Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $800
- Availability: Nationwide (with an $8 membership to the Financial Fitness Association); [ChurningExperiences notes that First Tech may automatically reimburse you for the $8 membership]
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $5,000+ per month for three months
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft in my experience and recent DPs (an older Hard DP exists)
- ChexSystems: Positive DPs, Some Sensitivity (but maybe not)
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: None
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date:
Contents
The Offer
- First Tech Federal Credit Union is offering a checking bonus of up to $800. Bonus is broken down as follows:
- $300 bonus for opening checking $5,000 DD for at least three months.
- $300 bonus for $20,000 average balance in checking/savings for 90 days
- 5% cash back up to $200 on debit card spending in the first 30 days (t$4000 spend require to achieve $200).
The Fine Print
- Qualified direct deposits of $1,000 to $5,000 per month must be received for a one-time $50 bonus; qualified direct deposits greater than $5,000 per month must be received for a one-time $300 bonus. The monthly aggregate amount of all qualifying direct deposits must meet or exceed the tier minimum for the corresponding tier bonus. New direct deposit must occur at least once per calendar month from the Participant’s employer payroll or approved government benefits provider (e.g., Social Security) into the FTRC account of which the Participant is the primary account owner. Direct deposits from any other source do not qualify. 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. Non-direct deposits including, but not limited to, check deposits, wire transfers, transfers from another First Tech account, non-payroll ACH transfers, such as small business payments or owner distributions, transfers from another financial institution, person to person transfers, merchant transactions, and one-time bonus or tax reimbursements do not qualify. First Tech reserves the right to evaluate each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits during each Enrollment Period at our sole discretion. To determine eligibility for bonuses, we may request additional documentation for verification. Any transactions that are not identified as direct deposits may be disqualified, and any applicable bonuses may be forfeited. Enrollment is the date of the initial direct deposit transaction. During the period of time commencing with Enrollment and ending 90 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 June 1, 2025, 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 August 31, 2025. Bonuses would be deposited by September 7, 2025.) 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 may be considered dividends and may be reported on the appropriate IRS form 1099.
- New Direct Deposit Offer: Members who have received a promotional payout for a First Tech direct deposit campaign within the past 18 months are not eligible (“Participant”). Must be 18 years of age or older and the primary account owner on a First Tech Rewards Checking (“FTRC”) account to participate. Membership is required and is subject to approval. Fees could reduce earnings on the account. FTRC accounts must be personally owned accounts. Fiduciary, trust, business, or organization accounts are not eligible. Members will be enrolled in the promotion upon receipt of new direct deposit transaction into the FTRC account upon which they are the primary account owner (“Enrollment”). To receive any bonus payout, in addition to satisfying the payout conditions set forth in this disclosure, the Membership Savings account must be in good standing (not in default, closed, inactive, or otherwise not in good standing) during the period of time commencing with Enrollment and ending with the applicable date of payout. First Tech reserves the right to modify or terminate this campaign at any time. Any inquiries or disputes will be resolved at the sole discretion of First Tech and must be received no later than 180 days after enrollment.
- A minimum of $10,000 and up to $20,000 must be deposited to qualify for a $150 bonus. Depositing any amount over $20,000 will qualify for a $300 bonus. Eligible only for funds not currently or previously held in a First Tech Federal Credit Union account at the time of this offer. Funds must be deposited from a source outside First Tech; transfers between First Tech accounts or its affiliates will not qualify for this promotion. Funds must be deposited into a First Tech Rewards Checking or First Tech Rewards Savings account on which the Participant is the primary account owner no later than 30 days after Enrollment to be considered for the corresponding tier bonus. Starting 31 days after Enrollment, the average daily balance through the following 90 calendar days must meet or exceed the tier minimum for the corresponding tier bonus (“Qualification Period”). For example, if a member enrolls on September 30, 2025, funds must be deposited by October 30, 2025. The average daily balance must be maintained through January 28, 2026. The qualifying bonus will be deposited to the Participant’s Membership Savings account the first week following the end of the calendar month in which the Qualification Period ends. Bonuses will be considered dividends may be reported on the appropriate IRS form 1099.
- New Account Offer: Offer valid for new First Tech Rewards Checking accounts. Accounts are considered new if resulting from a new application or member-requested conversion from an existing checking account product. Must be 18 years of age or older and the primary account owner on a First Tech Rewards Checking account to participate. Membership is required and is subject to approval. Participating accounts must be personally owned accounts. Fiduciary, trust, business, or organization accounts are not eligible. Participant will be enrolled in the promotion by clicking the provided link within 45 days of receiving this email notification (“Enrollment”). To receive a bonus payout, in addition to satisfying the payout conditions set forth in this disclosure, the Membership Savings account must be in good standing (not in default, closed, inactive, or otherwise not in good standing) during the period commencing with Enrollment and ending with the applicable date of payout. First Tech reserves the right to modify or terminate this campaign at any time. Any inquiries or disputes will be resolved at the sole discretion of First Tech and must be received no later than 180 days after enrollment.
- Valid for all personal First Tech Rewards Checking accounts. The spending bonus reward is 5% of qualified purchases up to a total reward payout of $200 (maximum spend of $4,000). Qualifying transactions include posted debit card purchases to the FTRC account. The purchases must be made using a First Tech debit card linked to the FTRC account on which the Participant is the primary owner. For purchases to qualify, transactions must post to the account(s) no later than 30 days after Enrollment (“Qualification Period”) to receive a one-time spending bonus. Maximum one Qualification Period per Participant. Any qualifying spending bonus earned will be deposited to the Participant’s Membership Savings account the first week following the end of the calendar month in which the Qualification Period ends. Bonuses will be considered dividends and may be reported on the appropriate IRS form 1099.
- Offer valid for new First Tech Rewards Checking (“FTRC”) accounts. Accounts are considered new within 180 days if resulting from a new application or a member-requested account conversion. Members who have received a promotional payout for a First Tech debit spend campaign within the past 18 months are not eligible (“Participant”). Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Participating accounts must be personally owned accounts. Fiduciary, trust, business, or organization accounts are not eligible. Participant may enroll in the promotion by activating and making an initial transaction on a debit card connected to a new First Tech Rewards Checking account on which no previous Point of Sale transactions have occurred. (“Enrollment”). To receive any bonus payout, in addition to satisfying the payout conditions set forth in this disclosure, the Membership Savings account must be in good standing (not in default, closed, inactive, or otherwise not in good standing) during the period commencing with Enrollment and ending with the applicable date of payout. First Tech reserves the right to modify or terminate this campaign at any time. Any inquiries or disputes will be resolved at the sole discretion of First Tech and must be received no later than 90 days after enrollment.
- Qualification Requirements Per Monthly Cycle: To qualify, you must meet all of the following qualification requirements: 1. Have an aggregate spend of at least $1000 per month posted to the applicable accounts. Qualifying transactions include: 1. Posted debit card purchases to the First Tech Rewards Checking account. 2. Posted credit card purchases on a First Tech credit card account. Credit card purchases must be made on a First Tech credit card account with the same primary account owner as the First Tech Rewards Checking account. 2. Have ACH deposits totaling at least $1,000 per cycle (either multiple aggregate ACH deposits equal to $1,000 or one $1,000 ACH deposit) to the First Tech Rewards Checking account. 3. Enrollment in electronic statements and electronic disclosures and notices for the primary account owner. The first monthly cycle will automatically meet all qualification requirements. For every monthly cycle thereafter, all qualification requirements must be completed and posted to your account prior to the last day of the calendar month. For example, the last day of March is March 31. Qualifying debit and/or credit card purchases must post to your account(s) by March 30 for purposes of this example. Keep in mind that debit and/or credit card purchases can take several days to post and depend on merchant processing times.
- 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 or this same $300 bonus. There is just a way to earn an additional $500 this time.
Hat tip to SG
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
Do we need to open savings account to get $800? Correct me if I am wrong, I read you can achieve all the bonus in checking account only.
My reading of the terms is that the Rewards Savings account is not required, as you can just use increase the Rewards Checking balance for the up to $300 bonus for moving money to First Tech. However, if you would like to earn 3% on the balance (after meeting the qualifications for each monthly cycle) to maximize the payoff (or minimize the loss of interest), you’ll need to open the Rewards Savings as well.
I did a one week free trial of Coinbase One, bought $4k of USDC for free (because of the Coinbase One subscription, otherwise was something like $100 fee) with my First Tech debit card, posted as POS transaction to First Tech – $200 5% debit card reward posted today as “Dividend Adjustment-Deposit Spend Bonus”.
Small victory for failing to trigger the $300 checking promo lol.
I also did testing and can confirm Citi Double Cash phone payments with the debit card, Synchrony bank credit card payments (Harbor Freight, TJ Maxx, etc.) as well as PayPal balance adds also post as POS on First Tech. The problem with PayPal is it is very arbitrary with the amount it’ll let you add each day and can usually only get $100-$150 added daily.
Considering prioritizing this bonus because I wonder if it will go away once they merge with DCU. Not sure the timeline there, but this bonus may not come back in the future.
Am I eligible for this when I have existing membership but no checking account?
I closed my account in 12/2024 and received bonus in 06/2024. I guess it hasnt even been 18 months yet so I do not qualify. Bummer
Thanks for sharing
Any info on what actually works for DD currently?
Seems like they have gotten pretty strict
What is the enrollment date for Savings account? After enrolled, we have 30 days to deposit money.
It’s clear as mud, which is typical for First Tech.
Enrollment date is probably the date of your first “deposit from an outside account” directly to savings. Whether or not your opening deposit triggers it is an open question.
I would assume enrollment started on your opening date to be safe, and take anything a CSR might tell you with a grain of salt. Might save you from having to fight for the bonus.
Participant will be enrolled in the promotion by clicking the provided link within 45 days of receiving this email notification (“Enrollment”).
Closed my personal checking account in Jan. The terms don’t explicitly mention about this.
>> New Account Offer: Offer valid for new First Tech Rewards Checking accounts. Accounts are considered new if resulting from a new application or member-requested conversion from an existing checking account product.
Wondering if I am missing anything!
Further down in the terms
logmeingn
“New Direct Deposit Offer: Members who have received a promotional payout for a First Tech direct deposit campaign within the past 18 months are not eligible (“Participant”). Must be 18 years of age or older and the primary account owner on a First Tech Rewards Checking (“FTRC”) account to participate.”
Does anyone knows if you can take advantage only for the savings offer as an existing member with no checking account, since has not been more than 18 months from previous checking promo? Or is not worth it?
If it does become available to existing members it will come with a booby trap: You really need the additional 3% APY to make it worthwhile. But that requires DDs, which would reset the 18-month clock for the checking bonus.
In my opinion, it is not worth it, its meager 2% if youre not getting the 3 apy
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/first-tech-federal-credit-union-800-checking-bonus/#comment-2073012
application pending review 🙁