Why is it that, no matter how hard we might try to get things ready before a trip, my family and I end up scrambling to do things last minute?! Usually, I have all of my travel-size toiletries already set aside and I can easily pack one personal item and one carry-on for a one- to three-day trip. For our vacation back to the Netherlands, though, it was a whole other process.
Since each of us were allowed have one piece of luggage to be checked in at no charge, we could actually bring full-size liquid containers and other items not generally permitted in a carry-on suitcase or bag. Our trip to the Netherlands was going to be for three weeks so the extra space and less restrictions of checked-in luggage was very much needed. That also meant that we had some shopping to do!
A Little Help with Our Travel To Do List
Shortly before we left, GoBank gave me the opportunity to try their product out. I received a GoBank starter kit with some money already added to the account. So, all I needed to do was sign up for the account and activate my GoBank debit card.
The process was pretty quick and painless. The only snag was the relatively short period before the user session timed out. For safety reasons I appreciated the feature but, when I had to do something else in between, it was a bit irritating to fill out everything again after signing back in. As an additional security measure, upon creation of my account, I receive a text message on my phone with a unique code to verify my mobile number.
The main benefit of GoBank is that it’s a checking account especially tailored for today’s tech savvy users. Most of us eat, breathe, and sleep with our smartphones now and it just makes sense to have a service that caters to that lifestyle. Not only can GoBank users move funds and check their balance from their smartphones but they can even pay bills and deposit checks with a few taps and swipes, all without having to make a special trip to the bank. What a time saver!
GoBank was designed to work fluidly on your mobile phone but you can also manage your account online using your desktop computer and/or laptop. Now busy parents will have one less errand to run and one less headache of loading the kids in and out of the car with their gazillion-point car seats!
Smartphone Mobile Banking with GoBank
We were so swamped with other tasks that needed our attention that we only had a few days to finally prepare for our trip. GoBank is only for use within the U.S. so I had to make use of it before we headed overseas. Turned out that there was an ATM just across the street (literally) which allowed me to withdraw money from my GoBank account with no fee. GoBank has over 42,000 fee-free ATMs in the U.S. and you can use the ATM locator on the app to find one close to you. You can also use ATMs not in the network but you’ll get hit with extra fees.
So, I withdrew the cash, bought what I needed, and even had some left over to keep on us on the way to the airport. We rushed to pick up some necessary toiletries as well as some shorts for my daughter and a few gifts for the family we were visiting.
Here are a few extra details about GoBank to see how it will fit right into your life and even streamline it a bit. You can download the GoBank app here.
- GoBank starter kits cost $2.95 and you can start your account for as little as $20, up to $500 at participating Walmart stores OR sign up online or on the app with a $20 minimum deposit. Must be 18+ years to open an account.
- You’ll need to successfully verify your ID before you can use all of GoBank’s features.
- The monthly membership fee is $8.95, but FREE in any month that you make qualifying direct deposits totaling at least $500. GoBank never charges overdraft fees, NSF fees or penalty fees.
- Add cash FREE at participating Walmart stores (not available in VT); other stores may charge a fee. Cash deposits have a max of $2,500 per day, and $3,000 per 30 days, subject to an account balance max of $50,000.
- FREE direct deposit.
- FREE to get cash at any ATM in our massive network.
- $2.50 at out-of-network ATMs and bank tellers, plus any fee that the ATM owner or bank may charge.
- 3% charge for purchases from foreign websites and merchants.
- Other services & products may be offered for a fee. Other limits may apply.
For more information, visit:
Have you looked into a smartphone-based banking service before?
I was with compensation for trying out this service and sharing my honest thoughts on it. All opinions are my own.
