Deal has ended, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here.
Update 3/15/25: Extended to 04/15/2025
Update 2/5/25: Extended to 2/28/2025
Update 1/1/25: Extended to 1/31/25.
Update 12/1/24: Extended to 12/31/2024
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $300
- Availability:Must live, work or worship in select MO & KS counties:
- MO: Clay, Jackson, Platte, St. Louis
- KS:Â Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miamia, Shawnee, Wyandotte
- Direct deposit required:Â Yes, two direct deposits that total $2,500+
- Additional requirements:Â See below
- Hard/soft pull:Â Hard pull
- ChexSystems:Â Unknown
- Credit card funding:Â At least $1,000
- Monthly fees:Â None
- Early account termination fee:Â None
- Household limit:Â None listed
- Expiration date:Â 11/30/2024
Contents
The Offer
- CommunityAmerica Credit Union is offering a $300 bonus when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements within 90 days of account opening:
- enroll in CommunityAmerica online banking or the CommunityAmerica Mobile App
- complete two or more direct deposits that total at least $2,500
The Fine Print
- To receive the $300 credit for a new checking account, you must meet CommunityAmerica Credit Union membership eligibility requirements and (1) Open a new Cashback Free Checking or Chiefs Checking account, which is subject to credit approval, through 11/30/2024 (members with existing Cashback Free Checking or Chiefs Checking accounts or with Cashback Free Checking or Chiefs Checking accounts that have closed within the past six months do not qualify), and within 90 days of account opening, (2) enroll in CommunityAmerica online banking or the CommunityAmerica Mobile App, and (3) complete two or more direct deposits that total at least $2,500.
- The direct deposits need to be electronic deposits of your paycheck, pension or government benefits from your employer or the government.
- Person to person payments (such as Zelle) are not considered direct deposits.
- Within 30 days of meeting qualification requirements, your $300 credit will be posted into the primary account owner’s membership savings account.
- The account must be open and in good standing at the time of payout to qualify for the credit.
- Examples of ineligible accounts may include: delinquent accounts, accounts that have caused the credit union to experience a loss, accounts in which we suspect illegal activity, fraud, scam or financial exploitation, or accounts involved in legal or administrative proceedings.
- Limit one $300 credit per account and per member.
- Offer subject to change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.
- The credit may be reported as income on IRS Form 1099-MISC.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
Free checking has no monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
I don’t see any early account termination fee mentioned.
Our Verdict
Better than the previous $200 bonus that was offered. Main downside for this bonus is the hard pull, but given how it’s difficult to get too many credit cards now I don’t think number of hard pulls matters as much anymore for most people. We will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
Hat tip to reader Jesse
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
this looks to have ended 4/15/25
Has anyone received this bonus recently? I am opened a checking account early April, met DD requirement in early May but no bonus yet. I am churning and in my previous experiences the bonus paid out very quickly after meeting the requirements.
Update: bonus posted on 5/20 to my Membership Savings account.
Anyone else have experience with whether this is for sure a hard pull?
I remember last year reading another dp here and myself applying and not getting one. Im 95% sure they did away with HP a year or two ago
Called and rep confirmed this is a soft pull now
Question for all: Did you get an error saying you had to try on the main website or to call because it identifies you as an existing member? I had done this bonus last year. Had them close it. I even tried saying I was a member and resetting my password but the temp password they send wont work.
Eric 🔗
Spacebarzzz
Lefty
I won’t be of any help with your question as I’ve never applied for an account with this FI. 😉
I haven’t had that issue and have churned multiple times. Will be doing the next churn in the next month and will let you know what happens then.
Any update @lefty
Yep, I’m getting same thing. I start the app from the link, then says “Existing Member.” Need to apply for membership from (main website). So, I click on “Join,” and then try to fill out app, and get same thing. I just tried logging into my account, and utilized Forgot Password. The temp password also didn’t work. Sounds like I’m in same boat as you. Let me know if you end up calling to find out. Kind of a lot of hassle calling these places, so I might just skip it.
Think my comment got deleted. I had the same exact issue, and pretty sure I Closed out my account early last year (well before the 6 month thing they mentioned).
Found out today there was an open document thing in their system from my last acct. They deleted it and told me I should be able to apply. This was the error that popped up saying I was already a member
Sorry didn’t see this until now. Did you get it figured out and apply again and it work or no?
$300 Checking + $200 Investing Offer
https://www.communityamerica.com/personal/bank/accounts/checking/checking-guided-bundle
“Simplify your finances, earn rewards, and put yourself on a path to thrive. With up to $500 in bonuses, you can streamline your finances with a smarter way to manage your money. Choose to open either a Chiefs Checking or Cashback Free Checking account to earn $300, and add a new Guided Investing account to earn an additional $200!”
“..you must meet CommunityAmerica Credit Union membership eligibility requirements..”
“We even have options for folks who might not fit the geographical criteria.” 😉
https://www.communityamerica.com/why-communityamerica/become-a-member
Offer between 01/21/2025 and 04/15/2025
Struggling to sign up because it says I’m an existing member. So I have to call? I did do this a year ago but ensured it had been past a year and my account was closed obviously. Any tips?
I have the same issue. Didn’t want to mess with calling, but someone else above had similar as well.
The 200 investment bonus is offered to any member and doesn’t have to be done at acct opening. I did the investment offer a couple weeks after i opened the acct.
I kept a savings account with them with $1 in it last year. Just signed up for a new checking account and they also had a $200 invest bonus for investing $1000 for 90 days. FYI for those who choose to the investment bonus, it takes quite a while (about 2 weeks) for it to pull from the account and fund the investments. I tried to make it pretty conservative as I dont plan on keeping it in there for long. Super nice customer service reps too with this bank.
It is their guided investment acct only tho, I chose the most conservative (wanted all bonds personally) and it’s 50% bonds just FYI.
$1k credit card funding available. Did it with Venture X coded as purchase
Also- you can open additional accounts easily after your first one is open and fund them with credit cards.
Updated, thanks
400, now.
Where do you see $400?
I click on the link above and it takes me to the $400 offer. Maybe it’s regional.
Can you send a link? I don’t see any mention of a $300 or $400 bonus in the link above from DoC’s “direct link to offer.”
Probably it’s regional. Takes me right to it.
Must be. I live in Johnson County, KS and neither offer shows up.
400 for st louis only i believe.
Does anyone know how you can tell if a deposit was categorized as a “direct deposit”?
11/19/24 Opened checking account.
1/3/25 $2000+ Social Security DD.
2/3/25 $2000+ Social Security DD.
2/11/25 $300 bonus deposited to Savings account.
Has anyone received a 1099 for the bonus?
Yes, I know I need to claim on my taxes regardless, I’m just wondering if CACU issues. I’ve messaged them with no response.
I’m doing my taxes and I don’t see a 1099 from them. What’s even stranger, the bonuses I received in August and October are not listed under “interest”. I guess I better list them on my tax return to be safe but I don’t get why Community America isn’t showing the bonuses as interest like every other bank and credit union I’ve received bonuses from. Weird.
Some issue 1099 MISC instead. Axos, for example. And then you need to report it on a different tax form. I think, MISC actually makes much more sense then INT for bonuses.