Santander Bank vs. Synchrony Bank
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 21, 2025
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Summary of Santander Bank vs. Synchrony Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Santander Bank | Synchrony Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 0.01% Santander Savings | 3.80% High Yield Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $25 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0 |
Santander Bank
Strengths
- Santander Bank has a branch presence primarily in the Northeast and Miami, Florida.
- Santander Bank offers a low minimum deposit of $25 for its savings account.
- Santander Bank has a solid App Store rating of 4.8.
Potential Drawbacks
- Santander Bank's current APY is only 0.01%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- Santander Bank charges a $1 monthly maintenance fee for its savings account.
- Santander Bank is not BBB Accredited, indicating potential trust issues.
Synchrony Bank
Strengths
- Synchrony Bank offers a competitive APY of 3.80%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- Synchrony Bank has no monthly maintenance fees for its savings account.
- Synchrony Bank has a higher Google Play rating of 4.5.
Potential Drawbacks
- Synchrony Bank operates online only, lacking physical branches.
- Synchrony Bank requires no minimum deposit or balance, which may limit account features.
- Synchrony Bank is not BBB Rated, similar to Santander Bank.
→ As of October 21, 2025 Santander Bank offers an APY of 0.01% for its Santander Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Synchrony Bank's 3.80% APY for its High Yield Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.
→ Synchrony Bank yields $379 more than Santander Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Santander Bank pays $1, while Synchrony Bank pays $380 - an APY advantage for Synchrony Bank.
Calculate Savings Growth for Santander Bank vs Synchrony Bank
Santander Bank - Santander Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $5.7 (0.03%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.20%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.77%)
Your total balance
$18,005.70
Total balance: $18,005.7
Earnings: $5.7
Bank OverviewSynchrony Bank - High Yield Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,305.9 (11.36%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.02%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.62%)
Your total balance
$20,305.90
Total balance: $20,305.9
Earnings: $2,305.9
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Santander Bank's total earnings would be $2,300.2 lower than Synchrony Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Santander Bank's vs Synchrony Bank's Savings Accounts
| Santander Bank | Synchrony Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Santander Savings | vs | High Yield Savings |
| APY | 0.01% (as of 10/21/2025) | 3.80% (as of 10/21/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | No | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $1 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | |
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| BBB Rating | Not Rated | Not Rated |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| Santander Bank | Synchrony Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Santander Savings | vs | High Yield Savings |
| Latest APY | 0.01 % | 3.80 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -0.1 | -3.6 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.11 | 0.22 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 32 | 140 | |
| High (-9 m) | 0.03 % | 4.10 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 0.01 % | 3.80 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -66.7 % | -7.3 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.232 | 0.027 |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 9 months (regression slope).
- Slope (bps/mo)
- Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
- Rate Changes / Mo
- Typical number of APY moves per month.
- Days Since Last Change
- Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
- High (-9 m)
- Highest APY in the last 273 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 273 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 9-month peak.
- Volatility (CV)
- Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
- See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
- Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
- Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
- Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
- Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.