Update 5/16/25: Bonus now $600 same targeted language but ads showing up on facebook and other sites.
Update 4/27/25: Deal is back, still targeted but ads are showing up on facebook and other sites. Valid until May 23, 2025. Hat tip to reader Bob the bonus
Update 4/3/25: Deal is back, still targeted but ads are showing up on facebook and other sites. Valid until April 25, 2025. Hat tip to reader Peek
Update 9/20/21: This deal is actually targeted. Terms say ‘This offer is available only to the recipient of the mailer and only one offer is available per address.’
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Availability: AL, FL, GA, SC & TN only
- Direct deposit required: Optional
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: $25, 90 days
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: December 31, 2021
Contents
The Offer
Direct link to offer. Synovus trades under a bunch of different names in different locations.
- Receive a sign up bonus of $500 when you open any checking account with Synovus and complete one of the following requirements:
- $25,000 in minimum ending deposit balances OR investment accounts1 OR
- have a total of $5,000 in minimum monthly deposits into a Synovus Free Checking account1,2 within the first 90 days of account opening
The Fine Print
- This offer is available only to the recipient of the mailer and only one offer is available per address.
- This offer is good for accounts opened between Sept. 17, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021.
- You must fund a Synovus Free Checking account by Dec. 31, 2021, with a minimum of $100 (not including the incentive). Within 90 days of opening and funding your account, you must meet the Plus program requirements that include maintaining $25,000 in minimum ending deposit balances OR investment accounts OR have a total of $5,000 in minimum monthly deposits into a Synovus Free Checking account. Investments include brokerage/advisory accounts with Synovus Securities, Inc. (SSI).
- Synovus Trust Company, N.A. (STC) accounts are not directly included in relationship balance or monthly deposit calculations. STC customers in a Synovus relationship program will receive program benefits equivalent to customers with at least a $500,000 relationship balance.
- If earned, incentive payout will be posted by one of the following dates: March 31, 2022 or May 31, 2022, depending when the account was opened and the transaction requirements are met, and will be in the form of a credit to the new checking account reflected on your statement as “checking incentive.”
- Checking account must be in good standing at the time of incentive payout.
- You are responsible for any tax due on any amount received which is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. Offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with other offers and does not apply if you are already an owner of a consumer checking account (primary or secondary) with Synovus Bank. Employees of Synovus or any Synovus affiliate company are not eligible for this promotion.
- Early account closing fee applies in the amount of $25 if the account is closed within 90 days of opening.
- Direct deposit, cash or check deposit, ACH, and mobile deposits are all eligible transaction types. Reversed deposits due to unavailable funds, cancellations, or stop payments do not count toward your Monthly Deposit.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
There is a free checking account with no monthly fees.
Early Account Termination Fee
There is a $25 fee if account is closed within 90 days
Our Verdict
Better than the recent $200 checking bonus but obviously more difficult to get the bonus. That being said it’s still pretty easy to trigger the bonus with $5,000 in deposits. We will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
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
The DoC article says this bonus is targeted, but also that adds are cropping up on Facebook. Does anyone have some insight on how to trick the FB algorithm into sending me such an ad? Or to get targeted in some other way?
I get targeted ads on FB a lot for banks and credit unions I am not in footprint for. It’s annoying really to see them and then click through and told I am not eligible.
I just searched “bank bonus” “bank sign up bonus” “bank incentive” on FB and IG a bunch (20-30 times over a couple of hours?) until a couple of days later I started seeing ones from all around the country. After another day or two I finally got the Synovus one.
02/19/25 Applied online. Denied “unable to verify identity”.
02/20/25 Approved in branch.
02/24/25 $1K push from Fidelity CMA and $1K Wise payroll deposit.
02/26/25 $1K Wise payroll deposit.
03/01-03/30 15+ debit card purchases on Amazon. Varied amounts including some $5 GC
05/30/2025 $600 “INCENTIVE” posted.
Did you say anything In particular to get the deal in branch?
any DPs for the 15 debit card transactions (you must complete 15 debit card purchase transactions (signature or PIN transactions only)? Does Venmo work for that requirement?
I used a mix of $5 Amazon GC’s and other Amazon purchases.
How were the purchases listed in your registry?
-M
Don’t think it does.
It was listed as unknown in my registry.
Gonna try another way.
More specific
“Venmo (my name) Visa Dire”
Uncategorized expense
-M
Just purchased a WallyWorld money order and still did not have to put in my pin being a debit purchase.
And if you try to swipe anywhere it says to insert but then it still doesn’t ask for my PIN.
I’m doing the Venmo thing.
Worked for another bank bonus.
(Cash app can as well but mine was hacked)
So I’ll fight them if I have to when it’s time.
-M
I have bought a MO in WM a # of times and have always had to enter my PIN. How did you pull that off?
Even the register lady was surprised.
I’ll try for a larger amount and see what happens.
Just don’t want to keep loosing $1 when money orders are free at Amscot.
-M
I had never heard of Amscot so I Binged it. If MOs there are free, why are you buying the MOs at WM instead of there?
Are you happy now?
Never heard of Amscot either until I moved here to FL.
That place js everywhere.
I imagine they do a lot of international (islan based) business.
But they DO NOT take debit cards to pay for money orders.
Not around where I am at least.
And Synovus wants 15 “signature or pin” debit transactions for the bonus.
This bank old school. Not even open on weekends. And they charge $3 for ach transfers.
-M
Look at this way. You will likely get $600 (or whatever amount the offer was when you signed up) for this while I will get $0. Does that make you feel better?
So there must be a threshold for when the PIN is required.
Got another mo from Wally Word for $50 and I had to put in my pin.
First time it was only $10 and no pin was required.
I’m thinking the threshold is $25 maybe. So I guess I’ll have to eat the fees so this bank don’t screw me when it’s time for the $150 part of the bonus.
-M
I don’t follow. Why do you feel that buying MOs at WM is fine for the promo but it’s not fine at Amscot?
Synovus wants 15 “signature or pin” debit transactions for the bonus.
You can NOT use debit at Amscot for money orders.
Obviously I am paying myself with the money orders by using my debit card AND pin for the mo purchases.
That will satisfy Synovus without question according to the terms.
Just costs me $1 each. So thats net negative (-) $15 off the $150 if I get it in whenever after 90 million days waiting.
-M
Look like the deal is dead.
It looks like
John is correct as I just went to the offer link and it shows the below error.
“Hmmm…Must have taken a wrong turn. Error Code: 404”
That link has been dead for a long time. The link in #2061845 still works.
Good catch. In my defense, I haven’t followed the comments too closely in this post as I don’t live in an eligible state. 😉
See the link in the comment that mangorunner provided for the current offer.
Can you update the direct link in the post to the one in the linked comment from mangorunner?
Updated thanks
Tried applying online and was denied and told to visit a branch to verify my information.
I went to the branch and they said if I didn’t have a code they can’t apply the offer to my application and I should reach out to the phone support and finish the application online somehow..
Does anyone know if adding funds to Square or Gemini crypto from Debit card would qualify as transaction?
I was able to sign up through the link in the comment section and sign the documents with no errors but the documents I received did not state the bonus offer terms it was only on the webpage where I opened the account. Has anyone had this as well? Not sure if the bonus terms need to be showing or not
Did you docusign?
Mine was at the end of that group of paperwork.
-M
Yeah I did Docusign. There was no bonus terms at the end of the docusign
Aw man. That’s not a good sign.
You will have to follow up with them for sure.
-M
any OOS DP?
Tried in a branch in FL with PA ID, no luck. Doesn’t mean your results may vary. 5th/3rd and Regions have both turned me away and let me open an account in the past depending on branch and rep.
I was able to do 5th/3rd with my NJ ID.
My wife has all FL, info so I just used her as my cover.
But yeah,
Sometimes literally it comes down to who you deal with at the bank.
Try to use your passport if you have one.
Esp with the requirements for flying, that can be your cover with these Florida banks.
-M
Are you implying that 5th 3rd now services NJ residents? If not, can you explain what you mean by “I was able to do 5th/3rd with my NJ ID.”?
My wife lives here in FL.
I am her husband.
I live with my wife.
Married folks are a union.
Etc etc etc.
-M
Nothing you wrote has anything to do with the quote that I asked about. It seems to me that you are now implying that your NJ ID had nothing to do with you being approved so I don’t understand why you mentioned it in the 1st place.
Simple,
And you frequent this site, it’s no different with folks that have legit multiple home addresses.
If it’s a you issue that you can not provide these state specific bonuses an address in sed state, and you ONLY have an out of town ID, then no, you will not be approved for these bonuses for sed state ‘living there ‘ requirements.
So not only did I use my NJ ID to verify who I was, and my ss card etc, the human banker accepted I live with my wife in FL. Hence I qualify for the ‘live in sed state’ requirement.
Like many normal human, they understand I might not have a FL ID just yet. (which I still do not)
So I got approved, they used my NJ info for my files and history is history. Sometimes I get the ‘make sure you get FL ID speech’ or whatever.
Simple.
-M
Any DPs on Out of State Resident?
Like others, I went in branch and told them I saw an ad on Facebook but there was no promo code. The rep looked up my name and social in an Excel file with people who were targeted and I wasn’t on the list. Not sure if it’s worth applying anyway based on other DPs below.
Interesting that they have the list in excel sheet…. Not sure how they targeting
Tbh it may have been Google Sheets lol, I only caught a quick glance but it seemed to be one of the two.
Hmm that’s interesting. Wonder how they decide who to target. I signed up for the 500 offer without seeing any ads except for on the main website. Guess it’s just a waiting game now to see if it pays for those of us not on that list
“The rep looked up my name and social in an Excel file.” Good to hear they take personal info security seriously …
Very helpful datapoint. Thanks.
Looks like Commerce Bank bonus, they have a targeted name list but anyone could access a landing page
PII such as name and social’s in a Excel file that all bankers have access to. Looks like they are really big in to securing customer information. LOL!