There’s a movement gaining momentum online right now that could mark an historic moment, both for banks and consumers. It’s called Bank Transfer Day, and it’s slotted for a week from today: Saturday, November 5.

What is Bank Transfer Day?

Bank Transfer Day was started by a woman named Kristen Christian, an art gallery owner in Los Angeles. It is about protesting the practices of big banking and the ills of our industry — things PerkStreet is out to correct with our online-only banking.

Christian is encouraging big banking customers to move their money to an institution they feel good supporting. “It’s not people taking their money and burying it under their mattress. It’s shifting the money to a company people respect the practices of,” she told The Village Voice.

According to the Bank Transfer Day Facebook Page, it’s not affiliated with Occupy Wall Street, but many talking about Bank Transfer Day online seem to be planning to move to a local credit union or community bank, two things we’ve suggested might be good options for our blog readers who aren’t ready to bank online with PerkStreet.

A Cure-All Solution to Our Troubles with Banking?

Bank Transfer Day seems to be designed to send a message to big banks. Could it provide the necessary oomph to change the way big banking thinks? It’s too early to say. But people simply shouldn’t have to deal with being mistreated by banks in exchange for “access” to checking accounts.

Banking can be a whole lot better than it is for many Americans, and we believe PerkStreet stands as a testament to this. Our founders left their jobs as executives at big institutions to start PerkStreet with the goal of making something that was good for customers — something that made them partners in the business. It’s why when we make money on transactions, we pass a big chunk of it back to our customers in the form of cash back rewards. We earn. You earn. Easy.

The point is this: If branches are irrelevant to you, the community bank may not be the best move. If you want wide-reaching free ATM access, a credit union may fall short of your expectations.

Why Switching to PerkStreet May Make More Sense

We love PerkStreet, but we’re clearly biased. The cool thing is that our customers tend to be really vocal about the banking experience we’ve created as well. And they’re not biased. Many of them switched to us from big banks and have been really pleased, because we offer such a great financial value, and because we care so much about the quality of our customer service. Don’t believe me? Ask our customers what they think on Facebook.

Unlimited cash back — up to 2% — is a serious rewards program. Especially when you’re talking about leaving a place that’s going to charge you money for using your debit card each month. You don’t have to be a banker to understand that making a bunch of money each month is better than giving it away. The average American family could earn $50 each month by switching to us without changing their spending habits.

Bank Transfer Day Should Be About Moving to Something Better

Bank Transfer Day shouldn’t just be about moving away from something that’s bad for you. It should be about making a move to something truly better. It should be about supporting something that flies in the face of what most of the industry would have you believe — that your business, your satisfaction doesn’t matter.

And by the way, making a switch on Bank Transfer Day should be about moving to something that truly is more convenient. How do free transfers, free online bill-pay, 37,000 free ATMs nationwide, and 24-hour call centers where you’ll rarely have to wait more than a minute to speak to a real person sound? We’re even building mobile apps right now to let our customers deposit checks by simply taking a picture of them. That’s the kind of experience PerkStreet has created, and we value every single one of our customers.

With PerkStreet, your business matters. Branch banks spend so much money keeping the doors open and the lights on, they just can’t keep up with institutions like PerkStreet.

So if you are looking to make a move on Bank Transfer Day, or if you know somebody who is, tell them about PerkStreet. Let them know we’re dedicated to changing our industry for the better and that we’re fully committed to our customers.

We may just be the best option when everything’s all said and done.

Did you switch to PerkStreet from a bank that didn’t care about you? Was switching worth it? Are you considering switching to PerkStreet? Let us know your thoughts on this and Bank Transfer Day in the comments. We read every one!

Photo: kenteegardin