With rates on money-market accounts and certificates of deposit stuck around 3 percent, it hardly seems worth driving by the bank to make a deposit. But now a relatively new kind of account, called rewards checking, is showing up at hundreds of banks around the country, promising to pay as much as 5 percent in interest without any fees. Here’s what you need to know before you start looking for one.

• They come with strings. These accounts typically require you to use your debit card at least 10 times a month and to give up paper statements in favor of online ones.

• They’re not at the big banks. These accounts can be found at community institutions like the State Bank of Toledo (www .banktoledo.com) and Southern Community Bank and Trust (smallenoughtocare.com). Some cater only to a local clientele.

• You may have to hunt for them. Search for “rewards checking” at bankdeals.blogspot.com, which lists several of them, or use that term in a search engine to find one near you. Credit unions have them, too, so if you’re already a credit-union member, check yours.

• They’re not always worth it. Unless you’re keeping at least $5,000 in your checking account, you’re talking about less than $20 in monthly interest. That’s better than nothing, but perhaps not worth a big inconvenience.