got the good interest rates), the recent separation from Radius Bank has caused headache after headache. They have no support in customer service, poor tech support, and blame their customers for their own shortcomings. I feel hoodwinked from my idealistic self that opened the account, but am glad I moved my money to a safer place and learned great gratitude for my local credit union.
Like many others have stated prior, Aspiration has locked my account. It was locked after using it for two months with no issues, coincidentally right after I made a large transfer—with no explanation other than two personal documents (State issued ID and bank statement from transfer account) needed to be uploaded. I uploaded the requested documents over a week ago and I have not heard from aspiration when I will have access to my money, after emailing multiple times.
A call to customer service rendered a generic “We’re sorry for this inconvenience. Unfortunately we don’t have a specific time we can tell you that your account will be unlocked or when you’ll have access to your funds.”
This is all extremely suspect and I will be closing my account as soon as I’m not locked out and can get my money back.
Oh, and I posted this comment on their Instagram after seeing other people had posted their complaints there and had actually received responses. My comments were just deleted with no response from Aspiration.
After having numerous bad experiences with the banking systems I decided to branch out to Aspiration. I formed a Spend & Save account with them, in approximately March 28, 2019. They seemed to have a lot of similar core values that I value. Currently, I’m still receiving the same run around about why my account’s locked, why they deactivated my debit card, and why my personal information has been used to withdraw from my linked account. Seemingly, someone in their bank used my identification information to withdraw $1000 from my linked account creating these NSF. Currently, no one can provide answers but rather the professional looking emails that hold no results, one phone number which has become the customer complaint hot line, incorporating links to read about their benefits but never provided any, agent customer service surveys, and the same scripted phone disputes. Aspiration continues to blame me for NSF they created after sensitive identification documents were utilized. However, this couldn’t have been done by me being that I’m locked out of my account and have been since April 2, 2019. One of the many benefits of Aspiration presented leaned to, $1000 identity theft reimbursement, $600 cell phone reimbursement, scheduled bill payments via mobile app, photo snap direct deposit, fossil fuel free investments, free world-wide atm usage, and other environmental benefits.
Aspiration displays no company transparency, business ethic, or reliability, but rather unethical business practices. I never received a financial welcome kit from Aspiration, stating account numbers, company policy etc. I'm confused at why the support or customer service department of reference exists and why there’s no way to contact the “operations teams” they continuously refer to. Many reviews provide the similar characteristics this financial entity continues to display, which is a reflection of my experience as well.
Based upon disclosure information I'm confused at what kind of business Aspiration is running? The application of opportunity cost and interest rates on held money apply. Tort law, legal services and law suits; seem like the best form of solution for unprofessional business practices. I would recommend larger scaled banks such as; Bank of America, US Bank, Chase, Wells Fargo, or Citi. However, Money Lion is one of the best mobile banking/investment platforms; they’re reliable, transparent, and their financial alignment is by far the best. Money Lion holds features such as; plus memberships that give customers advantages of how to become more financial conscious and promote financial sustainability. Bottom line; don’t go to Aspiration if you aspire to sustain and grow personally and professionally.
How do they get away with calling themselves a bank? I’ve experienced problem after problem ever since the ridiculous changeover of accounts backed by Master Card. Not only have my bank transfers taken longer than requested, now I can’t even use their new debt/visa card they issued to access my money to pay for dinner or groceries. It’s either declined or unauthorized. I called and there is still no customer service beyond 9-5, even after the last set of problems when they promised to staff up due to the overload of the account changeovers. Todays recording referred me to call the 833-635-6295 in case I need to reset my pin. Why would a company add a message to reset your pin unless there have been problems? I reset the pin twice and tried to use it a few times. It’s still declined at any atm or point of purchase. I thought I’d give them another chance since the last set of problems with the account changeover, having made multiple requests that went into a black hole, the unresponsive or overwhelmed customer service with rounds of wasteful time with canned message emails - I didn’t think it was possible to have such a scary and irresponsible experience with a bank today. As far as I can tell, this failed experiment of a bank has breached their commitment with me. I do not trust them and they are severely disabled in customer support, conduct the strangest account management without explanation and are misrepresenting themselves as a bank. I’m concerned there will be blocks and delays for me to transfer my money out!
I heard a few good things about aspiration and wanted to try them out because I'm looking for an online bank with no ATM fees since I travel frequently. I applied a couple of months ago, and they repeatedly asked me for additional documentation, with no explanation. Their interface for uploading personal documents is pretty sketchy, very unprofessional looking and it doesn't confirm when a document has been uploaded or received. It also takes them a very, very long time to reply to any enquiries . After back and forth for almost two months, I received an email this week that I was denied for an account, but that they can't give me any reason why for quote unquote customer privacy protection reasons. I am a credit and financial counselor by trade. I monitor my credit regularly through several different companies, pull my own credit reports through our system at work, and also regularly get my reports from annual credit report. I have never missed a payment on any bill or credit account in my life, I have no negative items on my credit report, no negative items in my banking history, have passed multiple background checks for financial jobs, and have no criminal record. My FICO and Vantage scores are in the 700s. I've had a bank account since I was eight. There's absolutely no possible reason that I can think of that I would have been denied for this account, and they can't even tell me why they denied me. Reading the reviews on this site though, it sounds like I really dodged a bullet, given that so many people are saying that they have lost access to their money. The whole thing is super sketchy and I'm pretty skeeved out that I gave him my personal information. Very strange and weird. Oh, and they said that there is no option to reapply, which is about the strangest thing I've ever heard from a financial institution. Even people with past Histories on ChexSystems can generally go back to open a bank account after certain amount of time. These are definitely not standard practices for financial institutions. Typically, if you're denied for a bank account or credit card the company tells you what the reason is. I find the whole thing very odd. Definitely have no interest in doing business with this company in the future.
Today the issue is I can't transfer from Save to Spend. No customer service on the weekend, and no reason for my transfers to be rejected. No email requesting documents or anything like that. I just can't access my funds and it really stinks because this money was really needed today. Came to this bank with much hope, but continue to have nothing but bad experiences.
I am having the same problem. They have locked my account for almost 2 weeks now and none of the representatives can help me. I have emailed and called everyday and have also made several twitter post and they never get back me. Do not do business with this bank.
I have the exact same problem as others. Account blocked for over 6 days now after requested documents were uploaded and I never even received a standard reply for uploading.....
I have called and e-mailed numerous times and the last time I just wanted to close account and get balance sent to me by check. No can do....
Perhaps filing a complaint with the Federal Reserve consumer services?
Sounds like they have taken the money and run.... Hopefully they haven't ripped off mega bucks from Leonardio diCaprio....
Like many other reviews here, my account was locked when attempting to transfer money from my Aspiration account to a new checking account (around $1500).
The transfer was rejected, my account became locked out, and shortly after, I received an email alerting me of documents to upload (linked account statements, drivers ID). I uploaded the documents immediately.
It has been almost a week since the documents have been uploaded, and besides a standard reply for uploading the documents, crickets. I have called customer service multiple times, only to hear that I have to wait for Operations to conduct their investigation.
I'm getting closer and closer to the point that after this 'investigation' is complete, I will be closing my account. It is not right for mine, or anyone's, money to be frozen for this long. I'm extremely disappointed, and very unsatisfied.
Please remedy this problem, Aspiration. Please.
It’s been 35 days and still have not heard from aspiration about when my account will be unfrozen. I’m not sure if this is the right channel to file a complaint but it’s worth a shot... I filed a complaint to the feds through:
https://forms.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov/secure/complaint/formComplaint?sc_lang=en
Original review: Like a lot of other people are complaining, my account was randomly locked. I tried signing in today and it kept saying password incorrect. I changed my password, still couldn’t login. An hour later, I received and email that my account was locked and to send in drivers license and linked account bank statements but gave no reason why. I called customer service and she said it was a different department handling it and she couldn’t tell me why it happened and that I have to send in the information through a link. (I mean, isn’t it common to NOT respond to an email asking for private information??) Anyways, I responded to the email asking why this is happening, my primary bank was hacked a week ago, so I needed to know if something more was going on. No response. Called customer service again asking why this happened, they finally said it’s because I linked a new checking account to the aspiration account (again due to my primary account being hacked). Well, the huge problem is that it’s a new account so I don’t have any statements, so looks like I’m SOL and hopefully can stop my paycheck from being deposited Friday to a frozen account. They also said it takes up to 5 business days to unfreeze after the information is provided. I’m just going to close this account because this is a joke. My PNC account was hacked last week and they had everything resolved within 24 hours.. as it should considering this is your cash.
Aside from this issue, the app is incomparable to the large banks. There’s a lag in showing transactions and takes a few days for money transfers. There’s always balance display issues. It’s the biggest pain to get Apple Pay to work.. sometimes takes 3-4 phone calls.
It’s also a pain anytime you need customer service. I needed bank statements for this account but since they started their new spending/savings accounts, my old statements were no longer available. I emailed them requesting the statements (sometimes it’s hard to even locate a phone number for them) and simply never got a response back.
I’ll be closing this account if I can ever get it unfrozen and never looking back.
The positives of the account were reimbursed ATM fees, higher interest rate and no overdraft fees.
I've had an account for a few months now, and everything was going along perfectly. All of the sudden I'm told that my $4,700 transfer has failed, even though the same transfer, on the same day every month has never failed. I tried to log in to see what was up and it acts like I don't have an account. When I called in they said the account was locked and I'd have to wait for "operations" to get in touch with me. 9 whole hours later, I get an email telling me I need to upload my ID and bank statements. That was 16 hours ago and nobody has been able to answer any of my questions. Support gets back to me after about 2 hours with "operations is working on it". The whole time, I can't log in, my cards don't work, and I get no responses. Looks like outright theft to me.
We have $1800 we have put into Aspiration to use while in Ireland and have locked our account on Mar28. No reason given but needed copy of my license and last statements any accounts linked to Aspiration. Sent all that on Mar 29 got reference ticket that's it. Sent multiples emails and called nobody can help. We are at mercy of account verification which we were told is understaffed and overwhelmed with volume of work. It's now been 8 days still no word......DO NOT OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH ASPIRATION
I've had support requests in for about a month now, several different ones. Submitted a complain to the BBB, still no response from the company. Now, the website is down and I can't even access my account.
This is making me worried this bank is going into serious liquidity troubles. It would make sense... no fee banking, above market dividend rates, ATM reimbursements, too good to be true. Financial troubles are sure to catch up.
Anyone know where to go to claim our deposit insurance from the FDIC??
My Aspiration account is in an operations hold status as of this afternoon. I just finished transferring $5000 from my former primary checking account and everything was going smoothly with Aspiration until today. Suddenly, this afternoon, my debit card stopped working and I was locked out of their website. I called their support line and after verifying my identity was told that the operations team will reply via email in 1 to 2 business days, maybe longer. I was told after asking for someone else to speak to that there is no phone number for me to call them. So, my new primary bank account that pays all of my bills, mostly via autopay, is now locked out. Thank god my mortgage payment cleared and I can redirect my direct deposit back to my old bank today.
It’s now been 6 days since $450 has been debited from my account .. “in error”. No one was ever able to explain why this happened, or how to keep it from happening ever again. So I’m going to assume that this is just how Aspiration operates. On top of that, no one was able to tell me when I could expect my money back or if I would even, for sure, be refunded. This situation has left me with far too many unanswered questions, and no way to pay my rent or even explain why I can’t pay my rent. Because.. saying “my bank took my money” doesn’t exactly sound realistic but GO FIGURE. And when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.. then came dealing with the sham they call “customer support”. I have not heard ANYTHING from aspiration besides these stupid “rate your interaction” emails. Aspiration has made it abundantly clear, to me, that they do not care about their customers or the fact that those customers are putting their livelihoods in the hands of Aspiration. The very least they could have done was given me some sort of update or even a time frame for this VERY serious issue to be resolved. But no. Nothing. They filed their little dispute and kept it moving like it was any other day for them. Meanwhile my entire life is in limbo because I’m out $450 at no fault of my own. Needless to say, I am done. Which really is a shame as I’ve been with the bank since 2016 and have NEVER had a single issue. But this is far too big a transgression.. handled far too poorly.. for me to even consider continuing to do business with Aspiration.
This bank was a refreshing change from the god-awful main banks. My thoughts have changed.
During their transfer away from Radius Bank, every time I logged into the site it told me that my new card was on the way. That it was mailed Feb 2nd and should arrive no later than Feb 22nd and to call if I haven't received it by then.
I didn't.
I called early March, they said they see that it was sent but they'll send me a new one.
Cool.
2 weeks later still no card.
Meanwhile every day that I log into my Aspiration account it keeps tell me transfer my funds to my new account numbers as soon as my account arrive by March 28th to remain an Aspiration member, which I want to do.
I call March 18th. The woman says I should wait until at least March 25th since it hadn't been 10 business days since the card 'went out'. I ask, "Hey, should I manually transfer my funds to the new account number as that is an option here?"
"No. Just wait for your card and it will do it automatically."
"Okay. Well what happens if I don't receive my card by the 25th?"
"Call us again and we'll expedite it to you"
"Okay thanks"
25th rolls around - after 48 minutes on hold I have to give up and use the "call me back" option. I receive no call.
March 29th (today) I call again, get through pretty quickly and explain to the woman what I've explained here. Her response is that I was NEVER issued a card. In fact, they don't send cards unless I have already transferred my funds (which the website explicitly told me not to do). So, everyone else was either dumb or lying or both. She tells me to transfer my funds now. I go online and try (with her on the line). There is no longer an option for me to transfer funds. Her supervisor says that's no longer an option and I'm now a permanent member of Radius Bank, who I have no relation with nor an account with. She seems contrite and offers to send me to a specialist that might be able to help. I start warming to this girl. I agree.
She transfers me to a generic radius call center.
Fuck Aspiration Bank.
First, $5,000 was drawn from my linked account without authorization or notice. Second, the funds were withdrawn from my credit union account 3/25/19 yet have not posted to Aspiration by today, 3/28/19.
All financial entities with whom I work post funds within 24 hours of withdrawal from a linked account (Patelco, TD Ameritrade). If this is a surprise to you, I suggest you shop around.
They claim to be unable to reverse the unauthorized withdrawal. I need to wait an unacceptable number of days for the funds to reach the account before I'm able to reverse the transaction. NEVER again. Just opened a CD with PurePoint Financial and could not be more satisfied with their customer service.
I put up with Aspiration's barebones mobile app and worse website interface until they changed all of my account numbers, bounced my checks and refused my ACH auto-payments. They did that even though there was plenty of money to cover those checks and payments in my account!
If you use Aspiration understand that you will be paying NSF fees to those you write perfectly good checks to and your credit rating will suffer greatly -- even though you have more than enough in your checking account to cover everything. Also they didn't send me an email or text to warn me this was happening
I have been having issues with their accounts and there is no customer support to answer my questions. I have sent an email to customer service hoping they would respond and I have waited a month and no one has responded at all. I have been constantly calling their phone but no one answers. They literally had me on hold for 3 hours and when the clock struck 5:00PM they hung up on me saying they were closed and to try calling back during normal business hours. This pissed me off the most because I called at 2Pm and they were the ones that didn't answer. The funny thing is, the moment I started complaining to the BBB and trying to close my account is when they start responding to all my support questions. Their social media team loves to start arguments and saying how big banks are terrible when in reality they are exactly like big banks. But big banks actually have an adequate customer support team. If you check their Twitter accounts, they're always saying how they "tripled" their support so they went from 1 person to 3 people. On Facebook, they blocked me after I requested urgently that I needed support. What a pathetic excuse for a bank. Avoid opening any account with them.
I was happy checking with them for a little while. Then they decided to make all of their customers migrate to a different account. I'm so glad I didn't fall for that and have to update all of my payments. But after I switched to the bank that used to host Aspiration, which allowed me to keep rhe same account number, Aspiration never stopped emailing me that I need to "upgrade" soon to stay with Aspiration. So I unsubscribed them from my email. Now they've been robo-calling me and leaving spam voicemails. First they say, "upgrade by March 5 to stay with Aspiration" so I think, ok maybe they'll finally leave me alone after that. Nope. Now I get the same calls, every day, but it says the deadline is March 15. As if I would ever trust a bank that doesn't even know I left them months ago. I tried calling customer service to be left alone but that didn't even get me on hold, just a dead-end message that says to try back later. Really people need to be mkre realistic and not brainwashed about this fake it till you make it kind of ambition for new startups. If you're product isn't ready for market, DON'T SELL IT. Stay away from this bank, they need to die off.
This has got to be the worst experience I've had with banks, and I have banked with WellsFargo and Chase. I have a checking and investment account with these guys for 2+ years now.
On multiple counts, my funds were locked up due to "system issues" or "migration issues" (neither of which had anything to do with me, but caused my checking and mutual funds accounts to lock up. I could not access my money for days, which brings to me their customer service...
Their agents over the phone is nice, if you can get a hold of them (which is basically never). I have called, emailed, filed support tickets online, and even tweeted and they seem to call fall into some backhole. The justification the agent gave over the phone was that something is wrong with their phone routing (seriously? It's 2019, you can't get a grip on your telecommunications for a bank without physical branches? Insane.)
Greenwashing: the main holdings in their mutual funds are awful companies and I am unsure how they qualify as sustainable or responsible. Perhaps that's just my ignorance, but please do your research before purchasing. For example, how is Johnson & Johnson and Wallgreens considered sustainable? Not only do I feel like they are scamming do-gooders, they also charge an arm and leg with their fees (not the voluntary fees, but the hidden fees). If you read the prospectus, you'll see loads of them, including marketing fees and misc fees. I had my funds for over two years with them and it barely broke even. Conclusion: NOT GREEN and NOT PROFITABLE.
I created an account on Depositaccounts just to warn you all about how crappy this bank is. Do not do business with them!
Aspiration is by far the worst bank I've ever used. I was lured in by the ATM fee reimbursement and decent interest rates, like most people are. After traveling to Taiwan, I both set a travel notice in the mobile app and I called them to ensure that its active. The first time I used the card at an ATM, everything was fine. Awesome! The second time, my card was declined. Odd.
I tried again, declined. I then checked the mobile app and everything appeared to be in good standing, so I tried another ATM and again, declined. ONLY AFTER contacting them did they reveal they canceled my card for undisclosed reasons. Okay, fine. No more Aspiration, i'll just transfer my funds to my other bank and eat the fees.
Now all of my bank transfers are being rejected and without notification of any kind. I contact them and all they say is to try again, which I did, and it didn't work. I am now, as of writing this, stranded in a foreign country with no access to my funds and this bank literally couldnt care any less.
To boot, they refuse to ship you a new card anywhere outside of the US. So to review, they cancel your card for no reason, won't allow bank tranfers (to US banks), and then refuse to issue you a new card if you're traveling. Awesome. 0/10 do not recommend, oh, and don't fall for their moral high horse marketing either, it's all BS.
Terrible customer service
Do yourself a favor and take your money somewhere else.
I signed up in order to earn 1% APY on my checking account, and have ATM fees refunded. Shortly after, they converted their account to give 2% on the savings account only - not useful to me at all (I already have a better savings account). Oh well, no big deal, I'll just move my money back to my previous bank account...
Or so I thought. Every time I try to withdraw money into the same account I withdrew money from, they give an error (later in the day) telling me my bank won't accept the deposit. How strange, I can get deposits from everywhere else just fine...
So I tried to call Aspiration, and couldn't get through after 90 minutes of waiting. I emailed and wrote feedback. No response a week later.
So I called Schwab, who answered immediately. They told me there is no record of a rejected transaction at all. I was advised that if I can't get in touch with Aspiration, then I can file a fraud claim.
I tried to call Aspiration again today, and couldn't get through. Not only this, but due to this complication, my rent check has bounced.
I am going to file a fraud claim. I don't actually think that they are knowingly doing something nefarious, but it seems to be my only course of action with them.
They are so incredibly incompetent. I hope NerdWallet will update their review soon so more people don't fall into this trap.
I saw the commercial on TV and decided to join.
The process was fairly simple and I did like the debit card they offered. However, they fell below my expectations on so many levels.
It’s almost impossible to reach a person and I had to leave a voicemail and have somebody call me back, no one calls back when voice mails are left.
In their defense, I was put on hold and was offered a call back instead of waiting in queue, and I did receive a call back then.
But if you need someone right then and there, this is not your bank.
Another major issue is direct deposit.
My direct deposit would go in by noon of the day of my paycheck. While everyone else gets their paycheck the night before, mine was by 12 PM the day of which was very inconvenient.
Again, there’s no one in any way to reach and see what the holdup is. I gave them a few weeks and two direct deposit later, I decided to go to my old bank. Not for me.
They really need to rev up on their customer service before launching a major business like a bank where people need answers instantly, since they are dealing with our money.
I had joined Chime last year based on the promise of Micro Savings and early direct deposit.
What they DON'T talk about is how their ATM card network is small and if you don't use it, you are charged 2.50 a pop. If you get cash back from a bank, it is also 2.50 bucks. And they had a limit of 500 / day to get cash back.
I've been with Empower for just over a month and so far it is pretty good.
The good:
1. 2 percent cash back on debit card swipes like credit cards. (this is a newly announced feature)
2. 2 percent interest on deposits (as opposed to 0.01 percent by Chime).
3. The app is straightfoward and easy to use.
4. They've lowered the minimum to invest to 10.00 but I'm not inclined to invest through Aspiration.
The not-so-good:
1. No early access to direct deposit like Empower
2. No website to view your activity -- you are limited to the app on your mobile devices
3. The app is not as integrated as Empower
4. ATM network is not unlimited like Empower or Fidelity Cash Mgmt account. They use the same network as Chime so for a company that wants to make a positive social/planet impact, they make you drive around to find an ATM that will not incur a fee.
However, the goods outweigh the bad -- especially compared to Chime. I get the sense they are trying hard to be competitive with Empower. The newly announced 2 percent per debit card swipe proves that. I still like Empower better but Aspiration may evolve.
Saw this company on an instagram ad. Decided to give it a try.. signed up, gave all of my personal info including SSN. They claimed they needed more info and would get back to me within 5 days. I uploaded the ID info they requested. They then continued with automated emails asking for the same info I already provided. Based on all our communications it is clear this company does NOT have it together. Not even close. They couldn't figure out why I was still getting requests, then they said my state wasn't on their approved list and I would be approved in a few days. 2 weeks go by and nothing, yet I'm still getting emails asking for info I already provided, and multiple replies from customer service to the same questions. I didn't take long to see they are just sloppy af and totally incompetent. Do not use them, complete waste of time.
My experience with Aspiration has been very frustrating. The customer service has been incompetent. Paying a fee at another banking institution to have competent customer service has become more appealing to me.
As far as Aspiration goes, You get what you pay for.
This institution is a complete failure on so many levels. They don't just struggle to offer service, they will take your money and hold it until they please and there is nothing you can do about it. They have ZERO customer support at this time. There is no phone support, email support or chat options. You are on your own to figure out how to function with out your paycheck. None of what I am typing here is a exaggeration, please do your homework, look on their Facebook page and read other sites with reviews BEFORE you step into this nightmare. They have cheated so many people. There are far safer ways to make charitable contributions, this is a SCAM that wears the face of a socially responsible organization. If I could have given this joke zero stars I would have.
I am an Aspiration account holder. I have been trying for multiple days to call them to speak to someone in person about an issue with my account. Whenever I call, estimated hold times are 2 hours! There is an option to request a callback instead of waiting. Everytime i get a callback it is hours later and is a robot voice informing me that my callback request has been unsuccessful and lists multiple reasons why this might be the case.
What a joke! This is the worst customer service! Amateur tele spam calls have better customer service phone lines than you! Seriously, you need to add more phone service ! 2+ hours hold time! You think this is acceptable?!
I would give 0 out of 5 stars but that is not an option, you dont even deserve 1 star!
tl;dr Read the other reviews! Do they have a stupid high rate? Is there any reason to bother with these jokers? This review used to be titled "Okay But You Can Do Better," but now it seems like Aspiration is one big dumpster fire.
I have/had an Aspiration. The reason the status is uncertain is that I have gone through the account closure process but have no written confirmation my account is actually closed.
Look Aspiration, I don't care what's going on behind the scenes WRT transferring banks, that's your problem that your brought on yourself. I demand my account, which has a $0.00 balance btw, closed and done with. I DO NOT want to wake up one day to find I have an account with Radius or whomever that has decided to start charging fees.
Their closure procedure is intentionally difficult. Even UFB, the crap de la crap, was able to have my account closed by simply writing in. Then again, UFB closes accounts even when they've been told not to and loses all your personal information whenever it is convenient (see my review).
First you need to write in to request the closure form. Then you fill it out and upload it to some site they give you. Finally you hear nothing and have no idea if your account is closed even if you write in.
I don't know if you're getting caught in the ad blitz or whatever but you've been warned. Aspire to not get into bed with Aspiration.
I have been a memeber of this bank for a year now and there have been nothing but problems, it takes at least 45 min to 1 1/2 hours to talk to a live person and I’ve have email requests answered a week later when my paycheck wasn’t showing in my account. Terrible customer service and even worse banking.
Definitely not a trustworthy bank and the employees all have a different story. Supposedly mailed debit cards but never received. Just try getting a replacement. Then they don't send you any web access but all request you have to go through the website. But wait gets better, ask to close and still no access and they take 1/2 of what is in the account for a supposed charitable contribution. NICE Ripoff! Having attorney file federal fraud charges against this bank.
I have been banking with Aspiration for over a year now and I have loved their customer service and account offerings. I have the Aspiration Summit account that has a high interest rate. There are no fees associated with the account and you have the option to pay the bank what you think they deserve. The bank also has investment opportunities like, "The Redwood Fund," which allow you to invest as little as $100 in a sustainable investment fund. All ATM fees are reimbursed for using any ATM in the US. The only negative that I can report is that I had to wait a long time to get accepted as a new account holder. There is a waiting list to join the bank. I would highly recommend this bank for anyone looking for a high interest no fee account, but be prepared to wait a little while.
Aspiration is interested in working with altruistic and green companies that make you feel good about banking. Their "planet first" motto for banking makes me feel like I am banking with the bank that cares about the 99 percent. The online products include checking and investing products. They let you know at the end of the month how green your money is. Their online newsletter is chock filled with information that educates in a positive way.
I've been doing business with Aspiration for nearly a year now. Ever since I left my last bank that did me wrong. In any event, this bank is great. They pay a decent interest rate and I actually pay nothing for the account whatsoever. They even reimburse each month for ATM fees charged. So, I can use my card at any ATM for free effectively. They also have some investment accounts that I may look into in the future. The customer service is also top notch. Every time I have needed anything, they were very quick about responding.
Aspiration is THE greatest online bank I have ever used. Their customer service is BEYOND amazing!! Always willing to answers all my questions and very promptly too might I add (I've contacted them in regards to questions about when the joint accounts will start, the paperwork that's needed to get it going, if I could get a second beneficiary on my account etc)! Their interest rate is also the BEST of all the banks I've seen thus far.. they have 1.00%!! That is unheard of! There is a minimum of of $2500 though for the interest to go through and any amount before that the interest will be 0.25% but even that is better than most banks! Their app is superb too! Its so easy to navigate and transfer your funds from one bank to another. I just wish they had a selection of cards you could choose from rather than their basic blue card.
The process to apply for this online bank though took 3 weeks..so it took a bit of waiting and paperwork to get things going but it all went smoothly after that. I've been telling all my friends and family to get this bank because of the amazing customer service and their interest rate! Soon, they are going to implement a joint account system which I am looking forward to because I REALLY need one for my spouse and I. We already have a good amount saved and would like this joint account to go through as it would be a big help for both of us. They also have an IRA investment account you can participate in and my spouse and I are looking forward to investing in that soon! All in all I would rate Aspiration a 10/10!! Definitely recommend this bank to everyone I know~
I have a checking account with Aspriation. They are an online only bank that seems to pass on typical brick and mortar fees to customers in various ways. Although they have a silly option that allows one to choose how much to pay the bank every month. Only a fool would give a bank any money, after all they make money from your money! So I obviously selected to pay zero dollars a month for that. They give a decent rate for interest, but the advertised rate is a bit of a trick. You need to have over 2000 in the checking account to get the over 1 percent advertised. Anything lower than that is like .25 which is still better than most banks but definitely not better than inflation. They refund out of ATM bank fees which is the best part of having an account with them. They are partner with a bank that isn't very good but apparently that is changing soon. I recommend it but will be on the lookout for even bettter alternatives. Some of their advertising is annoying. They claim to be social do gooders and the like.
I have a fair bit of experience with online banking. Trying to open an account at Aspiration because I think what they're trying to do is very good. Unfortunately they're just not ready for prime time. Poor communications + dysfunctional website. Long delay in opening the account and their website glitch still isn't resolved. Never had this problem with other online banks. Too bad, as I'd like to a fan of Aspiration but so far dealing with them has been one bad experience after another.d
I only use the checking account with Aspiration and I'm very pleased with my experience. First, the bank doesn't automatically charge a monthly fee, you decide if you want to pay and how much. I've decided to pay a dollar a month. They don't have a savings account but the checking account does get a high rate, I believe you get 1% and it's added monthly. Most of my money is directly deposited but I've also used the app to remote deposit a check. I've also checked on their website and they do make it possible to use the ATMs of other banks to deposit cash and checks. Money can be taken out of any ATM and if there if a fee, they will refund it to your account, which has saved me several dollars. I've had contact with customer service and they were very friendly and helpful, and respond quickly. They do offer IRAs and money market accounts that invest in environmentally and socially responsible investments and they have shown a very high rate of return.
Don't be fooled by good web design: They're garbage. Got drawn by the high interest rate (1%) for the Summit Checking and the "socially responsible" different-kind-of-bank marketing. Then I made an admin error and they killed me with the worst overdraft fee situation I've ever seen. Daily fees that incurred while they failed to notify me of the issue and then continued even as I was trying to resolve the issue. Continued to assess fees even after I closed the account. This is absolutely the kind of bank that reminds you why we still need the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The only thing that can be said is that their frontline customer-service people are quite polite even while they're telling you there's nothing they can do for you. Along that lines, it would have helped if they didn't try so hard to hide their customer service number - fyi, it's 1-800-683-8529.
Aspiration online banking is literally one of the best financial decisions I've ever made. Receiving 0.25% APY on my "checking" account is absolutely incredible. They do not charge me ATM fees or Overdraft fees. The customer service reps are easily accessible both online or through the phone. I have been with Aspiration for almost a year now and have not had one single problem with the entire company. I am in the process of moving all of my money over to this bank. Simply gaining money each month on my checking account makes this worthy of the best bank available online. One experience where my account went on a brief hold also showed me how good this company can be. I received an email notification and a text message immediately to confirm whether or not I was the one who made this purchase. I confirmed my purchase and they lifted the hold, called the company I made the purchase with, and sent me a confirmation of the final details!
At first I loved them, then things turned quickly sour. My automatic payments I had set up for some of my bills started getting rejected, and not just one of them, but all of them. It was almost as if I didn't have money in my account. The bank did very little to help, I pretty much got a "oh, I'm sorry. Good luck!". Then the second issue was when I needed to withdrawal a large amount of money for a car I was buying, there was literally no way too do it without doing anything ACH transfer, so I did. It took 5 days, the car ended up being sold. When I called the bank initially, they had no idea what to do, the customer services representative literally told me to do a cash advance on my debit card. When I informed her that her bank had a $2,000 cash advaced limit, she told me to just go back each day until I had enough... That would of taken 3 days!! The final straw was when I closed my account. They gave me the run around for weeks! I finally lost my cool on them and they made it happen. This bank is just horrible. Just don't do it.
This bank offers a great overall selection of services for being an online only bank. Their interface is sleek and very easy to work with, and they provide fair fees for their services and good interest rates for putting money in a checking account. They also offer investments where you can pay what you want fees for the fund management. Their customer service as so far been pretty stellar as well. I am satisfied with this bank as they offer a good alternative to brick and mortar banks and offer much better interest rates and options to manage your money. I would suggest this bank to anybody who is good with computers and does not mind not having a place to go in person to bank. So far they have been very trustworthy and I do not worry about my money at all there.
Terrible customer service, no physical branches or speaking to someone face to face. When you deposit a check they will hold it for over a week cashier checks or money orders like my other banks. Annoying liberal junk emails pushing their agenda to all their customers.
My experience with Aspiration Banking institution was very good. I had lots of doubt about it at first, mainly because of the online only factor but over time, i realized it was a great opportunity. The first reason i started using Aspiration was because of their savings accounts, i had saved up a good sum of money and was keeping it in another bank account with a bank that is "brick and mortar" with very little interest. When i heard about Aspirations savings account from a friend and how they had an interest rate that was way better than anything that the banks in my area were offering i jumped at the opportunity. Like i said i was a bit skeptical at first, not having any experience dealing with online banks, but i filled out the application to join and went through the motions, but i only deposited a fraction of my savings in my new savings account, expecting the worst. To my happy surprise nothing went wrong and i accumulated interest and my money was still there, i was honestly shocked and couldn't believe that this worked. Before i went head first i decided to wait another month to see how things were going and if this was a good idea to pursue. The next month came and all my money was still there, and i swiftly closed my savings account at the bank i had been with for years and transferred my savings to my Aspirations account. It was just surreal, i couldn't believe that this online bank was ridiculously better than any bank i could use in my area, at least the savings account. I have not moved my checking account because i am not comfortable being able to deposit money at my convenience, so i cannot speak on the checking accounts, but the savings account that they offer are a great opportunity.
I absolutely love this bank. I was very skeptical at first, as I have never had an online bank account but after researching everything I could, I decided to go ahead with it. The savings with this account vs a normal account is impeccable and who doesn't love a bank who gives back to charity? For every $1.00 spent Aspiration will donate 10% to charities deserving and needing donations. I deal with a lot of charities in my day to day activities so this was a huge bonus for me when I decided to sign up. It's very eco friendly as well. You don't even have to pay a monthly fee. You actually get to CHOOSE what you feel they deserve as a banking institution, even if that's NOTHING, meaning $0.00. I went with the Summit account and in my experience it's just been great, it's my primary "vacation savings" account now. I didn't even have to have a minimum balance. Aspiration has reimbursed all of my ATM fee's the following month, so can't really argue with that either. I am one for really easy navigation, usability and user friendly experiences. Their app is really easy to use and makes me look forward to seeing my balance, as much as you can look forward to that. The only downside is that they have not integrated the ability to have joint accounts, or savings accounts. I was speaking with my husband about setting up a savings account for our son but as we can't have joint accounts, that couldn't happen so we had to open one with our bank, and deal with the fee's of that institution. Really hoping they add this feature soon.
I've been banking with Aspiration for over a year now and I'm so glad that I opened a checking account with them. Unlike many of the larger banks, Aspiration doesn't charge fees meaning there are no minimum balance requirements, a certain number of debit card transaction required, or direct deposit requirements to get the monthly fees raised. Aspiration leaves it up to the customer to decide if and how much they want to pay (sort of like a voluntary donation). The only downside is that every once in a while I wish there was a physical branch I could go to, but this doesn't happen often. I've also spoken with customer service on several occasions and they gave excellent customer service each and every time. I would definitely recommend this bank to anyone tired of spending monthly fees on accounts at the brick and mortar banks.
I have tried to close my account for two weeks and the bank has "lost" the remaining $1,015.21 that was in my account. I have had multiple calls and chat sessions and I have been told many different stories; unfortunately I have still not seen my money. Try getting through to a live person, and expect to wait a VERY LONG TIME, regardless of day or time that you try. Yesterday I wound up submitting a complaint with the Federal Reserve. I am hopeful that they can help. Oh, I didn't mention that they locked my account, so I have no online access to my information. Absolutely horrible situation. Avoid at all costs >> not worth the extra .1% you may "earn".
UPDATE the following is what I sent to the Federal Reserve: This is a follow up to my previous complaint against Aspiration Bank filed on 2/7/18 at 2:25 pm. I called Aspiration Bank on Friday evening to see if they had a status on my missing funds. I was threatened by them regarding putting my account into collections and that I never returned "the check". I had NO IDEA what they were talking about. Bottom line is when I closed my account with Aspiration Bank, I followed their procedures and scheduled multiple ACH transfers to Wells Fargo. So here is what happened: They evidently sent me a check for $10,015.21 when they closed my account, not realizing there were still some ACH payments scheduled. $9,000 was transferred, leaving a balance owed to me of $1,015.21. They said they will not send me those funds until I return the check they sent to me in error. I explained that I have yet to receive this check for $10,015.21 and that they can just stop payment on it and issue me my funds. The representative told me that they work with Radius Bank and THEY CANNOT STOP PAYMENT ON A CHECK. What??? So I have to wait for this check to come, return it to Radius Bank, who I never even heard of, and then wait for them to cut me another check for the balance owed to me. How can this be possible that they can't just stop payment on the incorrect check and just issue me a new one? And then they threaten me that if I cash the erroneous check, they are taking me to collections. I have NEVER been involved in such a ludicrous situation. As I ended my last complaint: PLEASE HELP.
I’ve never dealt with a bank so complicated. They do not keep up with the amount of money you have and when you overdraft your account they’re supposed to make you aware, but that NEVER happened. They charge you $5 every single day that you are overdrawn. It’s bullshit.
I originally found out about this bank on DepositAccounts.com. The main thing that attracted me to this bank is that there are no monthly service fees, which most other banks charge for checking and/or savings. Signing up was simple and took about five minutes. I did an automatic transfer of $10 from my current bank account in order to set up the online account. The money posted in three days which is also when I received my debit card. I currently use my account as a savings that never gets touched. I have $50 from my direct deposit go into the online account every two weeks. Having an online bank account is more simple than one of the more traditional banks and I believe that they offer better rates as well. Plus, being able to use ANY ATM without having to pay a fee is the best bonus.
I like this bank because they refund all atm fees. This makes it so worth it just to use this bank. I transfer money from other banks to this when I need to use an atm. The atm fees add up. Think about it. What I don't like is that they spam my inbox and screen with their leftist causes. They also give a higher interest rate than most banks. But there is a bit of false advertising. You need a few thousand in your checking to really gain the over 1% they claim. Only a fool would leave that much in a checking account when stocks and bitcoin are better investments. I think I get like .25 percent which is better than most banks. Overall I'd recommend the bank. They offer investment products but they seem to be a bit of a waste. The cards they give are pretty nice looking. It's a mountain. I get good comments about it. I think the concept of aspiration is good, too. I aspire to improve my finances and this helps a little.
I applied for the Aspiration Summit checking account but was declined because they couldn't access my credit profile. I gave them a one time pass so they could access it, but I was still declined. When I asked why, the only response was "We used the pin, contact Equifax for further details". He didn't want to say anything else. I checked with Equifax and it turns out that they didn't use the pin. This is very creepy. If your looking for a secure bank, please look elsewhere because I don't like lies (especially from a financial institution).
The Aspiration Summit Account is one of the best checking options on the market. The account earns interest and doesn't have monthly fees or ATM fees. In addition, Aspiration doesn't charge overdraft fees on debit card purchases, ATM withdrawals or online transfers that would push your balance below zero. Those transactions are simply declined. But Aspiration is an investment firm, so it doesn't have bank branches or offer savings accounts or certificates of deposit. You can use any ATM and Aspiration will reimburse your fees. I love this bank!
I opened up an account at Aspiration for a couple reasons. I wanted a debit card not linked to my bank or savings account, I also liked it didn't have any service charges. All going well.. until I wanted to deposit monies in the account with cash. There was no place I could do that. When I called customer service they were nice but not helpful. They said they would be putting in notes to request a place where I can make deposits, but who knows when that will happen.
I no longer use this service
Aspiration has been a wonderful online bank. They provide a very competitive interest rate of .25% on their checking account, and they have implemented a "pay what you want" system for their banking fees. They also have several investment opportunities available, and focus on only investing into sustainable companies. This makes for great returns, and helps to assure that their funds will be able to continue providing returns far into the future. Their website is extremely user-friendly, and requires very little thought to navigate. Added to the whole package is free ATM usage for any ATM in the United States, making Aspiration one of the best checking accounts available.
Horrible Service! Lied to me numerous times, still holding my account locked together with my money! Demanded documents and 3 way bank call, still holds my money, lied to me again
I loved the idea of using this account but never got around to it because I used Simple Banking and was highly satisfied with my banking with them. I was gonna give Aspiration a try and maybe even do a review on them, but they closed out my account before I could even start using it. They claimed I "never made the first initial deposit (which I did make the initial deposit) and terminated my account for security reasons". I asked them about starting a brand new account and they said it was "impossible". So one start for them 1 star, if there was a 0 star option I would give them that.
Worst bank account ive ever had. Never got my debit card and the eventually took 50% of my money in fees and other nonsense. Closing my account was even more of a hastle.avoid like the plague and stick to your locally owned credit unions.
I was excited to get this account with them. but I had NOTHING but problems with them. I would deposit a check on Thursday and it wouldn't be "available" to me until Monday. The worst is the stupid app said the money was in my account on Saturday but of course all my transactions were declined, so I went to the ATM and nope, my check was not deposited. Trying to get a hold of the "24/7" costumer support is a freaking joke, then of course they say we have online support well what they really mean is you can go read through questions and answers but you don't actually get to talk to anyone about your problem. Every time I have talked with costumer support (which always took me at least an hour!) They were rude and not helpful.
I will be closing out my account with them because I'm sick of trying to get a hold of the costumer support and consistently having problem with them.
BEWARE: Aspiration pulled the bait and switch technique on their interest rate! They no longer actually offer 1% interest on your money if you have a balance over $2500. They only give you 1% interest on money over the $2500; so if you were storing $2600 dollars in the account, they cut your effective interest down by a factor of 4!
Unfortunately, Aspiration has just shown themselves to be like other banks that disingenuously drop interest rates once they gain lots of customers from the publicity. Mathematically you will now NEVER have an effective interest rate of 1% on your account. If you keep $3000 in your account every day, you’ll only have an effective interest rate of 0.37%.
If you keep $4000 in your checking account on a daily basis, you will still only have an effective interest rate of 0.53%
They advertised and sponsored posts in financial blogs etc. throughout the entire last year bragging about their interest rate and pulling people in, only to switch this on us all as soon as their user base increased. I checked many of these sites again and there are now many other options with higher interest checking accounts (without gimmicks) than Aspiration now.
Please join me in asking Aspiration to restore the rate structure they advertised to us so thoroughly over the past year. If they don’t, we have plenty of better options to take our money elsewhere. I had previously been a happy customer, however this switch places Aspiration firmly in the category of institutions that they swore they were different from.
This bank is still in the growth stage (still working on features like electronic check delivery, etc.) and may have just shot themselves in the foot with their user base.
Card declined for $4.00 charge. Have funds available. No one to talk to 24 hours.
Aspiration is a terrific online bank with a unique fee structure. They have a great 1% interest rate on their savings account plus you can choose what fee to pay them (they default it to $3). Their website is very easy to navigate to make deposits and withdrawals. Plus they refund all atm fees on their debit card. Aspiration does run their accounts through Radius Bank so during tax season you will receive your documents from Radius not Aspiration. They also offer IRA investment options and a Redwood Fund that invests in environmentally conscious companies, though I have not put any money in those and can not report on their performance. Overall my experience with them has been extremely positive, I have made more in interest with them in a month than I did over four years with my previous bank.
Absolutely terrible customer service. After 2 years of being a customer, my account was frozen and I could not access my money. After several emails I called the bank for more information as it was going on 2 weeks that I could not access my account. After my 2nd call, I was informed that my account had been closed and a check mailed to me with the balance without prior warning. What kind of customer service is that? My account never fell below 5K the entire time that I banked with them. DREADFUL
Aspiration banks Summit account is pretty good over all. I like the fact that it's so easy to set up and that it is interest bearing. I don't like the fact that you have to pay at least $1 per month to have the account, which is frustrating if you just used most of the money. I use this account as my savings account, even though it's technically a standard checking account. I like the fact that you can have checks and a debit card like you normally do. I still have to have another bank account though because if I need to deposit cash, I can't with an online only bank. Otherwise it's good though.
My experience with Aspiration Bank's online website was almost entirely a positive one. The process of creating a bank account on their website was very fluid and they anticipated my needs at each step of the way and made it as painless as possible to complete each step. Signup up for a bank account is typically a long painful process but I was able to complete the entire thing in under 30 minutes, without having to spend too much time on the phone or waiting for any one particular step. I would definitely recommend Aspiration bank to anyone looking for a new, ethical bank provider to use. Furthermore, their interest rates are some of the highest in the industry and have no fees for their free bank tier.
I signed up with this as they actually give you interest on your checking account, whereas my bank doesn't give anything for checking accounts. I haven't had to speak with the customer service lines yet as far as my account goes. It runs very seamless and smooth. I only spoke with a rep before signing up to have questions answered and they were quite nice. I'm loving my decision so far. As long as I don't run into any issues with customer service if I have an issue I would be quite happy to recommend this bank to anyone who wants a bank who works with you, not just for their benefit. I mean who doesn't want to have money back into their account? I mean the bank borrows your money to make money, you should get more than just fees!
I knew the multiple steps to open a checking account with them. Getting on the list for the invite, waiting for the invite, etc. That wasn't the issue. They have a slowly rising daily limit for a deposit which made transferring my current checking account to this new checking account quite tedious. I also made the mistake of attempting to make two deposits in a daily that added up to their daily limit. They only take one deposit a day! If all that was bad enough over 30 days then I finally got to the point of switching to have my paycheck deposited. My paycheck amount was over their daily amount after 30 days which is ridiculous. Customer Service would reply 3-5 days later. Overall, worst experience ever with a bank in my 38 years of having a checking account.
What a mess this "banking institution" is. I thought it looked like a good option from the big banks but after a week and a half after opening my account, I didn't receive my debit card. Meh. Things get lost in the mail, no big deal. I contacted Aspiration and they verified that my address was correct and they said they would mail another card. 10 days later, still no card. I contacted them again and this time they stated that after their research, it looks like I listed a different address when I opened my account so I must now follow the multi-page set of instructions in an email they sent and send: a Utility Bill (Gas, Water, Electric, Cable, Land Line Phone, dated within 3 months), a Property Tax Bill, Auto Registration, a Bank Statement with address (dated within 3 months), a Student Loan Bill with address (dated within 3 months) or a Mortgage Bill/Statement, then fill out the change of address form. Sign the document in ink, upload it.....and then they'll send me a new card.
Well, how about I send you a screen grab of my account information page showing that my address is not incorrect and INDEED lists my current address? I did that, and promptly closed my account....which by the way also involves a lot of hoops.
No thank you, Aspiration, I'll stick with my big bank, which come to think of it has never really done me wrong anyway. We give big banks a hard time, but at least they have one thing down: how open (and yes close) accounts. To me, if you are banking institution and you can't manage how to properly open an account, then it's just a matter of time before you fail. Can't wait to say, "I saw it coming".
Terrible customer service not for international customers. The fraud alert could only be removed temporarily after talking to many people and three weeks and costing me 100s of dollars as their go to is we will look into it and contact you tomorrow. They then don't fix it then say I am not able access my money for my own safety. I am constantly traveling and luckily have accounts with banks with actual people that understand that or I would be sleeping on the street in China or Paris when my aspiration card is rejected as a fraud safety measure even though I told them I would be there. I emailed the CEO no response. Customer service also were rude and now give me no response.
Getting an Aspiration Summit bank account has been one of the best financial decisions I've ever made! It was so easy to get set up, and I love the fact that it can be free, or you can pay them via a monthly tip that you choose. On top of that it's interest bearing which is amazing for an account like this. Since I travel a lot, having a bank that allows me to use all bank ATM's and that refunds the bank fee is really nice. I am using the bank account for savings because it's interest bearing, but also ordered checks through them as well as the debit card that automatically comes with the account. I very much recommend this bank as hands down the best online bank ever!
I opened an account with aspiration online. I liked the idea of having a bank account away from my immediate everyday life. It was fairly easy. At first I was put on a wait list. I soon passed the wait list by sharing the company on Facebook. The company grabbed me with a 1% interest on your funds in a checking account! Usually you are charged. However once involved they say you. An make a donation every month. You can choose to do so. Well that's not true the minimum is one dollar a month, one cannot slide bar to any less. I did keep the account though. I still liked the idea of having a separate account away from my everyday. I figured I'd put twenty bucks a month in case of emergencies. I signed up and was easy. No check books but they did give a prompt delivery card through mail. They have been very secure. With Everytime I sign in; they send me a text with a unique temporary password. They schedule transfers and live up to it. The website is set up nice. Account summaries and always give options to invest.
I opened an account easily, with a transfer from my old bank account. My new debit card arrived quickly. There are no fees associated with this account, no overdraft or automatic monthly minimum fees. I can use any ATM without being charged, or charges will be reimbursed. I get to choose what my monthly fee will be and 10% of that goes to charity. When I was looking for my statement, the online chat representative was helpful and friendly. I haven't used their other investment products but I have looked into them and look forward to building my finances with the money market accounts, which look to have given a really good return. The checking account I signed up for has a high interest rate, I believe it is 1%, which is about 10 times more than what I was getting before.
I must say that I was a bit wary at first. I heard about them from a friend. The transition from my personal bank was smooth and you helped me along the way, and for that I am very thankful. They have no ATM fees or monthly fee. The interest rate is exceptional for a checking account. Overall, I am very happy with Aspiration and would highly recommend them to those looking for a checking account.