Five Star Bank $250 Fountain Plaza Buffalo, NY In Branch Checking Bonus

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $250
• Availability: At Fountain Plaza Buffalo, NY only
• Direct deposit required: Yes, no minimum specified
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Unknown
• Credit card funding: None, since it’s in branch only
• Monthly fees: $5, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: Bonus forfeit and charged $35 fee if closed within 179 days
• Household limit: None mentioned
• Expiration date: March 31st, 2017

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Open a new consumer checking account with Five Star Bank at their new location in Fountain Plaza Buffalo, NY and receive a bonus of $250 when you complete the following requirements:
  • Receive a qualifying direct deposit within the first 60 days (no minimum specified)

The Fine Print

• To receive the checking account bonus you must;
  • 1) Open a TotalValue Checking, Basic Banking Account, TotalValue Safe Checking, TotalValue Senior Checking, TotalValue Plus Checking or a TotalValue Premier Checking by 3/31/2017;
  • 2) Establish your direct deposit into this account within 60 days from the last day of month your account was opened.
• Your direct deposit needs to be a recurring electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or government benefit (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government.
• A $25.00 minimum deposit is required to open any Five Star Bank checking or NOW account.
• The bonus cannot be used as the opening deposit. Account must be opened at the Five Star Bank Fountain Plaza Branch.
• The bonus will be deposited into this checking or NOW account within 90 days from the last day of the month your account was opened.
• The bonus may be subject to income tax and IRS reporting.
• If the account is closed within 179 days after opening, the bonus will be forfeit.
• The bonus will be debited from the account at account closing and the account will be subject to the $35.00 early account closeout fee.
• Offer not available to existing Five Star Bank consumer checking or NOW accountholders, or those whose accounts have been closed within 12 months or closed with a negative balance.
• Business and municipal customers are not eligible.
• Bonus is limited to one account per customer regardless of the titling on the account.
• Cannot be combined with any other checking account offer.

Avoiding Fees

Bonus will be forfeit if you close the account within the first 179 days, you’ll also be charged a $35 early account termination fee. The best account to open is the TotalValue Checking, it has a $5 monthly fee that is waived when you do the following:

• Set up online banking
• Opt in for eStatements

Our Verdict

They had a similar bonus in Rochester NY that has recently expired. This is a fantastic deal if you live near the Fountain Plaza branch as the bonus requirements should be quite easy to meet and the monthly fee is easy to avoid. The main negative is the in branch requirement, but if you live near a branch that isn’t much of an issue.

We will add this to our list of the best highly region specific checking bonuses.

Big thanks to reader, Sometimesstuff-yeah who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.

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