[Expired] [CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT] Citizens Bank $150-$250 Checking Bonus

Bonus has expired and is no longer available. View the best current checking bonuses here.

Keep in mind there is a $400 bonus.

Update 03/31/18: Bonus extended until June 30th, 2018

Update 03/14/18: $250 bonus is back, thanks to reader MarcoPolo.

Update 01/05/18: $150 bonus has been extended, $250 bonus no longer available.

Reposting because offer is back & available again. Hat tip to readers Sam S, YAR & Larry

Offer at a glance

Maximum bonus amount: $250
Availability: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
Additional requirements: None
Hard/soft pull: Soft pull as long as you opt out of over draft protecton.
ChexSystems: Mixed data points
Credit card funding: Up to $1,000, Visa & MasterCard only. Limit is across all accounts, if you open checking & savings you’ll still be limited to $1,000 total.
Monthly fees: $9.95 – $25, avoidable
Early account termination fee: None
Household limit: None
Expiration date: ~~August 25th, 2017 December 31st, 2017~~ ~~March 31st, 2018~~ June 30th, 2018

Contents

1 The Offer
2 The Fine Print
3 Avoiding Fees
4 Our Verdict

The Offer

Direct link to offers: $150 | $250 bonus

Citizens Bank currently has a $150 or $250 bonus for opening a checking account:
- Open a new Citizens Bank On Deposit checking account and get paid a bonus of $150 when you make a single direct deposit of $500 or more within 60 days of account opening
- Open a new Citizens Bank Platinum Checking and get paid a bonus of $250 when you make a single direct deposit of $500 or more within 60 days of account opening

The Fine Print

To qualify for a bonus you must open your first new personal checking account between 06/26/17 and 08/25/17 and have at least 1 single direct deposit of $500 or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
Primary signer on the new checking account may not be or have been a primary or secondary signer on any personal checking account within the previous six months.
The new account must be open and in good standing to qualify for this offer.
Offer may be withdrawn without notice and cannot be combined with any other checking offer.
In order to be eligible to participate in this promotion, the customer must open their first new personal checking account via Citizens Bank’s online account opening system accessed by clicking on the link on this page.
Customer should print this screen for their records.
Customer may only be paid a bonus associated with this program one time.
If you meet all of the above requirements and open a Citizens Bank Platinum Checking® account you will receive a $250 bonus, or a $150 bonus for a One Deposit from Citizens Bank® or any other new personal checking account.
Bonus will post to the checking account within 90 days after direct deposit has posted and will be labeled as “Balance Builder Bonus.” Bonus will be reported to the IRS for income tax purposes.
All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

No Early Account Termination Fee

As far as I know there is no early account termination fee.

One Deposit Checking Account $9.95 Monthly Fee ($150 Bonus)

$9.99 fee is waived with any deposit (according to this comment they really do many any deposit, even a transfer from another Citizens Bank account will trigger this)

Citizens Bank Platinum Checking Account $25 Monthly Fee ($250 Bonus)

Citizens Bank Platinum Checking: $25 fee is waived with $25,000 in combined deposits

Our Verdict

The Platinum checking bonus isn’t really worth considering due to how difficult it is to keep the account fee free, they have offered a targeted bonus of $400 on that account before. I guess you could go for the platinum account and just close it as soon as the bonus posts and eat any monthly fees you run into, but I think after taxes you’d be better off with the $150 bonus. They also have a $200 bonus on the One Deposit account but you need to be targeted for that and also apply in branch (more effort and you won’t be able to fund with a credit card).

Given all that I think the $150 bonus is your best bet and I do think it makes sense to open if you live in the target area. As such this will be added to our best checking bonuses.

Big thanks to reader, Peter A who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses: