Update 1/12/23: Extended through December 31, 2023.
Update 6/23/22: Deal has been extended until December 31, 2022.
Update 5/5/22: Deal has been extended until June 22, 2022.
Update 3/3/22: Deal has been extended until May 4, 2022
Update 12/16/21: Deal has been extended until March 2, 2022.
Update 10/14/21: Extended until December 15, 2021
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $300
- Availability: Only available for those in Colorado, Arizona, or Riverside County, California (possibly only Palm Desert). This is a bit YMMV, so just hope for the best.
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+ per month for three months $500+
- Additional requirements: Enroll in internet banking
- Hard/soft pull: Soft according to a reader via e-mail. Report of a hard pull here. and another report of hard pull. Another hard
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding:
- Monthly fees:
- Early account termination fee: 12 months, bonus forfeit
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date:
June 24th, 2018 August 17th, 2018 October 12th, 2018 December 7th, 2018 March 6, 2019 April 30th, 2019 June 26th, 2019 August 20th, 2019 October 15th, 2019 December 6th, 2019March 4th, 2020April 29th, 2020 August 3rd, 2020September 30th, 2020 December 4, 2020March 3rd, 2021June 23, 2021October 13, 2021
The Offer
- FirstBank is offering a bonus of $300 when you open a new Anywhere account and complete the following requirements:
- Have at least one qualifying direct deposit of $500 or more for 3 consecutive months.
The Fine Print
- Cash offer is not available to existing FirstBank consumer checking customers or those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance.
- Past customers who ever received a gift from FirstBank are ineligible for this offer.
- Offer valid for new personal checking accounts opened between April 28, 2018 to June 24, 2018.
- The account must be opened online at efirstbank.com/offers or bring in this advertisement to any FirstBank location to receive the $300 offer.
- Limit one gift per household, per lifetime.
- Limit one gift per account.
- The cash offer will be given if the account opened is in good standing, and the customer enrolls for online banking, and one direct deposit greater than $500 posts to the new checking account.
- Direct deposit must be new to FirstBank and must be payroll, pension, Social Security or other recurring government benefits.
- Direct deposit cannot be multiple direct deposits combined that exceed $500.
- Requirements must be met within 60 days of account opening and the cash offer will be deposited into the new checking account within 90 days of account opening.
- We reserve the right to substitute gifts offered at any time with an item of similar value. Limited time offer.
- The $300 cash offer is considered interest and is subject to IRS and other tax reporting.
- The cash offer is considered a bonus that can be revoked if the account is closed within six months of opening.
- FirstBank employees are not eligible to receive the offer.
- Online Banking plus direct deposit or Visa Debit Card purchases required.
- The Visa Debit Card is free for the first year after which an annual fee (currently $10 per card) applies
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
The visa debit card has a $10 annual fee, but that is waived the first year. The account has no monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
If the account is closed within 12 months the bonus can be revoked
Our Verdict
Deal isn’t as good as it previously was as you now need a direct deposit. Because of the reports of it being a hard pull, I don’t think it is worth doing but that depends on how much hard pulls matter to you. Because of that we will not be adding this to our list of the best checking accounts.
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
Post history:
- Update 6/24/21: Extended until August 18, 2021
- Update 5/2/21: Extended until June 23, 2021.
- Update 3/4/21: Extended until April 28, 2021
- Update 10/7/20: Extended until December 4, 2020.
- Update 8/3/20: Extended until September 30th, 2020.
- Update 6/25/20: Extended until August 3rd, 2020
- Extended until June 24th, 2020.
- Extended until April 29th, 2020.
Denied due to Chex Systems. They said if there are 3 or more items on there then they will not approve a bank account.
Might be different depending on location/manager approval? I finished the application in-branch and def had way more than 3 inquiries. The system wasn’t happy about something and the manager had to approve it, so it might’ve been that. I’m in CO.
Any DPs on the strictness of the lifetime language in the fine print (“Past customers who ever received a gift from FirstBank are ineligible for this offer”)?
Going for $300 checking offer for $500 DD/mo for 3 months. Applied online 9 Apr 2023 with Chex frozen and got preliminary approval and instructions to go in-branch.
Visited the branch next day, had to unlock Chex (apparently not sensitive, I have tons of recent inquiries/accounts) and Transunion (soft pull) to go through with it. Since I had a recent inquiry on TU, they wanted my physical SSN card, which I returned with. No issues otherwise, will report back when I get the bonus.
Declined due to Chex. I’m at 9/12
I opened an account only to have it closed the next day by them. They sighted Chex. So I waited 4 months and didn’t apply to a single bank in those 4 months. Applied and once again opened and closed the next day. If your Chex looks like a typical churners don’t even waste your time.
Could you share your Chex numbers? I’m at 6/12 and wondering if this is worth it
When I opened the account I called to fund $500 (max over the phone) with a credit card. I first tried with my BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards that had its Cash Advance limit set to $200, didn’t go through, agent said it wasn’t a valid payment method??
I mentioned to the agent that I had my cash advance limit set very low, but she said all transactions should post as purchases not cash advances.
Then tried with my Wells Fargo Active Cash with a high cash advance limit (over $500) and that went through, will see if it posts as a Cash Advance or Purchase. Will update.
Can confirm that WF Active Cash coded as purchase for the $500 initial deposit. Thanks everyone!
is credit card funding possible here? don’t see any info in the DOC Post.
Offer is back through December 31, 2023. https://www.efirstbank.com/_jensen/pages/bloom/bloom.htm
Thank you for your interest in opening the following account with First Bank.
* First Performance Checking – Limit One Per Person
Unfortunately, we cannot complete your application online at this time.
I’m 5/12
I believe you meant to post this comment on this thread for the _other_ “First Bank”: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ca-il-mo-first-bank-100-checking-bonus/
This bank doesn’t have a First Performance Checking product
I was able to open an account in branch with an OOS ID. Took about an hour as the banker had to get approval from their manager multiple times. The issue seemed to be multiple accounts that showed they were from diff states. It makes sense because I had 12 chex inquiries during the past 12 months. It was taking way past the bank closing hours to open my account that I did not bother with credit card funding. I was able to enroll in ebanking instantly and they said I’d get free $5 for it, no idea how that works. Debit card sent to OOS address.
During the application process, they said it would be a soft pull only. And later after funding and everything went through; they offered overdraft, which I declined.
Anyway to verify online that the promo is attached to my account? When I showed the promo web page; he knew exactly what it was and verbally gave me the terms.
Called CS about the promo 3/20, they send an email to the branch and someone from the branch called me on 3/21 letting me know I met the qualifications and said she would send an email to the marketing dept. Got $300 same day credit pending on 3/21.
Very nice! Thanks for the follow-up.
How did you convince them to let you open with an OOS ID? I have a CA license and will be in SoCal. I’m planning on trying to open in-branch since I don’t meet the eligibility reqs otherwise.
I just said I was planning on moving to the area soon and didn’t have an in state address yet.