To open an Ally Bank account you give your full name, Social Security number or tax ID number, date of birth, a U.S. residential street address, a U.S. phone number and email, and your mother's maiden name, online or by phone, with $0 to open.
- Photo ID: not stated as an Ally requirement; Ally's general advice article says banks typically ask for a passport, driver's license or state ID with your photo.
- SSN or ITIN: "your Social Security number or Tax Identification Number"; the ITIN by name: not stated.
- Proof of address: you need a "U.S. residential street address"; Ally names no proof-of-address document.
- Opening deposit: "It's always $0 to open," but the account closes if not funded within 30 days.
- Age: at least 18.
- Online or branch: no branches; online, or by phone 24/7 at 1-877-247-2559.
- Non-citizens and non-residents: non-citizens can open if they're U.S. residents with a U.S. street address; people living abroad can't.
As read on Ally's own pages on October 29, 2026; the bank can change these, so its linked pages are the final word.
What to bring to Ally
| What to bring | What Ally says | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | Not stated as Ally's rule | Ally's general advice article: "a passport, driver's license or State ID with your photo," described as what you typically need at any financial institution |
| SSN or tax ID | "For an Ally Bank account, you can use your Social Security number or Tax Identification Number." | The how-to checklist lists "Social Security number" |
| Address | "U.S. residential street address" | "You have to be a U.S. resident with a U.S street address" |
| Opening deposit | "It's always $0 to open." | "The account will close if not funded within 30 days." |
| Phone and email | "U.S. phone number" and "U.S. email address" | Also date of birth and mother's maiden name |
| For teens | Not stated | Account holders must be "at least 18 years old" |
| For non-citizens | "If I'm not a U.S. citizen can I still open an account? ... You have to be a U.S. resident with a U.S street address and at least 18 years old." | Residence, not citizenship, is the test |
Opening an account with no branches
Ally's checking page is blunt about it: "Our No Branch Advantage™ ... No branches." You open online, picking the account (Spending, Savings, CD, Money Market or IRA) and selecting Open Account, or by phone: "To apply over the phone, call us 24/7 at 1-877-247-2559," per the help page.
Ally's own how-to is the closest thing to a checklist: "Full name, Social Security number, Date of birth, U.S. residential street address, U.S. phone number, U.S. email address, Mother's maiden name." Notice what's on it: information, not documents. Ally's own pages don't name a photo ID or a proof of address document. Its general advice article does mention a photo ID and proof of address such as a utility bill, but frames them as what "any financial institution" typically asks for, not as Ally's rule. The safe reading: have your ID and a recent bill nearby anyway, in case Ally asks to verify. Then fund the account; Ally says it "will close if not funded within 30 days."
On tax IDs, Ally's help page says "Social Security number or Tax Identification Number" without naming the ITIN. If an ITIN is what you have, call before applying; ITIN vs SSN covers the difference.
The federal minimum behind every bank's list
Federal rules for banks (31 CFR 1020.220) require a bank to collect your name, date of birth, address and an identification number before opening an account: a taxpayer ID for U.S. persons, and for non-U.S. persons something like a passport number and the country that issued it. The bank then has to verify who you are. Every bank adds its own rules on top, and Ally's U.S. residency rule is one of them. For the general picture, see what every US bank asks for.
How Ally compares
Same date, each bank's own pages; the other nine have their own checklists.
| Bank | Checking: minimum to open | SSN or ITIN | Where you can open | Without SSN or green card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | Total Checking: not stated; Secure Banking: no minimum | Not stated as a Chase rule | Online or branch (teens: branch) | Matrícula consular, passport or work permit as primary ID; one ID must show a U.S. address |
| Bank of America | SafeBalance $25; Advantage Plus $100 | Online asks for an SSN; visa holders open in person | Online or financial center | Visa holders: in person, two IDs incl. foreign passport or consular ID |
| Wells Fargo | $25 | SSN or ITIN | Online at 18+; branch under 18 | Branch appointment; foreign government ID showing nationality or residence |
| Citi | No minimum | SSN or ITIN | Online (savings also branch or phone); new customers may be asked to visit a branch | Online only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens; foreign individuals give a W-8BEN |
| U.S. Bank | Smartly Checking $25 | SSN or ITIN (online: SSN) | Online or branch | Branch: passport plus I-20 or I-94; Matrícula Consular Mexicana as primary ID |
| PNC | $25, or $0 online | SSN or ITIN | Online or branch | Branch only: passport, a second ID and Form W-8BEN |
| Truist | Truist One Checking $50 | SSN or taxpayer ID number | Online, branch or phone | Nonresident aliens: passport number, issuing country and foreign address |
| Capital One | 360 Checking: no minimum | SSN or ITIN | Online, branch or Café | 360 accounts: U.S. citizens and permanent residents only |
| TD Bank | $0 (fund within 45 days) | SSN; ITIN for TD Essential Banking | Online, store or phone | Not stated |
| Ally | $0 | SSN or taxpayer ID number | Online or phone only, no branches | U.S. residents with a U.S. street address only |
Have it ready before you apply
Since everything happens on a screen or a phone call, the job is having the details at your fingertips: your SSN or tax ID number, your exact street address as it appears on your mail, a U.S. phone number and an email you check. Know your mother's maiden name the way you'd spell it on any form. Have your driver's license or passport, and a recent bill, within reach in case Ally asks to verify your identity. Then line up the account you'll fund it from, so it doesn't close after 30 days.
If those papers live in a drawer, Paperlock can hold them on your iPhone. It reads each document you save, keeps it behind Face ID, and shows ID thumbnails blurred until you confirm it's you. It's on the App Store.