In the past they have ‘approved’ people for accounts with more inquiries than this and then basically shut down the accounts after funds were transferred before finally refunding them. If you sign up for bank bonuses on a regular basis, give this one a miss.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $150
- Availability: MD only
- Direct deposit required: Yes, minimum of $100
- Additional requirements: Open statement savings, complete 45 debit card transactions
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- Credit card funding: Up to $2,500 (seems everything is basically a cash advance)
- Monthly fees:Â $4, waivable
- Early account termination fee: $30, 90 days
- Expiration date: None listed
The Offer
- Sign up for any 1st Mariner checking account and receive a bonus of up to $150, broken down as follows:
- Submit one direct deposit of $100 or more & receive $50
- Open a Statement Savings account and receive $50
- Complete 45 debit card transactions and receive $50
The Fine Print
- Bonus of $50 will be credited to the checking account after the account has been open for 90 days and has had at least one qualified direct deposit of an amount greater than or equal to $100
- A qualifying direct deposit is a direct deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security and Supplemental Income (SSI) benefits and other regular periodic income payments from third parties
- Once both conditions are met, the bonus money will be credited to the account within 30 business days
- If the following conditions have been met within the initial 90 days of account opening you will receive additional bonuses within 120 days of account opening-Opening a Statement Savings account $50 and complete 45 cleared debit card transactions $50
- Limit of one checking account promotion per customer
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Their absolutely simple checking account doesn’t have any monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. There is an early account termination fee of $30 if the account is closed within 90 days according to their fee schedule. The statement savings account does require a minimum balance of $200 to stay fee free though, otherwise a $4 fee will be charged.
Our Verdict
Honestly this bonus won’t appeal to most people due to the ChexSystems requirement. Because of that we haven’t added it to our best bonus list.
Big thanks to reader, Drew H who let us know. Please consider sharing bank bonuses with this site so we can make it even better.
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
I got a checking bonus from 1st Mariner years ago. They offered it nationwide and, living in AZ, I signed up on-line. Everything went fine. 8 months later, I shocked a teller when I closed the account in a branch and she noticed my address. “No, I haven’t moved in 10 years” and left it at that. I happen to be on a business trip to Baltimore at the time. The puzzled look on her face was priceless.