Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100
- Availability: Nationwide (YMMV)
- Direct deposit required: None
- Additional requirements: $25 bill pay to a telecommunications, energy, water, cable, or waste management service provider
- Hard/soft pull: All recent data points say soft
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: $500 Visa only and personal cards only (you can also fund savings account for another $500)
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: Yes, account must be kept open for one year
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date: July 31, 2018
The Offer
BBVA ClearConnect (free, no check writing; available nationwide)
BBVA ClearChoice (free, comes with free unlimited check writing; only available in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, California, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas.
- BBVA Compass is offering a bonus of $100 when you open a new checking account and have a qualifying Bill Pay transaction to a telecommunications, energy, water, cable, or waste management service provider in the amount of at least $25 within 60 days of account opening.
Use promo code: BP12018 to get this deal. You can alternatively use this link for ClearConnect or use this link for ClearChoice, and promo code will auto-apply. (You can also apply the promo code to the ClearChoice Interest checking, but that one comes with a $25 monthly fee.)
The terms have language about the bonus only going to those who received the email. It’s a generic promo code, and hopefully there won’t be any issues for whoever uses it.
The Fine Print
- This offer is only available for accounts opened online.
- You must be a new BBVA Compass consumer checking customer who has not had a BBVA Compass consumer checking account open within the last 90 days.
- Eligible account is BBVA Compass ClearChoice Free Checking. (Promo code is applying to the ClearConnect as well.)
- Person who receives this email must be the primary account holder on the new checking account.
- Employees of Fiserv, Inc. and of BBVA Compass and their respective parent and affiliate companies, as well as board members and the immediate family (spouse, parent, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employees are not eligible. Rules are subject to change without notice.
- Within 60 Days of account opening, the Bill Pay subscriber must complete a minimum of one (1) qualifying transaction from his or her Consumer Bill Pay account. A Qualifying Bill Pay Transaction is one of the following: Adding and paying a new qualifying biller; setting up a new recurring or auto payment; or, using Same Day Bill Pay for the first time through BBVA Compass. Qualifying Bill Pay transactions must be sent to a unique party with a different mailing address from the Bill Pay subscriber that fits into one of the following categories: cable television provider, phone or cellular phone service provider, Internet service provider, electricity service provider, gas provider, water provider, waste management service provider (ie. garbage, sewage and recycling). Payments to oneself are excluded. Bill Payments must be of at least $25 or more to qualify for the account bonus.
- The cash bonus will be deposited into your new BBVA Compass consumer checking account within 90 days of meeting the bonus requirements described above.
- Account must be open and in good standing with a balance greater than or equal to $0.00 at the time of payment in order to receive the new account bonus.
- There is a maximum of one (1) Bill Pay Bonus per account.
- Checking accounts are subject to approval, which may include credit approval.
- $25 minimum opening deposit required.
- BBVA Compass may report the value of the bonus to the IRS as required by law. Any customer whose tax status would require BBVA Compass to impose tax withholding of any sort will be ineligible to receive the bonus(es).
- We reserve the right to deduct the bonus amount if the account is closed within 12 months of opening.
Avoiding Fees
The BBVA Compass ClearChoice Free Checking and ClearConnect checking accounts don’t have any monthly fees to worry about. There is a $3 fee on ClearConnect for paper statements, so make sure you opt for paperless statements.
Early Account Termination Fee
Account needs to be kept open for 12 months otherwise they reserve the right to deduct the bonus.
Our Verdict
$100 nationwide online bonus is a nice offer, though we have seen BBVA offer $200 in the past. The $500 of credit card funding is nice as well, though it seems some are having difficulty with it with some cards not going through properly. Reader Jenn had success using a Visa gift card, though.
The fact that they confine the bill pay requirement to select categories is a pain. I imagine paying your cellular bill would qualify as “telecommunications”, please contribute any data points in the comments. Fine print makes it sound a bit like any bill pay to an address outside your own will work, so the categories might not be enforced well.
Thanks to reader Mark for making us aware of this bonus. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.
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
I got my$100 credit. Umm, whats the min balance for the next 5 months for the clear connect account? Its paperless.
Its been 6 months and have yet to get paid. Who do i call and what do i tell them? I did the clear connect account.
Try Shawna Collins @480-403-7894 Monday – Friday 8 AM- 5 PM CST. When I called CS to inquire about my bonus, the matter was directed to Shawna, who called AND emailed me the same day. I had my bonus the next day. Not saying she’s the only one who could help you, but she went above and beyond for me!
i called 480 and got her answering machine. THen called 866-534-4482 and the rep will get back to me in a few days..
So, if theres no bonus, when i get my money out?
Did not get my bonus….will give them a call
Wow its truly a miracle. After an unsuccessful cfpb claim and no luck calling in. My bonus just randomly posted October 31st. I called weeks ago and was told no bonus for me. I was ready to write it off as my first unsuccessful bank bonus.
Like I mentioned, I made the mistake of sending them a secured message. They quoted me the wrong terms (a direct deposit within 60 days) and made a ticket (which I still haven’t heard back about as of today).
I called in and spoke to a CSR rep who took a little bit of time to find the promotion but he escalated the ticket and said I should hear something back in 24-48 hours.
I got another call on 10/19 and they said the promotions department was looking into the issue and I would hear back within 24-48 hours again.
I received that call this morning that my bonus will be deposited tomorrow, 10/23. So success!
I have a similar situation. I met the terms, but got no bonus. Called and emailed. They are supposed to review this on 10/25/18. This must be how they keep the payouts low.
Successful TX DP:
6/25/18 Applied and Approved
7/3 Bill Pay to gas company
10/3 90 days passed, no bonus
10/17 Called in. Spoke to 4 representivies for a total of 2 hours. One said I needed a direct deposit, I said the terms didn’t say that, he eventually hung up. Next didn’t know anything. Third was very helpful, transferred my to Online Banking Services (they actually run the promotions). Final rep was super helpful, kept asking if I had the targeted email. While I was “looking” for the email, she found the promotion and verified that I met all the requirements. She sent my case to escalations and said I would get a call soon.
10/18 Recieved a call. Said I met all the requirements and that it would deposit into my account by tomorrow. Even gave me a direct number.
10/18 $100 Interest Adjustment Posted
NO Hard pull, btw.
Even though it required a little more effort, I made $100 for <3 hrs of work.
Thanks, DoC!
Got a pay 3 $10 bills and get $50 bonus offer via email. Still waiting on the previous $10 bonus offer for paying 3 $10 bills.
same, and some other promo for bringing account balance to over $100. Nothing received yet. These guys aren’t worth the effort
I called them on Friday since I was past 90 days of qualifying. Just received a friendly call from a CSR telling me the $100 will be posted to my account within 24 hours. Told me to call back if that if it does not happen. FYI, I opened a ClearConnect checking account.
Filed a cfpb complaint they said since I opened a ClearConnect Checking account and not a ClearChoice Checking account I am not eligible for the bonus. This is beyond ridiculous.
Did you try calling them before filing the cfpb complaint?
No I used SM and got so frustrated I turned to cfpb. I just called tonight and they opened a ticket regarding it and am told I would hear back within 24-48 hours.
My guess is you will get the $100 after a couple of days. Mine just posted as promised tonight. Their phone reps have way more authority than whoever responds to the online messages. I know this because when their online rep told me it was impossible to reverse the paper statement fee (because I forgot to sign up for online statements), a 2 minute phone call did the trick.
they said the same thing to me this bank is a joke
I talked to these jokers over the phone today. After about a 30 minute call and multiple holds, they said my account shows it was opened In Branch and not online, which is required for the bonus. I informed them I had never set foot in one of their branches before. They are now escalating to a specialist and I am supposed to hear back within 2 days. I also told them if it did not get resolved I would be filing a complaint.
Last update for anyone interested. I finally received the bonus today. It took a couple of escalations and whatnot, but it turns out their system showed I had opened my account in branch as opposed to online. The requirements for this stated it had to be opened online. I have never set foot in one of their branches and explained this to them. They looked into it, and I received a call back late yesterday saying the bonus would be deposited today, and it was.
So, if you have yet to receive the bonus, call them. Talk to someone. Chances are it could be something similar.
Lol i just called them they said the same thing hopefully i get the bonus just like you thanks man.
FYI DO NOT MESSAGE THEM ON THEIR WEBSITE YOU WILL GET NOWHERE, THEY ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS.
I made this mistake and they quoted me back a set of requirements that include a direct deposit within 60 days instead of a bill pay.
Can confirm, they are idiots, especially via email.
Been exactly 90 days today for me. No bonus yet. I contacted them a few weeks ago and they noted the bill pay I made and said they had 90 days to pay out the bonus. I contacted them again today. We will see what happens.
same i messaged them today lets see how this goes lol
>90 days, I contacted them as well might just open a cfpb claim.
Also worth noting to anyone who did this bonus and to William Charles Chuck the early account closing fee is $25 and its 180 days not 365. I have uploaded screenshot to show you.
https://imgur.com/a/2E7gO8P
I don’t think the imgur link is working.