Barclays is an online-only financial institution.
Barclays; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
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The bottom line: The Barclays Online Savings Account is a solid fee-free savings account and it might be ideal if you’d like to open an account with $0. However, Barclays doesn’t offer a checking account, so you’ll have to transfer money to an external bank account to access your money.
Pros and cons
ProsCons
High interest that’s higher than the national average of savings account interest rates
No monthly service fees
$0 minimum opening deposit
Need to transfer money to an external bank account to access funds
Compare savings accounts
Barclays Online Savings Account review
The Barclays Online Savings Account is an overall good fee-free savings account. It has a $0 minimum opening deposit. You can also earn a competitive interest rate that’s higher than what many traditional and high-yield savings accounts pay right now.
How Barclays works
Barclays is an online bank that has a high-yield savings account and CDs. Barclays doesn’t have a checking account, so you’ll need to transfer your money to an external bank account to access it.
Customer service is available by phone or live chat seven days per week. Contact a representative anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
The Barclays mobile app has received 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store, and 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store.
Your deposits are FDIC insured for $250,000 for individual bank accounts or $500,000 for joint accounts.
Barclays trustworthiness and BBB score
The Better Business Bureau rates companies by seeing how it responds to customer complaints.
The BBB gave Barclays an A+ rating. A great BBB score doesn’t guarantee your relationship with a bank will be smooth. You’ll want to talk to current customers or read online customer reviews to see if Barclays might be a good fit for you.
Although Barclays has a great BBB rating, it does have one recent public settlement. In 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission required Barclays to pay $6 million in a settlement that accused the bank of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act due to improper hiring practices.
Barclays Online Savings Account vs. Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account
We’ve compared the Barclays Online Savings Account to the Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account.
Barclays
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
Savings APY
Barclays Online Savings Account
Savings APY
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account
Minimum opening deposit
$0
Minimum opening deposit
$0
Barclays Online Savings AccountMarcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account
Both offer an online high-yield savings account with no monthly service fees or minimum opening deposit, so it could be a bit of a toss-up.
The two institutions also share a similar disadvantage in their savings account — limited access to your funds. If you’d like to take out money from your account, you’ll need to link an external bank account and transfer funds.
The Barclays Online Savings Account currently offers a higher interest rate than the Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account. However, keep in mind rates can fluctuate.
Barclays Online Savings Account vs. Discover Online Savings Account
See how the Barclays Online Savings Account stacks up to Discover Bank’s Discover Online Savings Account.
Barclays
Discover Bank
Savings APY
Barclays Online Savings Account
Savings APY
Discover Online Savings Account
Minimum opening deposit
$0
Minimum opening deposit
$0
Barclays Online Savings AccountDiscover Online Savings Account
You might lean more toward Discover if you’d prefer opening multiple bank accounts or having quick access to funds.
Discover offers a checking account. If you open both bank accounts, you’ll be able to link your debit card to your savings account and access funds quickly. The Discover Cashback Debit Account is also a rewards checking account. You may earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 of purchases per month.
Barclays currently pays a higher interest rate than Discover, though.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Barclays savings account FDIC insured?
Yes. Barclays is a federally insured bank. Deposits are FDIC insured for $250,000 for individual bank accounts or $500,000 for joint accounts.
Does Barclays have a good savings account?
You may like Barclays if you don’t want to deal with monthly service fees or minimum balance requirements.
It may not be the best option if you want quick access to your funds. Barclays doesn’t have a checking account or ATM access, so you’ll transfer money to an external bank account.