This deal is no longer available to new sign ups. View checking promos that are.
Contents
The Offer
When you sign up for a checking account from Avidia you’ll receive $50 for completing each of the following for a maximum of $200:
- Sign up for eStatements
- Have a direct deposit or other ACH transactions
- Use your Avidia debit card at least 5 times
- Enroll in Online Banking with Bill Pay and pay ONE bill
The Fine Print
- New customers only, to be considered a new customer you must not have been the primary or secondary account holder on an Avidia account within the last six months
- Promotion only applies to Smart or Value NOW checking accounts
- You must pay taxes on this bonus, you’ll receive 1099-misc form.
- Minimum opening deposit of $10
Avoiding Fees
Smart Checking $0 Monthly
This account doesn’t have any monthly fees, so there is nothing to avoid.
Value NOW Checking $5 Monthly
The value NOW account comes with a monthly fee of $5. This is waived if you have a minimum daily balance of $1,000 or receive a direct deposit of ACH transfer.
Early Account Termination Fee $25
According to their fee schedule if you close your account within six months of opening you’ll need to pay a $25 “New Account Closed” fee if you close your account within six months of opening it.
Our Verdict
This one seems pretty easy, the only downside is that it’s only available to those in Massachusetts. Here’s the easy way to meet the requirements and receive your $200.
- Open a Smart checking account
- Sign up for eStatements (+$50)
- Send an ACH transfer from your existing checking account to this new account of $100 (+$50)
- Purchase 5 $0.15 Amazon gift cards with your debit card (+$49.25 in cash and +$0.75 in amazon gift cards)
- Enroll in online banking and do a Bill Pay on a regular bill you need paid off, use the remaining funds in your account to do so (+$50)
- Wait until the six month period has finished to avoid early account termination fees
- Close account
This is one of the easiest bank account bonuses we’ve seen in awhile and for a decent amount too. If you’re in MA I’d snap this deal up. The downside is that not much is know about this bank, for example: is it a hard pull to open the account (most bank accounts aren’t, but some are)? Can you fund it with a credit card? We will update this page if we find the answers to those questions.
[Update: It looks to be a soft credit pull to open the account, you cannot fund with a credit card unfortunately]
Hat tip to reader J E for commentating about this one on our current bank account sign up bonuses page (which will be getting a make over shortly)
Direct link to offer | Screenshot of the offer
Does anyone know how long I have to fulfill these requirements for bonuses? I signed up for the account at the end of May, but it slipped under the radar for me for the past month. I still have three other possible additional bonuses to earn. Thanks.