Anyone else having trouble with USAA banking?

Hi everyone,

I started using USAA banking about a week ago, and it’s been nothing but a headache. Let me explain:

  1. When I tried signing up, the system told me “sorry” and made me call in. After that, I got my account set up, and they also added my external bank. I was told to transfer $25 into each account using my external bank.
  2. Once I got everything set up after waiting three days for verification amounts, I tried to transfer money into my account. But I was told, “Transfer limit $0” for every account. I waited a day, thinking it was a timing issue. The next time I logged in, my account was locked.

I called customer service, got the account unlocked, and asked about the $0 transfer limit. They transferred me to another department and told me there’s a 120-day restriction on external transfers because the account is new. If I don’t use the account during that time, they said it would only get worse, with more frequent lockouts.

I don’t feel confident enough to set up direct deposit when my money could get locked like this. I decided to send $50 by initiating the transfer from my external bank instead. It’s on the way but will take 3–5 days.

  1. A big reason I joined USAA was to have all my finances under one roof, so I applied for a credit card. But guess what? “Sorry, you can’t do that.” That error page is all I ever see with this bank.

  2. I tried setting up Zelle in case I need it later. Same story: “Sorry, you can’t do that.”

It feels like I can’t do anything with this account for 120 days, and it’s frustrating. Is this normal? Does everyone go through this? I’m about ready to shut everything down and walk away. It’s been nothing but stress.

Get out while you can. I left USAA about eight years ago after being with them for over 20 years. Best decision I made.

I left USAA last year. Their banking division has been in a lot of trouble with regulators. You should check it out and think about moving your money elsewhere.

Mai said:
I left USAA last year. Their banking division has been in a lot of trouble with regulators. You should check it out and think about moving your money elsewhere.

What bank did you switch to, and why?

@Ali
Not the person you asked, but I switched to Navy Federal Credit Union because they have branches nearby. USAA kept locking me out, and it was a nightmare to fix. Now, if something happens, I can walk into a branch and get help.

@Lee
Thanks for the insight. I’ve been with USAA for 25 years and haven’t had issues, but all the violations they’ve had are concerning. I bank entirely online, though, so I’m not sure I’d need a local branch.

@Lee
Here are some links about Navy Federal’s issues, in case you’re curious:

@Lee
I tried to switch to Navy Fed, but they rejected me, lol.

I’ve been a member for 24 years, and I just moved everything out. Their service is not what it used to be. Some people seem to have good experiences, but I sure didn’t.

True said:
I’ve been a member for 24 years, and I just moved everything out. Their service is not what it used to be. Some people seem to have good experiences, but I sure didn’t.

Same here! I switched to Schwab.

@Rowan
Me too.

True said:
I’ve been a member for 24 years, and I just moved everything out. Their service is not what it used to be. Some people seem to have good experiences, but I sure didn’t.

Where did you move your money?

@Sam
Schwab.

It might be something like waiting on signature cards or other paperwork.

My account got locked after depositing a check to pay for my dog’s cancer treatment. It wasn’t even a huge amount, but they locked it immediately. I couldn’t get into my account for two weeks, and customer service was no help. It was only when I threatened legal action that they magically fixed it. USAA is terrible.

I was able to do a wire transfer after 30 days. A rep told me that’s their policy for new accounts.

Getting locked out isn’t normal, but yes, there are a lot of restrictions on new accounts. External transfers are limited for 120 days, and Zelle requires the account to be at least 10 days old and the app to be active for 30 days.

I work in banking, and we make it easy to transfer money in. It’s when money is going out that there are more checks and balances.

USAA banking has a lot of issues. Trust me, it’s only going to get worse.

Longtime USAA member here. Their banking products are just not good anymore. I moved to Schwab, and it’s been a much better experience. The only thing I kept was a cashback credit card for gas.