United States
activeFeaturedNeobank
- HQ
- Detroit
- Fee
- $0 on core spend/save
BankMobile / Vibe
US student checking. Deposits at First Carolina Bank, Member FDIC. Not a bank.
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6.1Mixed
AlternativesFive questions
At a glance
Is it a bank?
No. BankMobile / Vibe is not a bank. Your money sits with First Carolina Bank.
If it fails?
FDIC pass-through on eligible deposits at First Carolina Bank, Member FDIC — confirm live. BankMobile / Vibe is not itself FDIC-insured. Customers Bank is no longer the partner.
Salary?
Not listed. An IBAN or sort code is not automatically a salary account.
Open from abroad?
Residency and KYC are gated. An App Store listing is not proof you can onboard.
Monthly fee
$3.99 unless $300 qualifying deposits — financial-aid refunds do not count
Account number
No IBAN-class local rail on this file.
NeoBankDB Verdict
Licence first · score second
6.1
/10 · Mixed
BankMobile is a student-checking programme. BM Technologies sits under First Carolina Bank. Eligible deposits are FDIC-insured at First Carolina, not at the Vibe icon. The $3.99 fee does not waive on financial-aid refunds. After Synapse, the partner name is the review.
What it is
Born as a Customers Bank spin, listed as BMTX, then folded into First Carolina. vibeaccount.com still logs students in. Directories say ‘BankMobile neobank’. This desk says: campus disbursement fintech, First Carolina holds the cash.
Best for: US students at a partner campus who need the refund rail and will read First Carolina on the statement.
Last checked 2026-08-28. Not advice.
What it does well
- +Names First Carolina Bank
- +Campus distribution is the actual product
- +FDIC is at a bank
- +Allpoint
What to watch
- −Not a bank
- −Monthly fee trap on aid refunds
- −Partner changed (was Customers Bank)
- −Not Ally, not SoFi Bank
Who holds the money
The account
- Platforms
- iOS · Android · Web
- Account types
- Student checking
- Partner bank
- First Carolina Bank
- Minimum balance
- $0
- Lowest monthly fee
- $3.99 unless $300 qualifying deposits (aid refunds excluded)
- Who can open
- Students at partner US campuses
- Availability
- United States (partner colleges)
How money actually moves
- Who holds the cash
- Current account at a partner bank
- How money moves
- ACH / USD
- Built for
- Personal
- Settlement
- App-ledger instant; bank rails per corridor
- Freeze risk
- Bank-grade; still not freeze-proof
- Card
- BankMobile / Vibe lists a physical card and a virtual card on visa, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. Confirm the live product in the app — a card is not a current account.
Licence first
Safety
FDIC pass-through on eligible deposits at First Carolina Bank, Member FDIC — confirm live. BankMobile / Vibe is not itself FDIC-insured. Customers Bank is no longer the partner.
Who holds the money: First Carolina Bank
- FDIC (partner)Fintech. Banking services via First Carolina Bank, Member FDIC. BM Technologies, Inc. · United States
Fees
- Monthly
- $3.99 unless $300 qualifying deposits — financial-aid refunds do not count
- FX markup
- Not a travel product
- ATM
- Allpoint fee-free network — confirm live
Features
- –IBAN
- –Fee-free core
- –Multi-currency
- ✓Apple Pay
- ✓Google Pay
- ✓Virtual card
- ✓Physical card
- –Metal card
- –Crypto
- –Stocks
- –Business
- –Kids
- –Halal
- Campus refund disbursement
- Student checking
- Allpoint ATMs
- Keep the account after graduation (pitch)
- Named FDIC bank
Score
- Safety25%
- 6.6
- Fees20%
- 6.8
- Features15%
- 6.4
- App15%
- 6.8
- Global15%
- 3.4
- Support10%
- 6.2
Change log
Full logSafety
First Carolina Bank holds the deposit
Student checking. FDIC at First Carolina, not at Vibe. Customers Bank is no longer the partner.
Available in
Straight answers
FAQ
01Is BankMobile / Vibe a bank?
BankMobile / Vibe is not a licensed deposit-taker in the classic sense. Money, if any, sits with First Carolina Bank.
02How is money protected?
FDIC pass-through on eligible deposits at First Carolina Bank, Member FDIC — confirm live. BankMobile / Vibe is not itself FDIC-insured. Customers Bank is no longer the partner.
03Where is BankMobile / Vibe available?
We list 1 market on NeoBankDB. Residency and onboarding rules still sit with BankMobile / Vibe.
04Card and wallets?
BankMobile / Vibe lists a physical card and a virtual card on visa, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. Confirm the live product in the app — a card is not a current account.
05Can I open BankMobile / Vibe remotely?
Residency and KYC are gated. An App Store listing is not proof you can onboard from your country.
Ratings and reviews
No published user reviews yet. The NeoBankDB score still comes from licence, fees, and the product — not from an empty star average.
Alternatives
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- HQ
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