First Tech Federal Credit Union $300 Checking Bonus

Update 2/16/25: Deal is back

Update 12/28/24: Deal is back but requires a $5,000 direct deposit now.

Update 6/18/24: Extended until August 31, 2024

Offer at a glance

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • First Tech Federal Credit Union is offering a bonus $300 when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements:
    • Set up a new payroll direct deposit to your First Tech Rewards Checking of $5,000+ per month for a minimum of three months

The Fine Print

  • Offer valid for enrollment between February 26, 2024 and June 30, 2024 for members without an existing direct deposit.
  • Members with existing direct deposits or who are already enrolled in a First Tech direct deposit campaign are not eligible.
  • Participant is defined as 18 years of age or older and the primary account owner on a First Tech Rewards Checking (FTRC) account.
  • Direct deposits are considered new if there has been no direct deposit activity in the Participant’s share accounts on which they are the Primary Owner within the previous 18 months.
  • New Direct Deposit Offer: New direct deposit must occur at least on New Direct Deposit Offer: New direct deposit must occur at least once per calendar month from the Participant’s employer payroll into the First Tech Rewards Checking (FTRC) account of which the Participant is the primary account owner. Direct deposits from a non-employer payroll source do not qualify. The monthly aggregate amount of all qualifying direct deposits must equal to at least $1,000 to earn the $300 bonus. Enrollment is the date of the initial direct deposit transaction. During the period of time commencing with Enrollment and ending 120 calendar days after Enrollment (“Enrollment Period”), at least one direct deposit transaction must occur each calendar month starting with the initial direct deposit transaction. A minimum of three direct deposit transactions must be received during the Enrollment Period. (EXAMPLE: If a member’s initial direct deposit is March 1, 2024, additional required direct deposits must occur at least once in each subsequent calendar month following the month in which the initial direct deposit is made, the last direct deposit must be received by June 29, 2024.) Only the Participant will receive credit for the direct deposits. Any qualifying bonus will be deposited to the Participant’s Membership Savings account the first week following the Enrollment Period. Bonuses will be considered dividends and may be reported on IRS form 1099-INT.
  • 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

No early account termination fee. They have a $5 inactivity fee after 6 months. Need to have transactions or more than $500 in deposits.

Our Verdict

Previously there was a $350 bonus, but this required $1,500 in spend in three categories to get $150 of the bonus. I think this flat $300 bonus is much better and worth doing and we will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
    William Charles
  • On February 16, 2025, 20:45
Tags: direct deposit requirednationwide bank bonusesno credit card fundingsoft pull

View Comments (1744)

  • Datapoint on First Tech. My first denied bonus in the last two years.
    They denied to pay the bonus.
    Fake DDs I used: Wise (to self), Novo, Fidelity, Treasury Direct.

    Anyone here had successful with "fake" DD and First Tech this year? It's too late for me as I'm already outside of the qualifying period but just wondering whether anyone had successful with it.

    Otherwise, people without a "real" DD, the bonus likely isn't worth your time.

    • Never seen one where Novo didn't work. It's been my go-to for fake DD when Schwab/Fidelity, etc. didn't work. Thanks for this important DP.

      • Off the top of my head, Novo doesn't work for BMO, Varo, and SoFi. You have to evaluate every bank as they all have their quirks. @guest_2106132

        First Tech was working with Treasury Direct, and then something changed and newest DP's say it's busted.

        • Correct, even Treasury Direct did not work, which is extreme because Treasury Direct has worked for EVERYTHING under the sun except for First Tech. That's why I wanted to share my datapoint so people can save their time and headache.

  • The so called Rewards Savings account's 3% APY is only valid if you complete additional requirements like $1000 debit or credit spend each month. Otherwise, the APY drops to essentially zero, which kind of makes the savings part of the bonus kind of useless. Either way, too many hoops to jump through, and perhaps the most complicated bank bonus structure I have ever seen. While common sense tells me let the bonus go even after signing up, my ego isn't letting me to do it, so I will tame the bonus for now, but boy, this is beyond complicated.

    • you need that to do for two months, if you time that correctly. But the $1000 DD spend is something difficult yet there are some creative ways to make that happen.

  • I used T-Bill and didn't get the bonus. My question is - can I close my account and open a new one and use real DD to get the bonus? The term says Members who have received a promotional payout for a First Tech direct deposit campaign within the past 18 months are not eligible. But I didn't receive any promotional payout.

  • can we combine this $300 bonus offer with Rakuten $50 (currently showing $110) offer? anyone tried it?

  • Did Chase Biz work for anyone?

    08/26: Account opened for P2.
    Tried three consecutive months of T-bills, did not work, no bonus

    Confirmed with customer service that the offer is still valid on my account.

    Chase Biz 5k transactions in April, May, and June.
    No bonus in July. For my bonus last year with real DD, I got it on the first business day of the month after I met my three month requirement.

    • Chase Biz worked.

      5/1/25 - Opened
      5/9/25 - $5k Chase Biz Push
      6/12/25 - $5k Chase Biz Push
      7/9/25 - $5k Chase Biz Push
      7/11/25 - $300 Bonus Posted to Savings

    • Looks like First Tech might've cracked down on what qualifies as DD. Maybe manual review?

      I tried Chase business ACH payments Feb through May and didn't receive the bonus, either. @guest_2094615

      • It's possible that 1 or more people ruined it for everyone else by calling in like with what happened with TrD!

      • Dang it! Unfortunately, P2 is a freelancer so she doesn't have a direct deposit she can use.
        I can't even ask them for a manual review because we know these are not real DDs but Chase DDs. Unfortunate!
        @guest_2007440

        • At this point, it might only make sense for people with "real" DDs to sign up for future FT DD promos. 🙁

        • If you ask for a manual review, report back. I had zero luck even after providing pay stubs.

          • Even with a real DD? They wouldn't budge?
            I am not planning to ask for a manual review since it is Chase Biz. But I just switched my paychecks from work to my wife's account to see if that works or not.

            Did real DDs not work for you?

    • As others, including myself, have said - YMMV. Read my novel of a post below. Seems they reserve the right to pick and choose what they'll accept, even if they all code identically. I'll go out on a limb and say they'll classify a Chase Biz as a transfer, even though it's worked in the past.

  • @2 there is an additional $150 - $300 bonus for depositing (within 30 days of coupon enrollment) and maintaining a balance for the next 90 days (starts counting on the day of deposit, not coupon enrollment). $10K - $20k deposit+balance earns $150. $20K+ earns $300. There is also 5% (up to $200) cashback on debit card purchases.

    • Is coupon enrollment the day when the first direct deposit posts or when you first open the account?

  • Not worth the time unless you have a real DD.

    I used 4 methods, 1 real, 2 fake (coded exactly as the real), 1 coded as a transfer. After another full billing cycle passed I inquired about the bonus. The supervisor stated I met the requirements and she would reach back out after processing. A couple days later I received a secure message stating the 1 DD qualified but they needed pay stubs for the other 2 DDs so they could validate the payments originated from my employer - BUT they disabled the option for me to reply via secure message even though that was their instruction. I found an email & provided the pay stubs for everything that coded as ACH Deposit, including the real. After I did that their claim was I had to use their DD Form and the pay stubs did not specify a DD was made directly to them or my account number, so they don't qualify. However, I was told the 'real' DD did qualify via the secure message, so I asked why that pay stub qualified when it didn't specify the DD was made directly to them and the DD form was not used - the supv refused any clarification and started fumbling on his words. After that he reverted back to being a parrot and began repeating himself saying 'those are transfers', again not being able to articulate the difference between the ACH deposits, transfers, and why they don't reflect transfers if they are transfers. He also refused to point me to any violation of the T&Cs, because at face value they were met.

    I probably took this one too far and in reality shouldn't have even asked in the first place, but the hoops they had me jumping through after validating the terms were met and providing false hope only to later provide BS rationales really started to irritate me.

  • 18 month churn time? Lame. Chase biz worked for P2 last year btw, this was last years DP YMMV
    Opened: 8/11/24
    $1k Chase Biz Push: 8/21
    $1k Chase Biz Push: 9/6
    $1k Chase Biz Push: 10/2
    Bonus Posted: 10/11

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