Update 7/16/25: Bonus now $200, might be nationwide via ‘I qualify for membership because I am joining VersAbility Resources’. Hat tip to ShawntheShawn
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100
- Availability: select counties and cities of VA and two counties of NC
- Direct deposit required: Yes, no minimum
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Hard pullo
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: 90 days, $15
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: None listed
Contents
The Offer
- 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union is offering a $100 checking bonus when you complete the following requirements within 60 days of account opening :
- Receive a recurring direct deposit
- Sign up for eStatements
- Make purchase of $200^ or more using your 1st Advantage Debit Mastercard within the first 60 days of opening
The Fine Print
- One monthly recurring direct deposit required and sign up for e-Statements required within 60 days of account opening.
- The accounts must remain open and in good standing for 90 days.
- If new account is closed within first 90 days, there is a $15 early closing fee.
- Account will be reviewed once during a 60-90 day period to qualify for incentive.
- Incentive will be credited to the checking account 60-90 days after opening.
- This is a limited time offer and 1st Advantage reserves the right to cancel the promotion without notice.
- 1st Advantage colleagues are not eligible.
- Direct Deposit: A qualifying Direct Deposit is an electronic credit of your salary, pension, Social Security or other regular monthly income deposited to your account by your employer or an outside agency.
- Transfers from one account to another or deposits made at a banking location or ATM do not qualify as a Direct Deposit.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
Free “Advantage Checking” has no monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
If new account is closed within first 90 days, there is a $15 early closing fee
Our Verdict
Not really worth it with the $5 monthly fee that can’t be waived.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull 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
- Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
- Bank Bonus Posting Times
Applied online, application went pending. Received Experian notification that Equifax was pulled around 11am the next morning. I give them a call and was told that I was denied due to chex and offered me the phone number to chex. When I asked if she could tell me why, the lady said: “you need to figure that out with chex”. Stopped by the branch on my way home from work and was told by the nice lady that my account couldn’t be approved due to a “charge off” on my chex. Once I said to her that I review my chex every once in a while, that couldn’t be truth. I sent her via email the consumer score disclosure document and she resubmitted my application. Went to the manager and came back with the burning question “is there a reason you have 22 inquiries this year?” I said that I was shopping around for products near the area and was approved for the account right after.
They did pull my Equifax twice.
I got denied back in March 2025 (OOS). Seems that they don’t welcome OOS.
Chex Inquiry/Months
1/1 3/2 4/3 7/6 11/12
Just got the phone call to open the account, just after 5 PM Eastern. Was very similar to opening an account in person, reviewing the entire application.
First, using the MeridianLink portal, they send you a separate secure portal link to upload your ID (front and back), social security card, proof of address (Lease, utility bill, etc.) and a selfie holding your ID. Luckily, I actually had all those things readily available to upload.
Rep did ask if I had a credit freeze and said she needed me to lift it. The only freeze in place I had was Chex, so I lifted it while on the phone. Moments later, I did get the OnAlert message that Chex was pulled. 🙁
Rep asked if I had a limit on my “debit” card, and I said it should be good. She did allow me to increase the funding to $2,000 total, and $5 for the share. Those two charges pended separately as “1ST ADVANTAGE FED CU YORKTOWN USA” on my Citi Double Cash MC, purchase pending.
While still on the phone, they provide all the important docs electronically with member and account numbers, however, instead of DocuSign, they use EchoSign. I have never seen a more through interrogation to get through their know-your-customer questions. They went back at least 30 years on phone numbers and addresses. I actually failed one and had to re-do.
VERY IMPORTANT : DO MENTION THE PROMOTION. The rep specifically said she was going to need to have the manager enter the code after she got off the phone. (No room for any issues there, right?) At first she did not seem to familiar with the promo, but she did go over the terms so I know she was looking at the right one.
Anyway, assuming there is no approval remorse, I am a proud member. Royal Referral Center time! Not counting 1st Advantage, using my Chex Report dated 07/16/2025, my current Chex Inquiries/Months: 0/1, 2/2, 3/3, 10/6, 17/12, 34/24, 50/36.
Thank you for your Chex and Equifax sacrifice🙏🙏
For only $200 that’s a tough pill (pills?) to swallow. I will wait for any OOS DPs before even contemplating this offer.
Plus potentially stackable $50 referral…
Requirements: “To qualify, open a new 1st Advantage checking account, enroll in eStatements, complete 10 debit card purchases and have one direct deposit of $200 into your account within 60 days of opening.”
No debit card was mailed. Contacted them via SM this week and they claim I indicated I would pick it up in branch. (not true) Takes 7-10 business to arrive. So, I will have about 2 weeks to get my $200 in debit spend done. (A requirement not mentioned in the DoC post.)
Since they not exceedingly competent, sent a new SM today requesting verification I am enrolled in the promotion. It won’t payout until the 60-90 day mark, so it’s not like I was expecting an early payout, but rather not “fight” about it later.
DoC’s Direct link to offer is still not updated.
William Charles
https://www.1stadvantage.org/checkingoffer/
DoC’s post bonus requirements not updated.
✔️ Sign up for eStatements (Met 7/31)
✔️ Have a recurring direct deposit (Real $300 DD 7/30)
❌ Make purchase of $200^ or more using your 1st Advantage Debit Mastercard within the first 60 days of opening
“Account will be reviewed once during a 60-90 day period to qualify for incentive. Incentive will be credited to the checking account 60-90 days after opening.”
Since I wasn’t referred, I can skip the 10 debits required for that bonus. (only because I didn’t know the program existed)
Updated, thanks.
Debit card arrived today. Activated & PIN set via phone.
So I don’t see any language that it has to be a real DD, other than saying “recurring”. What are the odds that a push will work?
I may be missing something here. I see the Advantage Checking option, which has no monthly fee. When I select that item, I’m also asked to select a mandatory Membership Savings account. I looked everywhere and can’t find any information as to whether it carries any fees of its own. If not, all is well. Can anyone confirm that the Membership Savings account is also fee-free?
If it’s helpful, I’m in central North Carolina.
Thanks!
Most credit unions require a mandatory $5 (or some other amount) in your Share savings. It represents your ownership in the credit union. There won’t be any fees.
Kenny M
Great! Thanks. I’ll open this account tonight for myself and P2. Unsure about P3 & P4 as they’re approaching 80 and having difficulty with cellphone-based codes.
When I open the link, I don’t see any bonus terms. Is it gone?
Also I do see a $50 referral program mentioned. Can this stack?
I still see it. Clear your browser cache, or use a different browser. Either that, or they are geofencing.
Nathan
Thanks for the tip about the referral program. https://1stadvantage.royalreferralcenter.com/
Royal Referral Center, the only credit union I remember using that was Service Credit Union. It did stack, but tracking was not the best and sometimes had to manually follow up to get the payout.
Look at a referral as frosting on the cake and just be satisfied with the cake if the frosting falls off. Nobody complained that they ONLY got the referral and not the main bonus on any referral program I ever recall seeing. Well, there is Chime, but shopping portal tracking doesn’t always work, even when not stacking.
My browsers all stay on “https://www.1stadvantage.org/checkingoffer/” and doesn’t redirect. I could load up a VPN but I will take your word for it.
I had to google search it to come up. Try this link – Checking Offer – 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union
So, DoC forgot to update the direct link to offer. My bust. I just used Shawn’s link below in the comments.
William Charles
Good find, this brought me to the offer.
TL/DR: HP Equifax. Unlikely for Chex. $1K CC Funding. Free Advantage Checking, no monthly fee, is an option.
William Charles
Thanks Shawn!!! I tried it just now. I’m eligible by footprint, so not testing the possible OOS entry method.
The big gotcha, if you choose the “High-Yield Checking”, you will NOT be eligible for the $200. Also, if DoC updates the post, there is a free checking account option now. If you want the $200 bonus, you should select the Free “Advantage Checking” on the application. No promo code or special link, so I added a note on the application to enroll the account in the promo.
Went in with Chex frozen. The good news, doesn’t appear they tried to pull ChexSystems. However, they DID hard pull Equifax, the east coast favorite, and I WAS NOT auto-approved. So, I’m going to leave Chex frozen and see what happens.
Although they allow CC funding, it “says” the max is $1,000. However, I would have been able to put in $1,000 per account, for a total of $2000. I (oddly) decided to play it safe and only put $995 checking & $5 savings. The charge did NOT go pending on my Citi Double Cash so far.
Thanks for your valuable DP. Too bad it is a confirmed hard pull.
For the CC funding, does it accept AMEX or only Visa and Mastercard?
Sorry, I did not notice if it would take Amex. I don’t believe it said anywhere what they accept and I just assumed Visa/MC.
LEGOProBuilder 🔗
Thanks for the info. A hard pull to take MY MONEY? No bleeping way.
$200 bonus: https://www.1stadvantage.org/checkingoffer/
William Charles
This CU might be nationwide as there is the “I qualify for membership because I am joining VersAbility Resources” option for membership eligibility on the application.
But you may get a hard pull as noted by Gadget below.
Thanks. Saw the tag before. Because of the monthly fee, not really worth it. Also, l called this CU in the past and I was told it would be a hard credit pull to open an account. Not sure if it’s worth the risk.
you can fund up to $500 on CC. not sure if it takes amex, can’t recall