Checking - FAQ

The Laurel Road Freedom Plus Checking^SM account is designed for members who are actively pursuing PSLF/IDR student loan forgiveness and are getting on-going guidance from our student loan specialists through our annual membership. If you are not yet enrolled in membership and would like to explore your student loan options based on your unique situation, you can schedule a free 30-minute call with our student loan experts to see which option is right for you. If you don’t have any student loans, check out our Loyalty Checking account, a great option for everyday checking that lets you earn monthly cash rewards.

You can join the PSLF/IDR Counseling membership without opening a Freedom Plus Checking account. However, if you open a Freedom Checking account with your membership and complete qualifying activities, you can get an annual discount off your membership fee each year. See further details here.

Yes. You may open and earn benefits from both a Laurel Road Freedom Plus Checking and either a Laurel Road Loyalty Checking or a Laurel Road Linked Checking account, as long as you meet the requirements to earn benefits for each account type.

A Qualifying Student Loan Payment from your Freedom Plus Checking Account must be an electronic payment towards any student loan serviced by a federal student loan servicer. Non-qualifying student loan payments may include, but are not limited to, student loan payments made via check or other non-easily identifiable means and those student loan payments to a non-federal student loan servicer. Laurel Road, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to deem any student loan payment either a qualifying or non-qualifying student loan payment, as applicable. For more information on the cost of membership and discount eligibility requirements, click here.

A Qualifying Direct Deposit is a pre-arranged electronic direct deposit through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network from most employer payrolls, payroll providers (excluding third-party advance payroll service providers), benefits payers such as Social Security or Military Pay, or pension. Non-qualifying deposits include, but are not limited to: point-of-sale (“POS”) and internet-initiated mobile entry (“WEB”) ACH transactions; incoming Person-to-Person (“P2P”) payments made via the ACH Network such as Zelle, PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo (including payroll-related transactions made via P2P providers); mobile check deposits; wire transfers; cash deposits; one-time direct deposits such as tax refunds and corporate reimbursements; internal transfers between Laurel Road or KeyBank accounts; external transfers from another financial institution; and insurance payments and other similar transactions. Laurel Road, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to deem any deposit either a qualifying or non-qualifying direct deposit, as applicable. For more information on the cost of membership and discount eligibility requirements, click here.

The past few years have seen many changes in the federal student loan landscape, from the COVID-era payment pause to numerous changes with the application and processing of federal repayment programs. Though the Department of Education has taken steps to make the process easier, borrowers still face many challenges managing and repaying their student loans. To help you find peace of mind, we’ve created an annual membership that offers expert guidance from our dedicated team who specialize in federal forgiveness programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR). After completing a free student loan consultation, our team will be able to recommend either a PSLF or IDR Counseling membership based on your individual circumstances. With an annual membership, our team can help you navigate the complexities of federal program updates, track your eligible payments, review your repayment plan options, and help you stay on track towards student loan forgiveness year after year. Our team can also help you make appeals with the Department of Education, if there are any discrepancies, and you’ll have year-round access to our team by phone, email, or video call. The cost of the annual membership is $549, but you can receive a $200 discount* when you combine your membership with a Laurel Road Freedom Plus Checking℠ account and complete qualifying checking activities. The new Freedom Plus Checking account can help you easily track your student loan forgiveness payments and progress – with all the benefits of our digital checking account, learn more here.

Early Pay is a complimentary benefit available to Laurel Road Checking account members to access their qualifying direct deposit funds up to two days early. This feature is offered at no cost to you. For more information, click here.

No, you do not need to enroll in Early Pay. If you have a Laurel Road Checking account and have direct deposits set up, you are automatically enrolled in Early Pay.

Early Pay may be available for several types of direct deposit payments including payroll, Social Security, unemployment, and government benefits. Direct deposits that generally will not be eligible for Early Pay include tax refunds, bill payments, rent payments, and bank-to-bank transfers.

The detailed description about the Early Pay feature can be found in the Deposit Account Agreement and Funds Availability Policy document.

Yes, you will receive an email notification. You may also get a notification on your phone if you have notifications set up with the Laurel Road mobile app.

If you see this message in Online Banking… Sorry, we’re having trouble pulling up your account right now. …it’s often for one of these common reasons:

1. Your new account is still loading in our system.

Please allow some more time for your new account to load. Checking and Savings accounts can take up to 1 business day to appear in Online Banking. Student Loans, Credit Cards, Personal Loans, and Mortgage Loans can take 3 to 7 business days to appear. While we get your new account ready, use Online Banking to check out exclusive member discounts in Perks! and explore interactive tools in Financial Resources on https://www.laurelroad.com.

2. You have no open accounts with Laurel Road.

Perhaps you had a Laurel Road deposit or lending account that has since been closed. Click here to view our account offerings and open a new account.

3. Something else…

If your account is still not displaying, and you feel it should be at this time, please call our Premium Care Team at 1-833-427-2265 (Dial 711 for TTY/TRS).

We have designed our checking accounts with rewards that best fit the needs of our members. When you set up qualifying monthly direct deposits, such as your paycheck, we can provide you with extra benefits such as a student loan rate discount (with Laurel Road Linked Checking) or monthly cash rewards (with Laurel Road Loyalty Checking). To take advantage of these benefits, we recommend setting up recurring direct deposits, like your paycheck, to help you earn all your eligible rewards. You can still open and use our checking account without setting up direct deposits and still enjoy all the convenience and benefits of your digital checking account.

No, you cannot deposit cash directly into your Laurel Road Checking^® account, however there are several ways you can add money to your account. You can deposit checks via our mobile app. And through online banking, you can set up an online transfer, direct deposit, or wire transfer to add funds to your account.  

You can order paper checks anytime through your online banking account, or by calling us at (833) 427-2265. For TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired), please dial 711.

To request the addition of a joint account owner, please contact us at (833) 427-2265. For TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired), dial 711. You can also visit Online Banking to add a co-owner to your checking account.

The availability of funds depends on the type of deposit you make and how it is deposited.

• Same-day availability: Direct deposits of electronic payments (such as Social Security benefits and payroll), wire transfers received by 6:00 p.m. ET on a business day.

• We believe a check you deposit will not be paid.
• You deposit checks totaling more than $5,000 on any one day.
• You redeposit a check that has been returned unpaid.
• You have overdrawn your account repeatedly in the last six months.
• There is an emergency, such as failure of computer or communications equipment or other conditions beyond our control.
• You are a new client with a checking account open for fewer than 30 days.

You can view your checking account activity in the following ways:

• Sign in to Online Banking
• Use the Laurel Road mobile app (you must be enrolled in Online Banking)
• Check your monthly statement online (you may request to receive statements by mail)
• Call (833) 427-2265, or TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired): dial 711.

Yes, you can pay your bills online with your Laurel Road Checking^® account. With online bill pay, you don’t have to worry about writing paper checks, buying stamps, or going to the post office.

Laurel Road has also created a guide to help you through the process on how to enroll in direct deposit. Many workplaces have a company HR portal where you can easily update which bank account you use for your paycheck direct deposit completely online. Reach out to your company’s HR department if you need assistance. Click here if you need to download a printable direct deposit form. Laurel Road has also created a guide on how to switch banks to help you with the process.

You can add money to your account by depositing checks through online banking or our mobile app, or by setting up an online transfer or direct deposit.

If you miss your qualifying direct deposit one month, you will unfortunately also miss out on earning the reward for that month. But once you start making qualifying direct deposits again, you can earn a reward for the next statement period. Note, the introductory $20/month reward can only be earned for the first 12 full statement cycles after account opening. If you miss the last qualifying direct deposit of this introductory 12-month period, then starting with your 13th full statement cycle you will be able to earn the $10/monthly reward with qualifying direct deposits and can continue earning this $10/monthly reward for as long as your account is open. For more information, click here.

Laurel Road Linked Checking offers you the ability to receive a discount off your Laurel Road student loan refinance, while Laurel Road Loyalty Checking offers you a monthly cash reward – both with qualifying direct deposits. Both share many of the same online checking benefits and features, such as access to over 40,000 no-fee ATMs nationwide,* $0 to open the account, $0 maintenance fee, free debit card and paper checks, mobile and online banking, and much more.

• *No surcharge when using your Laurel Road debit card at KeyBank ATMs or Allpoint ATMs located within the 50 United States and Washington D.C. Click Here to find ATMs near you.

To earn monthly rewards, you must make qualifying ACH deposits into your Laurel Road Loyalty Checking account totaling at least $2,500 during the statement period. Rewards will be deposited into your Laurel Road Loyalty Checking account in the statement period after they are earned. Qualifying Direct Deposits – A pre-arranged electronic direct deposit through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network from most employer payrolls, payroll provider (excluding third-party advance payroll service providers), benefits payer such as Social Security or Military Pay, or pension. Non-Qualifying Deposits - Including but not limited to: Point-of-sale (POS) and internet-initiated mobile entry (WEB) ACH transactions; incoming Person-to-Person (P2P) payments made via the ACH Network such as Zelle, PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo (including payroll-related transactions made via P2P providers); mobile check deposits; wire transfers; cash deposits; one-time direct deposits such as tax refunds and corporate reimbursements; internal transfers between Laurel Road or KeyBank accounts; external transfers from another financial institution; and insurance payments and other similar transactions. Laurel Road, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to deem any deposit either a qualifying or non-qualifying direct deposit, as applicable.

• Yes, if you currently have a Linked Checking account, once you have paid off your student loan, your Linked Checking can be converted into a Loyalty Checking account.
• If you want to open a Loyalty Checking prior to paying off your student loan, you will need to close the Linked Checking account and open a new Loyalty Checking account. For assistance, you can call our premium care service team at (833) 427-2265. For TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired), dial 711.
• Note that if you were the primary account holder on another Laurel Road Checking account within the last 24 months, your Loyalty Checking monthly cash reward will start at $10 beginning with the second statement period after account opening. You would not be eligible to receive the $20/month reward for the first year of holding the account. You also will not be eligible for the welcome bonus for new members.

• No, you can only have either a Linked Checking or a Loyalty Checking account open at the same time.
• You may open a standard Laurel Road Checking account and have that account open at the same time as a Loyalty Checking or Linked Checking. However, the additional account will not be eligible for the rewards component (either the student loan discount or the cash reward).

Members who open a Laurel Road Linked Checking℠ account in conjunction with an application to refinance their student loans will receive an introductory 3-month 0.25% interest rate discount on their Laurel Road student loan, which will be applied during the first three billing cycles of the student loan. Starting with the 4th billing cycle, and continuing with each billing cycle thereafter, the interest rate discount applied during a billing cycle will be based on the amount deposited via an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction into the Laurel Road Linked Checking account during the preceding calendar month, according to the table below. Note: To continue to receive the discount for the 4th billing cycle, you must begin making ACH deposits to your Laurel Road Linked Checking account during the second full month after your loan funds.

*Potential discount after three months and qualifying monthly direct deposits

No, there are no foreign transaction fees for using your Laurel Road debit card for any purchases or ATM withdrawals made outside of the U.S.

Yes. For your protection, you can withdraw up to $1,000 a day from ATMs.

Your debit card will be mailed to you automatically when you open your account. Your new Laurel Road debit card should arrive by mail within 7 business days.

You can search for over 40,000 no-fee ATMs nationwide through the ATM locator at www.laurelroad.com/ATM, or through our mobile app.

You can find detailed information about Laurel Road Checking account overdraft fees here, or by calling a member specialist at (833) 427-2265. For TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired), dial 711.

Your routing number is the first nine digits located on the lower left-hand corner of your checks. You may also lookup your routing number by logging into your online banking account or by calling us at (833) 427-2265, or TTY/TRS (for the hearing impaired): dial 711.

Yes. The balance in your checking account is FDIC-insured up to the maximum allowable limit. Laurel Road is a part of KeyBank N.A. All single accounts owned by the same person at KeyBank N.A. are added together and insured up to the maximum allowable limit. To learn more, contact the FDIC toll-free at 1.877.ASK.FDIC (1.877.275.3342) or visit www.fdic.gov.

Laurel Road Checking^® is an interest-bearing account. You can see the most updated interest rate for your Laurel Road Checking account here.