This article was originally published on KUKU’s personal blog.

【2025.2 Update】After the bank failure, Juno users were previously unable to log in, but access was finally restored some time ago.

NOTE: Payment selections were available for End Users to choose through Dec. 4, 2024. If you did not select a payment method by that date, we are sending out check payments via U.S. Postal Service on or about December 19 to your address on file with the Bank. If you did not receive your refund or check, file a complaint here. Per the FDIC notice: File a Complaint: Affected users can file complaints to the Federal Reserve Consumer Help (FRCH) through their website using the online form or by calling them directly at 1-888-851-1920.

In addition, 2024 tax forms have been issued, so don’t forget to log in and download them.

【May 2024 Update】Due to the dispute between partner Synapse and Evolve Bank & Trust, all Juno ACH, wire transfer, and debit card transaction services have been terminated, and the restoration date remains unknown. On behalf of users, Juno has raised serious concerns with the U.S. federal court overseeing the issues between Synapse and Evolve Bank & Trust. The court has instructed the parties to meet and work toward a resolution as soon as possible.

【Original article below】

【2023.5 Update】Juno recently made the following changes:

  • Positive change 1: Jcoin can now be redeemed directly for various gift cards, including Amazon. This is a nice feature, and I casually redeemed a bit myself.
  • Positive change 2: The 5% deposit interest cap has been increased to the first $50,000.
  • Negative change: Walmart purchases are no longer eligible for 5% cash back, likely because money orders could be purchased there. Effective 06/01/23.

【2022.5 Update】Onjuno changed its name a while ago and is now called Juno. Juno has also been enhanced: the number of selectable 5% merchants has increased to 10 (and was 10% through the end of May), and the $100 account opening bonus seems to no longer have an expiration date.

Onjuno is one of the author’s favorite online checking account products, and KUKU has long recommended this checking account. The recent Onjuno revamp mainly includes:

  • An added account opening bonus (requires DD $50), with both the referrer and referee receiving $25 + 1000 JCOIN
  • Direct access to a cryptocurrency trading account
  • For Metal users, the annual cash back cap increased from $150 to $200, and the monthly fee can be waived (with DD $500 each month)

Before We Begin

There are many distinctive checking account and debit card products in the U.S. For example, we’ve previously covered:

Today we’re introducing a newly launched checking account and its virtual debit card called Onjuno Checking. Since it’s a checking account, most readers should already be familiar with the basics, so here’s a quick overview.

How to Open an Account

The current account opening bonus is $25 and requires DD $50.

The Onjuno application process is very fast and only takes a few minutes. It appears to rely on automated identity verification. You’ll need the following:

  • Your full SSN (opening the account does not pull your credit report, so there is no Hard Pull)
  • A valid ID (driver’s license or passport; a Chinese passport is accepted)
  • A valid address
  • You need to upload the front and back of your valid ID. If you use a passport, you can upload the photo page for both sides. After you apply, approval is handled automatically by the system and usually takes only 2-3 min (you will receive an automatic email notification), YMMV. The author’s application was approved in almost 1 min. After that, just follow the prompts to set your PIN and choose your merchants.

After opening the account, you can choose to make an Initial Deposit by linking a U.S. bank account. You can also do this later.

Basic Account Information

For more information about Onjuno Checking, you can visit its official website:

Overview

Onjuno offers the following:

  • A checking account, with Evolve Bank & Trust as the partner bank
  • A virtual debit card with a PIN that can be changed at any time
  • Deposit interest up to 1.2% (rates are generally much lower now; it used to be 2.15%)
  • 5% cash back at selected merchants (choose 5 merchants, covering common e-commerce merchants)
  • Funds are FDIC insured, up to $150,000
  • There is a free version (Basic Checking, free) and a premium version (Metal Checking, which comes with a metal debit card, paid, though free during a limited-time promotion). The main differences between the two are the deposit balance cap eligible for interest and the 5% cash back cap, as follows:

Basic account: $0 per month

  • 1.2% APY is on up to $5,000
  • 5% back is on up to $500 in spend per year【$25 cash back per year】

Metal account: $9.99 per month【Fee waived with DD $500 per month】

  • 1.2% APY is on up to $50,000
  • 5% back is on up to $3,000 in spend per year【Actual annual cash back is $200; it was originally $150 and has since been improved】

Metal automatically comes with a metal debit card. Basic does not send a physical debit card by default (the virtual card is sufficient for spending), but if you need one, you can ask Onjuno for a physical card instead (in practice, a temporary card based on the virtual card). See:

All features of the free version (left) and paid version (right) are shown below:

【2021.5 Update】Two updates:

  • You can now request a physical card directly on the website; previously you had to call in to apply. You can find this on the homepage: once the pop-up appears, simply confirm your address with the Bot and the card will be mailed automatically. If it is a metal card, they will first send a plastic card, followed later by the metal card.
  • Onjuno has consistently run premium membership promotions (DD $500 for a 6-month premium trial). If your account status does not change after your DD posts (possibly even a Fake DD), you can contact customer service via chat. Once support sees the $500 deposit, they will usually upgrade you right away, YMMV.

[Updated 2022.2] Onjuno now supports reloads. You can use a debit card, credit card, or prepaid card, and the funds post instantly. Since this feature is still new, there are likely many angles worth exploring. Details: https://help.onjuno.com/en/articles/3825150-checking-account-fees

  • Up to $500 per day, $2,500 per month, and $25,000 per year. See: https://help.onjuno.com/en/articles/4543197-transfer-and-spend-limits
  • There is no fee on the first reload, so it may make sense to use the full $500 limit.
  • After that, fees apply: Credit Card 3.5% + 30¢; debit card 2% + 30¢; Prepaid Card 2.3% + 30¢
  • International credit cards incur an additional 1% fee.

Since this just launched, many cards still cannot be linked yet. Feel free to test things out, as there should be plenty of opportunities here. I did some simple testing:

  • Not supported for now: PPK, Visa gift cards, Chinese credit cards, Discover, AMEX
  • Supported for now: various US debit cards, including cashback debit cards such as point, M1, upgrade, etc.; and US Visa/Mastercard credit cards
  • It is still unclear whether there is any Cash Advance risk, so if you use a credit card, make sure to monitor how the transaction posts

Onjuno explicitly says it supports various credit cards and international cards, so broader access is probably only a matter of time. DP reports are welcome.

5% cashback merchants

You can choose 5 when opening the account, and changes are supported later. My guess is that customer service may be able to help update them. The selection is pretty decent, including:

  • Shopping, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, HD, etc.
  • Food & Restaurants, including many food delivery apps
  • Entertainment:
  • Transportation, including Lyft, Uber, and Shell
  • Travel, currently only Airbnb

I chose the five major electronics platforms:

Account limits

Onjuno does have spending limits, which can be adjusted within the maximum allowed range. Mine is a Basic account, with the following limits:

  • ATM withdrawal limit: $500 per day
  • Purchase limit: $1,250 per transaction
  • You can enable or disable domestic and international transactions

ATM fees and limits: According to Onjuno, ATM withdrawals at Allpoint® and MoneyPass® ATMs are currently free. If another ATM charges you a fee, Onjuno can reimburse that fee 1-3 times per month (1 time/month for Basic accounts and 3 times/month for Metal accounts).

You can use OnJuno's Debit card for free cash withdrawals at 85,000+ Allpoint® and MoneyPass® ATMs. We'll cover your ATM withdrawal fees up to 3 for Metal and 1 for Basic per month from outside the network specified.

Mobile payments

Onjuno supports various mobile wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and more. It can currently be linked normally to payment apps such as PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App.

Cryptocurrency trading

Onjuno supports cryptocurrency trading. Through the end of the year, trades are fee-free; after that, fees will apply. Crypto accounts are now enabled by default.

Virtual debit card

After completing your account application, you can immediately view your debit card information here:

Basic accounts do not come with a physical card by default, but you can contact customer service to have one mailed out. Metal accounts include a metal card (shipping began in January 2021). If you only have a Basic account, I would still recommend requesting a physical card, because a cashback debit card can be quite useful. See “Some use cases” below.

Note: the virtual card number and the debit card number are different.

Transfers and remittances

  • Incoming transfers: only supported from linked checking accounts
  • Outgoing transfers: ACH only, including to linked checking accounts
  • Overall this is still acceptable, and transfers generally post in about 3 business days.

[Updated 2021.8] Onjuno added expedited international transfers. This feature is powered by Wise, so it is not free. It currently supports transfers in multiple currencies, including China:

USD to CNY transfer speed is pretty good, though the fees are a bit expensive. If you need money urgently, it could still be worth considering:

Fees

There are no other fees. No maintenance fee, no minimum deposit requirement, and no foreign transaction fee.

Other questions

You can search here or submit a question; you should be able to find the answer.

Some use cases

Personally, I think this checking account is pretty solid. Even the free version can generate $120+ in value per year. According to Onjuno, any purchase at a selected merchant can trigger 5% cashback. Since this is a debit card, there are a few possible use cases:

  • Buy money orders and use Bill Pay in-store at Walmart, with almost no restrictions
  • You can also just use the free version, deposit $5,500, do a single Amazon reload, earn $25 cashback, and complete all the rewards that way.

If you spend a lot or have plenty of cash on hand, and you regularly shop at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, or Target, the paid version may be a better fit. You can also try it now and see.

Summary

Overall, I would still recommend opening one. Virtual card + high interest + cashback + checking, and account opening is almost instant. If your spending is high or you have substantial cash balances, the Metal account may be worth considering. Plus, the monthly fee is waived with just DD $500 per month, which is not hard to do.

The current signup bonus is $25 and requires DD $50.