Do banks pay me interest?
Sophia Koch
Updated on January 27, 2026
The bank will pay you for every dollar you keep in your savings account. The money the bank pays you is called interest. The bank wants to use your money to make loans – that is, lend people money. People often borrow money from the bank to buy expensive things, like houses and cars.
Where do banks get the money they pay you in interest?
It all ties back to the fundamental way banks make money: Banks use depositors’ money to make loans. The amount of interest the banks collect on the loans is greater than the amount of interest they pay to customers with savings accounts—and the difference is the banks’ profit.
Why does a bank pay you interest in your bank account?
Why do banks pay interest on my savings? Banks use the money deposited on savings accounts to lend to borrowers, who pay interest on their loans. After paying for various costs, the banks pay money on savings deposits to attract new savers and keep the ones they have.
Who usually pays interest?
Interest, in finance and economics, is payment from a borrower or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct from a fee which the borrower may pay the lender or some third party.
Does interest remove money?
Key Takeaways Interest is the money you either owe when borrowing or are paid when lending money. When you owe interest, it’s calculated as a percentage of the loan (or deposit) you’ve taken. You earn interest when you lend money or deposit funds into an interest-bearing bank account.
Why do banks pay me interest on my savings accounts?
They can credit your account with the interest without ever having to find the actual money. The reason they want to attract deposits is because if two people are at the same bank and they make a transaction the bank does not need to use any reserves they can simply can simply swap their debt from one account to another.
Do you have to pay interest to have a current account?
Many of the best accounts require you to meet certain conditions to benefit from this interest rate, however. Account-holders may have to pay in at least £1,000 or £1,500 a month to qualify, for example. Which current accounts pay interest? Most normal current accounts pay very little or no interest on the money you keep in them.
How can a bank afford to pay interest?
How can a bank afford to pay interest? Banks use the money deposited on savings accounts to lend to borrowers, who pay interest on their loans. After paying for various costs, the banks pay money on savings deposits to attract new savers and keep the ones they have.
When do you pay interest on a joint bank account?
If the interest paid exceeds $10 in a year, the bank issues a 1099-INT to the account holder. Then, the account holder reports that income on their income tax return. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when a bank account is jointly held with more than one person.