[FL only] Florida Credit Union $300 Checking Bonus

Update 8/13/22: Deal is back for 2022. Hat tip to reader Katie P

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $300
  • Availability: FL only
  • Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+ within 60 days of opening
  • Additional requirements: See below
  • Hard/soft pull: Hard pull
  • ChexSystems: Unknown
  • Credit card funding: Up to $2,500
  • Monthly fees: None
  • Early account termination fee: $20, six months
  • Household limit: None
  • Expiration date: None listed

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Florida Credit Union is offering a bonus of $300 when you complete the following requirements:
    • Open a free personal full-service checking account and use promo code Use Promo Code 24CHK300
    • Make a single or combined direct deposit of $500 within 60 days of opening.
    • Keep account open for at least 90 days.

The Fine Print

  • Offer can be cancelled at any time.
  • Free membership is open to anyone within Florida Credit Union’s 45 county field of membership 1.
  • Anyone who has held a checking account with FCU in the past year will not qualify for the incentive.
  • Must be 18 years of age or older to qualify for this offer.
  • Credit approval and initial $5 open deposit required.
  • $500 cumulative direct deposit amount must be made to this account within the first 60 days of account opening.
  • Your direct deposit needs to be an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or, government benefit (such as SSI) from your employer or the government.
  • Person-to-person payments (such as Cash App, Venmo or PayPal) are not considered a direct deposit.
  • If the requirements are met and the account remains open and in good standing for 90 days, the $300 reward will be made available to the member.
  • $300 is considered interest and will be reported on IRS form 1099-INT.
  • Prior terms subject to change.
  • Full-service checking includes direct deposit, Visa debit card, online banking, and eStatements.
  • Interest-Bearing Checking rates accurate as of 4/6/21 and subject to change at anytime.
  • Minimum to earn interest is $10,000 for the Interest-Bearing Checking. APY is Annual Percentage Yield.
  • Interest credited monthly. Fees may reduce earnings.
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Both accounts offered have no monthly fee to worry about.

Early Account Termination Fee

According to the fee schedule there is a $20 fee if account is closed within 6 months of opening.

Our Verdict

Hard pull might make it a no deal for some people, although those matter less and less with how strict card issuers are these days. Given it’s a $300 bonus and the requirements are still relatively easy to meet I’ll be adding this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
    William Charles
  • On August 13, 2022, 12:00

View Comments (135)

  • Started online applic on 4/22. I'm in their service area but far away from any branch. They followup the next day with an interview where they ask why you want to join the credit union. Asked me to unlock Equifax for a soft pull. Told me the applic will go to underwriting. One week later I'm notified that the account is approved. Funded $5 to member share savings and $1000 to the checking with a credit card. Posts as a purchase. There was no hard pull on credit. Chex was frozen.

    • Interesting, maybe I should try freezing my credit before I apply if that lets you bypass the hard pull...

      • I had my credit frozen but had to unlock Equifax for a soft pull. I know that they didn't do a hard pull. Chex was frozen too and they did not ask me to thaw that so I'm glad that there was no Chex inquiry.

        • Thanks, I'm definitely going to give a try freezing my equifax first and hoping it'll have them do a soft pull instead of a hard pull

          • As flguy indicated, you credit report must be thawed for a soft pull, @guest_2057111.

          • So you mean like it needs to start frozen, and then apply and then thaw when asked for the soft pull? Or it can just start off thawed? Because someone in the comments here in January claims it was still a hard pull.

          • I thaw my reports before applying when I know a soft pull is going to be performed. Credit reports must be thawed for either a hard pull or a soft pull. Mine was a soft pull, last year. Sorry, I don't know what happened to someone in January.

          • Thank you!

            Also I think there was some confusion in previous replies so just to clarify: I know that for them to soft pull or hard pull they have to have your credit unfrozen. But flguy's DP seems unique in that he only got a soft pull, so I'm going to try applying with it frozen, and hoping they'll ask me to unfreeze and only give me a soft pull because maybe the process is different when you apply with it frozen and it presumably goes to manual review. Either that or they changed their policies between Blake's Jan 7th DP and flguy april 22nd DP, but safer to assume it's the former.

          • @guest_2054044 @guest_1598651 reporting back, I did indeed freeze my equifax account and they called me back and asked me why I wanted to open the account just like flguy. And they told me they'd do a soft pull, which they did.

            They did come back with a slightly worringly low number with my Fico (must be using a different model than 8) and said they had to give it to underwriting, but they called me back shortly and told me I was approved!

            So looks like no hard pull if you go the phone route, along with ofc no chex pull (mine was frozen anyway). Turns it from a good bonus into a great one imo

          • I think you have the right idea. Apply with it frozen then when they call you and ask you to thaw it, it seems as though then they promise to you that it’s only going to be a soft pull. That’s the way it worked in my instance. They may take 2-3 days to call you.

          • I think you have the right idea. Apply with it frozen then when they call you and ask you to thaw it, it seems as though then they promise to you that it's only going to be a soft pull. That's the way it worked in my instance. They may take 2-3 days to call you.

    • Excellent! I had a similar good experience in late 2024. With what credit card did you fund it? If it happened to be a Bank of America credit card, did it code as Online Shopping? Thanks, @guest_2054044!

      • I used my PayPal Mastercard as I've had success with it coding as a purchase on other account openings. Only get 1.5% with it but I'll still take the $15!

  • Unfortunately, I missed the part of the TOS that state "one per household." P1 earned bonus 19NOV2024, P2 opened account 31DEC2024 and luckily still received bonus 31MAR2025.

  • If trying to open online, they require a Florida drivers license for membership (even with proof of FL residency).

  • Anyone notice after they put in their routing/act info for the deposit that the promo code goes away and needs to be reapplied. They're on the same page so it's easy to input it back in once bank info has been entered. WORD OF CAUTION!

    DP
    *awaiting approval (pasted)  A New Account Representative will contact you within (1) business day to finalize the details of your request. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding the status of your application, please contact us at 800-284-1144.

  • DP:
    06/29/2024 – Opened; hard-pull by Equifax; $2,500 funded on Chase Ink Business, processed as purchase.
    Monthly – Fidelity CMA pushes, T-bill maturity pushes.
    09/27/2024 – $300 “Checking Bonus” posted.

  • Acct open Jun 15th
    Real DD Payroll Jul 3rd $500.15
    No bonus yet.

    Gonna have to go back to that branch.
    If the bonus was not applied I will be more than slightly miffed.

      • Anything weird about your real DD that might've lead to it not automatically going through? Currently only deposited using Schwab but I'm getting antsy since I'm the first DP on here. A couple of Fidelity DPs gave me some confidence but not 100% and kinda need the money.

    • Did you move the money out? Didn't see anything in TOS about that but wonder if it's a factor nonetheless.

  • 03/29/24 – Opened
    04/03/24 – $500 Fidelity push
    06/27/24 – $300 “Checking Bonus” posted

    • What was the description for the Fidelity besides investment income (like when you click on the transaction)

    • hey, can I ask you quick question?

      Did you use Fidelity’s ‘Cash Management’ account to send The $300 deposit?

      Or Did you use Fidelity’s ‘Traditional Brokerage’ account?

          • It generally makes no difference, you can remove the funds as soon as they are available.

        • Thank You!! Did you leave the $500 in there the wholee time? I am wondering if after depositing the $500 if I can withdraw the funds, cause I don’t see anywhere saying the “$500 must stay in the account for an X Amount of time…”

  • 3/26/24 - Opened

    3/27/24 - $500 Fidelity push

    6/23/24 - $300 "Checking Bonus" posted

    Thanks @guest_1725156 for the DP below helping me to reason that Fidelity would satisfy the DD req's.

    Thanks DoC!

    • What was the description for the Fidelity besides investment income (like when you click on the transaction)

    • Hey, can I ask a quick question, did you send the $500 Fidelity Push from the Cash Management account or the traditional brokerage?

      • Late response, but it can be from either account to the best of my knowledge. In my case, it was from my individual brokerage account.

Leave a Comment