Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100
- Availability: FL, IN, KY, OH & TN only
- Direct deposit required: None
- Additional requirements: Deposit $50 by third statement
- Hard/soft pull: Hard
- Credit card funding: Up to $500, Visa or Mastercard only
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: Six months, otherwise bonus is forfeit
- Expiration date: December 31st, 2016
The Offer
- Open a new easy checking account with Republic Bank with the promotional code EDU when you’re a student and earn a bonus of $100 when you deposit at least $50 by the third statement cycle of your account.
The Fine Print
- Offer expires 12/31/16.
- Limit one bonus per household.
- Bonus will be paid the first business day of the month following the opening and funding of the new Easy Checking account.
- To obtain bonus, Easy Checking account must have a deposit of at least $50 by the third statement cycle of your account.
- Easy Checking account must remain open for at least 6 months or bonus may be debited from account balance upon closure.
- Not valid with any other offer.
- Offer valid for Easy Checking accounts with card/promo code only.
- Valid only for individuals that have not previously held an account at Republic Bank.
- $50 minimum opening deposit
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
There are no monthly fees on this account, it does need to be kept open for at least six months to avoid forfeiting the bonus.
Our Verdict
This is a great bonus, requirements are easy to meet and no monthly fees to be worried about. Shame you have to be a student to get the bonus though. Unfortunately it being a hard pull kills the deal. Because of this we won’t add it to our list of the best checking sign up bonuses.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
- Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
- How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
- Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
- Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
Several more data points to add:
1. I used my Chase Freedom for the opening deposit and it counts as a sale. So, this is good.
2. This account is ONLY offered in limited geographical area, specifically in Cincinnati area. I was not qualified due to outside of service area, though I’m still in Ohio. As a result, they will send me a check to refund my opening deposit of $500. I received a call from a banker to notify this status.
Opening this account is definitely a hassle since there’s not indication on their website. Though, during the application, I had to select the county, upon entering my address there’s no hard stop. I would strongly advise to consider opening this account, especially it’s a hard inquiry on your credit.
One thing to add regarding service area: The banker indicated that you need to live within 50 miles of a branch to open this account.
I would assume this is the case for other states where the bank provides its services.
Btw,
If you are in FL, they will try to pull Experian. Good thing I got a freeze on my EX so they called me and said I would need to come in a branch to apply. Not gonna go through with this, my EX got too many inquires already.
So after the 3rd month (statement), I can completely drain the account? Just have to keep it open for 6 months to get the $100 right?
Opening this account is a hard pull. I just confirmed since I’m getting email messages from Credit Sesame and Credit Karma. Hard pull came from TU.
+1, showed up for TU on CS/CK both.
Yeah, it stinks for just $100 bonus…
Thanks, added data point.
Can anyone opening with a CC comment on how it’s being charged (cash advance or purchase)?
Paid with my Citi Prestige, seems to have gone through as a purchase but I’m not sure what a CA looks like as I’ve never had one. http://i.imgur.com/W7zNo18.png
FWIW, seems like a hard pull (showed up on TU)
FYI, No point in opening a savings too as it doesn’t increase the amount allowed to charge via a credit card.
Seems to work so far for Indiana regardless of county.
I only commented because it’s this way for Florida often; southern half is practically separate from the northern half!
P
Obviously there are more than 7 counties in FL
Any idea if funding with a CC is coded as purchase or cash advance? I see this bank listed as “unknown” in DoC’s big list for this–anyone here try it and have results to share yet?
Only allows online opening for counties in FL that they have branches; there were only seven or eight on the list. Wouldn’t let me proceed without selecting a county not on the list.
“Shame you have to be a student to get the bonus though. ”
Do you really? While they’re clearly trying to sell “Easy Checking Accounts” to students, I see nothing in the requirements or fine print about needing to be a student to open an Easy Checking Account, or get the bonus that happens to have promo code “EDU”.