A lot of my blog traffic comes from people searching for information about PNC Virtual Wallet. That’s because I posted about how much I love Virtual Wallet back in February, and apparently Google thinks everyone should come here for information (not that I’m complaining!). I’m not affiliated with PNC in any way; I’m just a huge fan of Virtual Wallet.

I spent some time today looking through the search queries that bring visitors to the site and thought I would answer some of the questions people are asking. If you’re not interested in Virtual Wallet, feel free to browse around and find something more interesting.

Why hasn’t PNC released a Virtual Wallet app for Android?
Per the Inside the Wallet blog, PNC is hard at work on an Android app for Virtual Wallet. I know it’s frustrating to wait, but I believe them when they say it’s coming. Personally I’m holding out for an iPad app but I know it will probably be awhile.

Is Virtual Wallet free?
Virtual Wallet is just a really cool name for three linked bank accounts. They are free in that the accounts require no minimum balance and don’t have monthly fees, but of course any bank account will incur fees if you overdraw, bounce a check, etc.

Can I open a Virtual Wallet account with bad credit?
Apparently the answer is yes, since I have horrible credit and opened my account with no problems. That said, banks usually depend on a ChexSystems report (details your banking history) instead of a regular credit report. So if you overdrew an old checking account and never paid it to zero and closed it, you may have trouble getting an account at any bank. You can request a free copy of your report once per year, or view a sample report to see what kind of information ChexSystems collects.

How do I enter uncashed checks in Virtual Wallet?
Go to your calendar and click the little + button on the bottom. You can select the option to enter an uncashed check. The amount of the check will be subtracted from your free balance until the check clears. You may see double the amount of the check missing when it’s pending (scared me to death the first time), so once you see the check as pending, remove the uncashed check from your calendar.

What is the difference between ledger balance/available balance/free balance?
The ledger balance is how much money you have according to what has completely cleared your account. The available balance is how much you have according to what has cleared AND what is pending. The free balance is what you can actually spend without messing up any scheduled bills or expenses coming up on your calendar before you get paid again.

Is there another program like Virtual Wallet?
If there is anything out there as cool as Virtual Wallet, I’m not aware of it. There are some sites that collect all your financial information in one place, like Mint.com, but nothing from a specific bank that I’ve seen. My question is, if you think Virtual Wallet is awesome, why not just open one?

What is the difference between Spend, Reserve, and Growth?
Spend is your everyday checking account. This is where you pay bills, write checks, and use your debit card. The Reserve account is for short-term savings, like putting money aside for the vacation you’re taking in a few months. Growth is for long-term savings.

Where can I see the PNC Virtual Wallet blog, Inside the Wallet?
For some weird reason, PNC made its Inside the Wallet blog available only to Virtual Wallet account holders. Personally, I think this is dumb because people want to learn about it before they sign up. If you already have an account, look at the upper right of Virtual Wallet past the Money Bar. The link will open in a new window.

How do you write a check with Virtual Wallet?
PNC is a real brick and mortar bank, so you will receive a pad of checks when you open an account. You write them just like any other checks.

Those are just a few of the questions that led people here this month. If you got here through a search, I hope this helps. If not, feel free to contact me with your questions. I’m definitely not an expert, but I’ll do my best!