Synchrony Bank vs Wells Fargo
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison
Last Updated: August 29, 2025
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Summary of Synchrony Bank vs. Wells Fargo
As of August 29, 2025 Synchrony Bank offers an APY of 3.80% for its High Yield Savings account, compared to Wells Fargo's 2.51% APY for its Platinum Savings account.
Synchrony Bank yields $375 more than Wells Fargo on a $10,000 balance after one year. Synchrony Bank pays $380, while Wells Fargo pays $5 (with an effective APY of 0.05%) - an APY advantage for Synchrony Bank.
In addition, Wells Fargo also offers 0.01% APY for the Way2Save Savings account.
Synchrony Bank
Strengths
- Synchrony Bank offers a competitive APY of 3.80%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- No maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements at Synchrony Bank.
- High App Store rating of 4.8 for Synchrony Bank.
Potential Drawbacks
- Synchrony Bank is not rated by the BBB, which may raise trust concerns.
Wells Fargo
Strengths
- Wells Fargo has physical branches and ATMs in 36 states and Washington, D.C.
- Wells Fargo's App Store rating is slightly higher at 4.9.
Potential Drawbacks
- Wells Fargo's BBB rating is F and it is not BBB accredited.
- The Platinum Savings account requires a minimum balance of $1,000,000 for the 2.51% APY.
Summary: Synchrony Bank offers a significantly higher APY of 3.80% with no fees or minimums, while Wells Fargo's best APY is 2.51% but requires a high balance. Wells Fargo has physical branches, but its BBB rating is poor. Synchrony Bank has strong App Store ratings, while Wells Fargo's ratings are slightly better. Overall, Synchrony Bank may be more appealing for online savers seeking higher yields.
Compare Synchrony Bank's vs Wells Fargo's Savings Accounts
| Synchrony Bank | Wells Fargo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings | vs | Way2Save Savings | Platinum Savings |
| APY | 3.80% (as of 8/29/2025) | 0.01% (as of 8/29/2025) | 0.05% - 2.51% (as of 8/29/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | Yes | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | $25 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0 | $1,000,000 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $5. Waived under some circumstances. | $12. Waived with $3,500 minimum daily balance. | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | |
| Note | This is a tiered savings account where rates vary based on the balance. The 2.51% APY is available for balances of $1,000,000 or more, and 0.05% APY up to $99,999.99. These APYs require the account is linked to a Wells Fargo Premier checking account. See bank for more tiers and details. | |||
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | Not Rated | F | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 2 Months)
| Synchrony Bank | Wells Fargo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings | vs | Platinum Savings | Way2Save Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.80 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 46 | 46 | 46 | |
| High (-2 m) | 3.80 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Low (-2 m) | 3.80 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 2 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 (-2 m)
- Highest APY in the last 47 days.
- Low (-2 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 47 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 2-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.
Calculate Savings Growth for Synchrony Bank vs Wells Fargo
All calculations are based on APY.
Synchrony Bank
APY: 3.80%
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
Effective APY: 3.80% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,305.9
Earnings: $2,305.9
Bank OverviewWells Fargo
APY: 2.51%
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $1,000,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $28.6 (0.16%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.11%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.73%)
Your total balance
$18,028.60
Effective APY: 0.05% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $18,028.6
Earnings: $28.6
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Synchrony Bank's total earnings would be $2,277.3 higher than Wells Fargo's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
More Comparisons
Compare Synchrony Bank's APY of 3.80% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Synchrony Bank vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs American Express | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| Synchrony Bank vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs UFB Direct | 4.21% | $5000 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
Compare Wells Fargo's APY of 2.51% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs American Express | 3.50% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| Wells Fargo vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| Wells Fargo vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| Wells Fargo vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| Wells Fargo vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| Wells Fargo vs UFB Direct | 4.21% | $5000 |
| Wells Fargo vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |