Comparison

PNC BeneFit Plus vs Principal®

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PNC BeneFit Plus

Manage your health benefit accounts like HSA, HRA, and FSA on the go. Quickly check balances, view claims, and file reimbursements with secure, real-time access to your account details.

Highlights
  • Check account balances
  • View account details and charts
  • File claims for FSA and HRA
  • Submit receipts via photo
  • Manage HSA transactions
  • Pay bills and add payees
  • Report lost/stolen debit card
Features
Read full description

PNC BeneFit Plus Mobile for Apple Devices¹ Save time and hassles while making the most of your HSA, HRA, and FSA health benefit accounts by quickly checking your balances and details. Our secure app makes managing your health benefits easy through real-time access and intuitive navigation to all your important account information on the go! Powerful features of the app include: Easy, Convenient & Secure • Simply log in to the intuitive app using your same health benefits website username and password (or follow alternative instructions if provided) • No sensitive account information is ever stored on your mobile device • Your device will present you with a prompt to allow your location to be accessed; accepting the prompt will help minimize the request for additional security questions upon log in Connects You with the Details • Quickly check available balances 24/7 • View charts summarizing account(s) • View claims requiring receipts • Click to call or email Customer Service Provides Additional Time-Saving Options (if supported or applicable to your account(s)) • File a claim towards your medical FSA and HRA • Take or upload a picture of a receipt and submit for a new or existing claim • View, contribute and distribute HSA transactions • Pay bills from any account and add a payee • Using the Dashboard, enter medical expense information and supporting documentation • Retrieve your forgotten username/password • Report a debit card as lost or stolen *This is not the PNC Mobile Banking app, which allows you to access your bank and brokerage accounts. For questions or support, call or email the PNC BeneFit Plus Customer Service Center at 844-356-9993 or pncbenefitplus@healthaccountservices.com No personal or sensitive data is stored on the PNC BeneFit Plus mobile app. ¹ PNC does not charge for the PNC BeneFit Plus Mobile App. However, a supported mobile device is needed. Also, your wireless carrier may charge you for data usage. Check with your wireless carrier for details regarding your specific wireless plan and any data usage or text messaging charges that may apply. Apple®, iPod touch® and iPad® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. PNC is a registered mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”). Banking and lending products and services, bank deposit products and treasury management services for clients and/or customers are provided by PNC Bank, National Association, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNC and Member FDIC. ©2018 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

About

Principal®

Manage your retirement savings and financial goals from your mobile device. Track account balances, adjust contributions, and access educational resources to improve your financial confidence. Tools are available to help you assess your progress towards retirement.

Highlights
  • View account balances
  • Roll over funds
  • Change contributions
  • Adjust investments
  • Financial education resources
  • Retirement Wellness Score
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Keep up with your financial goals on the go. The updated Principal® app makes it easy to keep on top of your retirement savings and gain insights to help you reach your financial goals. Download and use the app to: • Complete simple transactions and quick check-ins: view account balances, roll over funds, change contributions, adjust investments, and more • Discover financial education to help build your confidence and make progress in budgeting, saving, debt payoff, and more • Learn from tools like our personalized Retirement Wellness Score to see how you’re tracking toward your retirement goals • Find your insurance information The availability of information and functionality will vary depending on your plan type(s). To make changes not available on the app, visit principal.com. Some screens may contain more information than is illustrated in the samples. This document is intended to be educational in nature and is not intended to be taken as a recommendation. Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Co., a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Visit our online privacy policy at https://www.principal.com/privacy-policies © 2025 Principal Financial Services, Inc. 3729939-072024

Screenshots

PNC BeneFit Plus4 screens
Principal®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PNC BeneFit Plus at 64% against Principal®'s 33%. PNC BeneFit Plus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Principal®'s advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Principal® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Principal® has 236K ratings behind it against 795, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of PNC BeneFit Plus's written reviews are positive against 33% of Principal®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PNC BeneFit Plus ships an update every 3 months, Principal® every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PNC BeneFit Plus versus Principal®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPNC BeneFit PlusPrincipal®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (795 ratings)4.8 (236K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.1% of reviews — better32.7% of reviews
Number of ratings795236K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#118 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB106 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPNC Bank, N.A.Principal Financial Group

Customer experience

PNC BeneFit Plus

All ratings795 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral1.8%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative28.9%

Principal®

All ratings236,277 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews315 reviews
Positive32.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative59.0%

User reviews

PNC BeneFit Plus

From 795 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy to use
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 💡 Convenient for managing HSA
  • 🚀 Straightforward reimbursement process
  • 👍 Helpful for tracking expenses

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Login issues, inconsistent biometric authentication
  • 🐛 Slow and buggy app performance
  • 🔒 Concerns about security and account access
  • 🔍 Difficulties with claims and reimbursement approvals

Principal®

From 236K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient mobile access
  • 💡 Helpful investment tools
  • 🔒 Secure login process

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
  • 📊 Lacking key account information
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI

Bugs and requests

PNC BeneFit Plus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Login credentials not saved properly
  • Debit card issues and declined payments

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to itemize payments to payees
  • Option to upload receipts immediately after charges
  • Improved investment tracking and management

Principal®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to change contribution rates
  • Inconsistent login and logout functionality
  • Rollover check deposit not working as advertised
  • Certain account details not displaying properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved transaction history and reporting
  • Ability to deposit checks via the app
  • More customization options for the dashboard
  • Seamless integration with other financial accounts

In-app purchases

None

PNC BeneFit Plus

No in-app purchases

None

Principal®

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PNC BeneFit Plus free?
PNC BeneFit Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Principal® free?
Principal® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PNC BeneFit Plus or Principal®?
Principal® is rated higher. PNC BeneFit Plus averages 4.4 out of 5 from 795 ratings, while Principal® averages 4.8 from 236K ratings.
Do PNC BeneFit Plus or Principal® have ads?
Neither PNC BeneFit Plus nor Principal® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PNC BeneFit Plus or Principal®?
PNC BeneFit Plus ships an update every 3 months, and Principal® every 8 days. Most recently, PNC BeneFit Plus was updated on September 22, 2026 and Principal® on September 24, 2026.

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