Tellus Review for 2026

If you wish to turn your idle cash into a passive income stream, you should consider Tellus.

This online fintech company has been making waves since 2016, and it offers high-yield cash management accounts and rental property management tools to make passive income a reality for everyone.

Tellus Overview

Tellus is a financial technology company founded in 2016 with the aim of unlocking the power and durability of real estate to make passive income accessible to everyone.

Along with its three main cash account products: Boost, Reserve, and Vaults, the company offers customizable subaccounts for smart budgeting, and comprehensive real-estate management tools for landlords and property managers.

Tellus is not a bank, which means it's not FDIC-insured. Instead, the company backs funds in its core cash accounts by Tellus’s own balance sheet and secured by real estate assets.

The Tellus Deposit Account is established by Central Bank of Kansas City, Member FDIC. Payment solutions are provided by Stripe and Plaid.

Financial Products 

Tellus offers three main cash management account products: Boost Account, Reserve Account, and Vaults. Boost and Reserve are completely free to use, while Vaults require you to lock funds for a fixed term.

The Boost Account allows you to earn a number of other rewards too.

Tellus is available for iPhone and Android smartphones. Tellus also offers web account access from its site. To start using Tellus, simply go to your app store, install the latest version of the app, and review the terms and conditions.

Signing up is a breeze and Tellus says you can open an account online for free.

Here’s a closer look at the features and benefits of each account.

Reserve Account

The Tellus Reserve Account is a high-yield cash management account that steps up your interest rate with a hands-off approach.

The only thing you’ll be required to do is deposit money and wait for it to grow; and with a 7.75% APY expect it to grow fast.

With the app, your cash is backed by Tellus’s balance sheet and real-estate-secured assets. Your cash is never exposed to the volatility of the crypto or stock markets.

With the Tellus Reserve Account, you can count on a base 7.75% APY up to $2,500.

However, once your balance reaches the limit, the interest you earn will be automatically deposited into your Boost account, which now has a maximum balance of $5 million.

If you want to make the whole process even easier, you can set up recurring transfers from your bank to automatically move money into your Reserve Account.

The Boost Account

The Tellus Boost Account is a high-yield cash management account that lets you earn daily compounding interest on your balance. This account offers a solid minimum 5.29% APY on balances up to $5 million, with no caps on how much you can earn within that limit.

But there's a neat twist - with free Daily Boost rewards and Daily Quiz, you can earn a higher rate than the base APY by completing in-app actions. Tellus calls it “boosting.”

Boosts are essentially free interest rate bonuses that are available to unlock every day. You can earn them simply by logging into your account and claiming a free Boost. And since Tellus compounds your interest daily (instead of monthly, like many banks), that extra APY can add up.

With a Tellus Boost Account, you can sometimes get extended Boosts that can last for a week or even a month and require you to complete special tasks, such as referring a friend to Tellus or participating in one of monthly promotions.

You can also boost your APY by participating in Tellus's Daily Quiz game.

Simply answer a few questions correctly, and you'll earn a bonus that will be applied to your account balance.

Stacks

One of the great things about Tellus is that it offers users the ability to create customizable subaccounts that can be used to manage their finances.

These subaccounts are called Stacks, and they're like virtual piggy banks that make it easy for you to save money and reach specific financial goals.

The company lets you review your balance and transfer money to and from your Stacks to your main Boost Account at any time with just a few taps.

You can also set up a recurring deposit so that you automatically funnel money into your Stacks on a regular basis.

Your Boosts will automatically apply to your Stacks, too, so you can reach your savings goals quickly and easily.

Vaults

If you have the luxury of locking up your funds for a fixed period, you should try the Vaults cash account. With it, you can earn an interest rate that’s even higher than the Tellus Boost Account base rate. Vaults enables you to lock in a superhigh interest rate for a fixed duration in exchange for locking in your funds for the same amount of time.

The only thing you have to do is not withdraw your money for the duration of the term.

You can open a Tellus Vault for as little as $1,000 and fund it with your Boost Account or from a Stack or your external bank account.

There are balances up to $5 million supported for Vaults, and you'll earn interest daily on your entire balance during the term.

Currently, the Vaults advertised interest rates are: 5.75% APY with a 3-month Vault.

Fees and Commissions 

The accounts have no monthly fees whatsoever, and there's also no deposit required to sign up. However, while writing our review, we found that when you’re ready to fund your Reserve Account or Boost Account, a minimum deposit of $100 is required.

The $100 minimum transfer also applies to Reserve, while Vaults requires $1,000 to start earning. While Tellus does not charge fees, your bank may charge fees based on its terms of service.

Boost has no minimum balance requirement to open or use, but Tellus says you need at least $100 in the account to earn interest.

Boost and Reserve support unlimited, fee-free withdrawals anytime. Even though most transactions require only a day or two to process, some withdrawals can take up to seven business days, depending on your bank or credit union.

Security and Customer Support

Tellus is a financial technology company, not a bank, and thus isn’t FDIC-insured. Instead, Tellus protects customer deposits using what it calls its balance-sheet-backed, real-estate-secured model.

Namely, all your funds are backed by Tellus’s own balance sheet and secured by real-estate assets.

Finally, Tellus protects your personal and financial data with bank-level security, including AES-256 encryption. If you have any questions or encounter any problems, you can feel good knowing that you can reach out for help via in-app live chat or email at [email protected].

Tellus customer service is available via in-app chat and email.

Our Verdict

Tellus is a great choice if you’re looking for a high-yield savings product. Reserve Account pays a base 7.75% APY on your deposited funds. Boost Account pays a base 5.29% APY with “power-ups” that raise your rate through in-app rewards.

Vaults pay 5.75% APY with a 3-month term. And Stacks let you easily budget and save for specific financial goals.

There are no fees associated with any of the accounts, and customer support is available via email or in-app live chat.

Overall, Tellus is a great option for anyone looking for a simple and effective way to put their money to work and earn a high interest rate.