Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100 for both parties
- Availability: CA only
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
- Additional requirements: eStatements
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull (report of hard pull)
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: $15, 90 days
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: None listed
Contents
The Offer
- USE Credit Union is offering a bonus of $100 to both the refer and referree when somebody is referred and opens a new free checking account and completes the following requirements:
- Sign up with eStatements
- Within 90 days of account opening receive at least $500 in monthly direct deposits
The Fine Print
- Referred members must be new members and meet membership eligibility and account opening criteria and, within 90 days of account opening, set up at least $500 in monthly direct deposits.
- The deposit account bonus ($100 each for you and a friend) will be credited to the respective USECU accounts no later than 30 days after the first direct deposit is received.
- Must be 18 years of age to participate.
- Bonus payments subject to tax.
- 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 no monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
$15 fee if closed within 90 days of account opening according to the fee schedule.
Our Verdict
Feel free to share your referral in the comments below, worth doing if you live in an eligible location.
Hat tip to reader German
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
Looking for a referral at kellingordon at gmail dot com – not my real name, shoot me an email and I’ll shoot you back my name and let’s stack those benjamins! Thanks in advance.
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Has anyone tried churning this account?
Looking for a referral at weikangcai23 at gmail dot com, thank you!
Sent
Dag!
looking for a referral. xabnarf at gmail
Thanks!
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What a painful experience with this bank.
7/22: Account created via referral from

Kyle ❤️
8/13: $500 work direct deposit
9/12: No bonus yet as of their latest date
9/14-9/22: Phone calls to see where the bonus was. Kept getting info that they’d look into it, asking for my referrer’s full name, etc.
10/2: NCUA case filed and told USE about it
10/9: $100 bonus as a “courtesy credit”
At least you got yours finally! 🙂
I got a letter from them saying that I had to do *monthly* deposits of $500 aka two months rather than just one month. However I did my direct deposit in the middle of the month and didn’t get it by the middle of next month like they said so if they denied me I would have said that I would have continued my direct deposit but they didn’t pay out so there would have been no point to continue
I referred 48 people and received the bonus myself and for 2 people whom I had referred. USE CU contacted me and stated that they would be able to pay out for one more assuming I could verify the person whom I had referred. I explained that I had referred a lot. They said we can see that and unfortunately many of them did not follow through with the requirements and therefore we will not be allowing you to refer people any longer. I didn’t argue as it hasn’t been paying out anyways. I kept a list of everyone I referred so I just sent them an email of the names of those people. Hopefully will get credit for one more referral. Best of luck to those in the future and to those who will be taking over this thread!
Yes they haven’t been giving me my bonus despite meeting the terms on 8/13 and them missing the cutoff for the bonus on 9/12. I called them three times last week and they just said they’re looking into it. I’ll call them tomorrow saying to pay up or I’ll file a case with the NCUA/BBB.
Hey Kyle,
I was one of the people you referred. I emailed them recently for an update, but they asked for the full name of the person who referred me. Should I also threaten them with filing with NCUA?
Hey

Ray I am in the process of closing my account. Just transferred funds out. Hope they give it to you. My last name is Jordan.
DP: it is a hard pull, guys. I opened the account with the newmover $300 bonus on 8/31, it shows on my credit report as a hard pull.
Hi there, looking for a referral code @ mippaso@calpoly.edu. thanks!
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can someone send me a referral please, my email is petele995@gmail.com
Sent you one but you may want to check this out https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ymmv-ca-only-use-credit-union-300-checking-bonus/
Hey Kyle, thanks for your reply. I have not yet received any email for the referral. Will the email be sent from USE CU itself or from you?
I just sent another. It comes from USE CU. I supply your info into a form and then they send you the referral and me an email confirming I just sent a referral. I have had this problem with other people before. The conclusion of why they had not received the referral is because I had already referred them once before though this was not a conclusive conclusion (lol). I keep track of everyone I refer and I know I have not referred you before but maybe someone else had?