Fifth Third Bank $250 Checking Bonus [FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, NC, OH, TN, WV, Bank Mart Branches Only]

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $200
• Availability:  Only Bank Mart locations are eligible and I’m not sure if all Bank Mark locations are eligible. The branch will have ‘Bank Mart’ in the name when using their location finder. Fifth third is only in the following states: FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, NC, OH, TN, WV (may be only for those within a 50-mile radius of a branch).
• Direct deposit required: Direct deposit of $100+ required.
• Additional requirements: Maintain $500 balance for 60 days
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Yes
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $11, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: None listed
• Household limit: None
• Expiration date: August 31st, 2017

The Offer

No direct link

• Fifth Third is offering a $250 checking bonus when you open a new checking account at a Bank Mart location when you complete the following requirements:
  • Receive a direct deposit of $100 or more

The Fine Print

• Bank reserves the right to limit each customer to one new account-related gift incentive per calendar year.
• Bonus will be deposited into your new checking account within 10 business days of completing requirements.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Essentials Checking $11 Monthly Fee

Essential Checking account is required for this bonus and has an $11 monthly fee. The fee can be waived by maintaining an average monthly balance of $1,500 or more across your savings and checking accounts.

Early Account Termination Fee

This account does not have an early account termination fee

Our Verdict

This bonus is $50 better than the online offer for $200 and the requirements are easier to meet as well. The downside is that you need to open the account at a participating bank mart branch. I’d still recommend seeing if there is one near you before opening the other account. Once we have more information on how common these bank mart branches are and if it’s across all branches I will add this to our best checking bonus page.

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

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