Update 3/18/25: Bonus now $200 for person being referred and $100 for person referring. Valid until July 31, 2025. Might be able to open out of state via Financial Fitness Association (FFA). Not as good as the $300 targeted bonus
Update 5/19/24: Extended until September 30, 2024.
Update 4/6/24: Extended until May 17, 2024
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100
- Availability: CA only
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements:
- Hard/soft pull: Soft without overdraft protection
- ChexSystems: Unknown, sensitive
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: Unknown
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: None
Contents
The Offer
- Patelco Credit Union is offering a referral bonus of up to $100 to the person being referred. Bonus is as follows:
- Earn $100:
- Open a Free or Interest Checking account with your referral code.
- Sign up for eStatements
- Set up and receive a direct deposit of $500 or more per month (such as payroll) for 2 consecutive months (totaling $1,000 or more) within 90 days
- Earn $100:
- You can earn an additional $100 ($50 each) if you open a Money Market account or enroll in RoundUp within 90 days of joining Patelco
The Fine Print
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
Neither account has any monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so unsure if there is any EATF.
Our Verdict
Feel free to share your referral information in the comments below. Looks easy to meet the requirements as you just need to open the accounts.
Hat tip to reader Dr Churn
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
View Comments (120)
Push from Wise for dd - transaction appears on Patelco as Instant Payment: From (someone's name i've never heard of.) Been using Wise for a while and this has never happened before
The promotion is now expiring October 31st. My referral code is: R8MVUZXS
Thank you!
Opened my account OOS online. Got sent an email to DocuSign and donate $5 to join the credit union. Used Chase Business Payroll ACH to send $500 to the new account. Deposit coded as transfer, not payroll/direct deposit. Not sure if it counts yet.
I tried to set up Zelle and transfer the amount out to myself but no dice. Then tried to set up a normal outgoing ACH transfer which went pending then later canceled. Immediately after received an email that my online access was locked for security reasons. Had to call in and email proof that I own the external account. Account was unlocked the next day.
I think the prior Zelle attempts is what raised the red flags. I recommend just setting up a pull ACH transfer out of the account if you are doing it in big amounts so your account doesn't get locked temporarily.
My Referral Code is: R8NXBJVR
Always helps, thanks!
Here is my referral code if anyone would like to use it:
R8NLFBUR
Thanks so much!!
The promotion is expiring on 07/31/25.
My referral code
R8DAQGFP
Thanks!
Bonus for new member is actually $200:
Membership is open to those who are part of Financial Fitness Association (FFA). However, I'm in CA so qualified and approved instantly.
There’s a question at the top of the page when filling out your name and contact info that asks, “Have a Referral Code?” Click plus, enter code and “Submit” button so the code is attached to your application.
Thank you so much if you choose to use my referral code: R8MBMGGB
My referral code is R8MBMGGB. Thanks to one person who used the code. Much appreciated.
Earn $100 after opening a checking account and funding 2x monthly $500 DD, $50 for opening a Money Market account, & $50 for signing up and using roundup auto savings for a total of $200. For anyone interested, my referral code is: R8MPCH6QThanks!
Denied in branch for Chex
Past 36 months: 91
Past 30 months: 78
Past 24 months: 55
Past 18 months: 43
Past 12 months: 29
Past 06 months: 12
Past 03 months: 06
Past 01 months: 04
Opened out of state in Washington, was approved! Will see if they will payout after following all the terms.
Referral code is R8N9P7GU. Much appreciated!!
What was your chex stats before applying?
Not sure, I haven't checked. I'm quite new to the game though so it must be quite low. Anyways, I just got the referral bonus, and their moneymarket/roundup extra $100 bonus as well, making it $200 from out of state!