Deal has ended, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here.
Update 10/1/22: Deal is back and valid November 30, 2022. Hat tip to alopez14
Update 3/30/22: Deal can now be opened online and doesn’t require a direct deposit. Hat tip to reader Another DP. Also available in more states
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $200
- Availability: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania or West Virginia
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements:Â eStatements, 10 debit card purchases
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown, sensitive
- Credit card funding: Up to $1,500
- Monthly fees:Â None
- Early account termination fee:Â Unknown
- Household limit:Â None listed
- Expiration date:Â
May 31st, 2019None listed March 31, 2022
Contents
The Offer
Direct link to offer | Online offer
- Civista is offering a bonus of $200 when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Use promo code C22
- Enroll your account in eStatements
- Make $500 in total deposits within 60 days
- Make 10 debit card purchases within 60 days
The Fine Print
- Qualified direct deposit and debit card purchases must post to your account within 60 days of account opening.
- Minimum opening deposit is $50.00.
- Offer valid for new personal checking customers and excludes existing Civista personal checking account owners and those who have closed within the last six months.
- Employees of Civista Bank, its affiliates and its subsidiaries are not eligible. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.
- eStatement is promotion account standard. Optional paper statement may be substituted upon request but would disqualify account holder from this promotion. A $2.00 paper statement delivery charge may apply.
- The reward will be deposited into your new account within 90 days of account opening after meeting all promotion qualifications, and identified on your monthly statement as “Checking Promo Reward”. Bank will report the value of the offer to the IRS as interest earned. You will receive a 1099-INT form from us. Consult your tax advisor.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
They offer a free checking account with no monthly fees to worry about
Early Account Termination Fee
I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so not sure what the EATF is if there is one.
Our Verdict
We don’t know if it’s a hard or soft pull, so can’t really say whether it’s a good or bad deal. Considering you need to open in branch, it should be possible to ask before signing up. As always if you go for this bonus share your experiences in the comments below.
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
i just got my $200 bonus on jan 26th 2023. i did 10+ amazon purchases with their debit card, estatements (paperless), and no direct deposit. i also had a balance of $500-750 in my account only. this offer worked as described. i will consider closing this account now…
I really hate this bank. They are holding my $50 hostage apparently. I’ve tried to transfer it back to my bank 2 times now and the first 2 have been “cancelled”. This is what is says I try to make the transfer:
Payment Under Review
This transaction will be reviewed prior to processing. You can check for transaction status updates in your Online Activity.
WTF?
I was able to get this to work. Received an email from Gahanna branch stating debit card was in the mail. I’m in Columbus btw.
Can someone edit this post to say that it’s only for Gahanna residents?
Got denied due to chexsystem 19/24.
Well these guys are sketchy as hell. Received the same email yesterday as another member below:
“Thank you for opening your new accounts with Civista Bank. This is a digital account, so we are unable to order checks for your checking account. I have ordered your debit card and you should receive it in 10-14 business days. The funds you deposited into the account are on a 11-day business hold to clear your other financial institution.
I do see you put in for the promotion we are currently running for one of our areas. Unfortunately you do not qualify for this promotion as you are not in the promotional area. The promotion is specifically for one of our cities in Ohio only.”
There is zero indication in the T&Cs that the promo is only for a tiny town in Ohio. In addition, I made my deposit with a debit card and the funds have long since settled to the account. So now they are putting an 11 day hold on the funds to clear? WTF. Lame.
Probably worth filing a CFPB complaint
oh wow. Glad they denied me. I would have blown a fuse if that happened to me.
They probably changed their terms and conditions since your post, but the funny thing is and now specifically it says the bonus applies for online applications.
“Offer valid only at Civista Bank Gahanna Branch or opened online with promotional code C22.”
If you haven’t got the bonus definitely file a CFPB complaint.
“Thank you for your application.
A Civista Banker will contact you within the next business day to discuss your application.
8/12, 6/6, 3/3
Adverse Action due to chexsystems. RIP
UPDATE: Shady bank. Stay away!
So I got an email from the bank, but they aren’t closing my account. They are saying I’m not eligible for the promotion because, “you are not in the promotional area,” and “When you go into that link it states that it is for Gahanna, Ohio. You can go into their branch, or you can go online to open the account. Your address still has to be within there branch location for the promotion.” But the closest thing is says about eligibility is, “Offer valid only at Civista Bank Gahanna Branch or opened online with promotional code C22.”
So whom can I complain to about this?
Well 48 hours later and my account hasn’t been closed yet. Will update if it does. I’ve opened 8 checking accounts since January. Also a few savings accounts, 2 brokerage accounts and 1 MM account, but not sure if those count.
I asked their reps about a credit pull to open a checking account. They said there is no credit pull at all, neither soft nor hard — they only pull ChexSystems, they said. They would only run credit if you were to apply for a loan.