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Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $300
- Availability: AL, DC, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
- Direct deposit required: Optional
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull It seems like they are very persistant about overdraft protection so make sure you don’t opt in for that
- ChexSystems: Yes, not sensitive
- Credit card funding: Up to $250 (says debit card only, but credit cards will work)
- Monthly fees: $12, avoidable
- Early account termination fee: $25, 180 days
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date: August 8th, 2019
Contents
The Offer
- BB&T is offering a bonus of $300 when you open a new Bright Banking checking account using promo code AWZGB or AWYGB and complete one of the following requirements within 75 days of account opening:
- Set up and receive at least two monthly direct deposits of $100 each
- Complete three online bill payments of at least $25 each
The Fine Print
- Offer valid for new BB&T Bright Banking® Checking accounts opened online at BBT.com, in a BB&T financial center or through BB&T Phone24 from May 24, 2019, through August 8, 2019.
- Enrollment in the promotion, using code AWZGB or AWYGB, is required at account opening. Offer is limited to one incentive per household and does not apply to second or multiple personal accounts.
- To be eligible to participate in the promotion, you must be a new BB&T personal checking client and must not have closed a BB&T personal checking account since May 23, 2018.
- Clients with an existing personal checking account with BB&T (either as primary or secondary account holder) are not eligible. The primary account holder must be 18 years old or older at the time of account opening.
- To receive the $300 incentive, clients must do one of the following within 75 days of account opening: 1) Set up and receive at least two monthly direct deposits of $100 each OR 2) Make three online bill payments of $25 each or more using U by BB&T.
- Any account not in good standing, closed or with a balance less than or equal to zero at the time we review account eligibility (between 76-90 days of account opening) will not receive the $300 incentive.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has a $12 monthly fee, this is waived if you do either of the following:
- Receive a direct deposit of $500 or more
- Have an average daily balance of $1,500 or more
Early Account Termination Fee $25
All accounts come with a $25 early account closure fee if you close them within 180 days of account opening.
Our Verdict
Previously we’ve seen bonuses of $200 or even up to $400. The requirements for the $400 bonus were much more difficult to meet and it was much harder to keep the account fee free so I do think this current $300 bonus is the best we’ve seen. Keep in mind BB&T and Suntrust are merging to become Truist Bank, SunTrust has a checking bonus for up to $750, so might be worth doing both of these before the merger. I will be adding this BB&T bonus to the list of the best checking bonuses available.
Hat tip to readers David W, & Andrew D
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
DP – Bonus-earning and account-closing data points:
– 7/23/2019 – Account (Bright Checking) opened
– 8/6/2019 – $30 partial payment of auto insurance bill
– 8/9/2019 – $35 partial payment of auto insurance bill
– 8/9/2019 – $40 partial payment of auto insurance bill (same day)
– 10/10/2019 – $300 bonus deposited into account
– 7/31/2020 – Account closed (via secure message). When I tried calling to close, the automated system kept asking for a personal security code (?), which I never created. When I called my local branch, they said I needed to come in to close in-person. Instead, I transferred out the balance, waited for the withdrawal to show as complete on BB&T’s side (which triggered a warning email from BB&T), then submitted the secure message. My login was disabled within a day or two.
Make sure the bill pays are on separate dates. If you do all three the same day to the same recipient, it only counts as one, and you don’t get the bonus.
–Funded 250 with BOA Alaska CC. Coded as purchase.
–Schwab Brokerage triggered dd requirements.
–Bonus received.
Hi Kat, did this show up as the MoneyLink Schwab Brokerage ACH CREDIT in your BB&T account? Thanks!
6/24/19 Signed up online
9/02/19 1x bill pay for cable
10/6/19 2x bill pay for cable and cell
10/10/19 $300 paid
* I wasn’t paying attention and was a few calendar days over the 75 days, maybe it’s business days otherwise I got lucky. Also had to pay maintenance fee bc lazy- oh well.
This finally posted for me. DPs:
8/5 – Opened
8/23 – 2nd DD for $100+ (real DD)
10/25 – $300 posted though this didn’t actually show up until 10/28 despite the 10/25 date
This one definitely took forever but worth the wait for a $300 bonus for sure.
8/3/19 opened account
8/12/19 $250 transfer from Schwab Brokerage
8/13/19 $250 transfer from Schwab Brokerage
9/16/19 $500 transfer from Schwab Brokerage
9/17/19 $450 transfer from Schwab Brokerage
10/25/19 $300 bonus paid
DP:
Account opened on 7/28, funded $250 with BOA Travel Reward and coded as Purchase. Transfer $1500 from Chase and did total of 5 bill pay in $26/$26/$30/$49/$35. Bonus posted on 10/17 which is on the 82th days of account open.
Data Point
Opened July 25, $300 bonus received Oct 17
My mother – opened July 25, $300 bonus received Oct 18
Thank you DOC for letting us know about these great deals!!!
DP
William Charles
7/20 – Opened online with $250 from Chase Freedom Unlimited (coded as purchase, earned points)
Added BB&T as external account for transfer in Schwab account using trial deposits
7/30, 8/10, 8/30, 9/10, 9/30 – Transferred $251 five times from Schwab Individual Brokerage account to BB&T, avoiding fees each month
10/30 – $300 bonus posted
Thanks for all you do!
DP:
7/17/19 – Account opened
7/24/19 – Bill pay to Amex CC $27.03
7/25/19 – Bill pay to same Amex CC $29.42
7/26/19 – Bill Pay to same Amex CC $26.07
10/10/19 – $300 Bonus posted under promo code AWZGB