[LA, MS, FL, AL, TX] Hancock Whitney Bank $600 Checking & Savings Bonus

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $600
  • Availability: LA, MS, FL, AL, TX
  • Direct deposit required: Yes, $300+
  • Additional requirements: None
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft
  • ChexSystems: No
  • Credit card funding: None
  • Monthly fees: $12, avoidable
  • Early account termination fee: $20, 180 days (bonus forfeit)
  • Household limit: Limit of one consumer checking-related bonus per household every 2 calendar years. (this is enforced),
  • Expiration date: 10/31/2025

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Hancock Whitney Bank is offering a bonus of up to $600. Bonus is broken down as follows:
    • $300 cash bonus when you open a Freestyle Checking account and set up $500 or more in monthly direct deposits
    • $100 cash bonus when you open a Freestyle Savings account and deposit $5,000 or more by 11/30/25 and maintain until 2/28/26
    • $200 extra cash bonus when you open both and meet all requirements

The Fine Print

  • Use the promo code referenced above when opening your new checking account with money not currently on deposit at Hancock Whitney Bank by the offer expiration date of 10/31/2025. Set up and receive qualifying direct deposits totaling at least $500 each month by 12/31/2025. Your account and direct deposits must remain open and active during the entire promotional period which includes up to when the bonus is paid by 2/28/2026. If you meet all requirements, we will deposit the earned bonus into your new personal checking account by 2/28/2026.

     

  • Offer available to new Hancock Whitney checking clients 18 years of age or older. This includes new to bank clients and existing Hancock Whitney clients who currently do not have a checking account, or have not recently closed a checking account in the past 90 days, or did not have a checking account closed with a negative balance in the past 3 years.
  • A qualifying direct deposit is a recurring electronic deposit, including a salary, pension, Social Security, other government benefit or other recurring, monthly income amount, made by your employer or outside agency. Account transfers, mobile deposits, payments from Zelle, PayPal, Cash App or other similar providers, tax refunds or deposit made at a branch or ATM are not qualifying direct deposits.
  • Important details and required qualifying activities for the $100 Freestyle Savings Offer: Use the promo code referenced above when opening your new Freestyle Savings account by the offer expiration date of 10/31/2025. You must deposit $5,000 or more into your Freestyle Savings account by 11/30/2025. Your account must remain open and active and you must maintain a minimum daily balance of $5,000 or more during the entire promotional period which includes up to when the bonus is paid by 2/28/2026. If requirements are met, we will deposit the earned bonus into your new Freestyle Savings account by 2/28/2026.
  • 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 a $12 monthly fee. This is waived if you do any of the following:

  • primary account holder under 18 or age 64 and over or
  • make one or more client-initiated debit or credit transactions per statement cycle to waive the service charge.

Early Account Termination Fee

$20 fee is charged for each account if the account is closed within 180 days. Looks like you might also forfeit the bonus.

Our Verdict

Previously this was only $200 for the checking bonus or a $500 bonus that was more difficult to keep fee free. I think this $300 + $100 + $200 bonus is all worth doing. The hold period for the savings bonus is 90 days and works out to be 8% APY. We will add this to our best bank bonus page. 

Hat tip to reader Scooter

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    William Charles
  • On September 1, 2025, 10:00
Tags: al bank bonusesdirect deposit requiredfl bank bonusesla bank bonusesms bank bonusesno credit card fundingsoft pulltx bank bonuses

View Comments (75)

  • Did they terms change on this since it was originally posted a few days ago? My savings terms are only showing $500 required, not $5,000

    Important details and required qualifying activities for the $100 Freestyle Savings Offer: Use the promo code referenced above when opening your new Freestyle Savings account by the offer expiration date of 10/31/2025. You must deposit $500 or more into your Freestyle Savings account by 11/30/2025. Your account must remain open and active and you must maintain a minimum daily balance of $500 or more during the entire promotional period which includes up to when the bonus is paid by 2/28/2026. If requirements are met, we will deposit the earned bonus into your new Freestyle Savings account by 2/28/2026.

    • Did you get a separate email with the bonus terms after account opening? Or is this info pulled from the emailed promo code disclaimer? Just checking for my reference. Thanks!

    • So the email that I got with the promo code shows $5,000 for the savings, but the terms in the account creation page only show $500. I'm not overly interested in doing the savings for $5000, but I wonder if they would play ball with doing it anyways with $500 and saving a screen print of the terms...

      • The least restrictive terms apply, so they are bound to honor the $500 terms. Also, the terms in your account opening disclosures should hold more weight anyways. There would be a PDF to download during account opening, so you don’t need to screenshot.

  • make one or more client-initiated debit or credit transactions per statement cycle to waive the service charge. how can we do this? Thank you.

    • I take that as one transaction. Debt card transactions, ach in/out, atm withdrawal, bill pay ect.

      FYI
      I believe I was charged a $20 fee upon opening but it hasn't shown up. My opening deposit of $25 was only $5.(-$20 was initial balance.

      • I am pretty sure this is the Early Termination Fee, which will not become available for withdrawal until the account reaches 180 days old.

  • So opened both online no overdraft. Did minimum deposits $25 each. Immediately savings -$20 in savings. I forgot how they are with fees. I can't find what the $20 was exactly for. I will call if and when once everything posts. Last time I opened in branch and if I remember correct they called the in branch for approval to get fee waived for missing first months DD so I'll see this time.

    Maybe a word to wise, sign up for overdraft or do $250 opening deposit for savings to try to waive all fees. IDK though for now.

    • I am pretty sure this is the Early Termination Fee, which will not become available for withdrawal until the account reaches 180 days old.

  • Surprised to be approved. Check LOL/24. Last applied (and denied) June 2024. Got approved today. DFW area, TX.

  • Must each direct deposit be > $500? Or does that refer to the monthly total of direct deposits. Being retired, our only direct deposits other than SS are small pensions of ~$325 each. That's < $500 each but > $500 month. Can I qualify?

    I'm not willing to mess with my SS direct deposits. That's slow and, considering recent changes in the federal work force, risky.

  • Seems like it makes sense to sign up right at the expiration of the offer as it makes the DD requirement shorter?

  • Wow approved online I was fully expecting to be pulled into branch for this one. Did once before in 2021 and had to go into branch. In state nothing frozen.

    Wasn't able to screenshot anything but a vague "your promo code has been applied" screen. I prefer something with full promocode.

    Sofi didn't work for opening deposit needed to use chase personal which I wanted to try to spoof with any other banks anyone knows of that spoof DD. I can use real DD

    Also what is a "client-initiated debit or credit transactions per statement cycle". I assume DD or is a transfer in/out apply for this?

    • DDs work to waive the MF. PayPal balance loads from the debit card also worked in the past. Here’s my DP from last year: #1940024

    • "client-initiated debit or credit transactions....." just means using the debit card at least once per statement for example.

      I would just often by a pack of gum at Walmart once a month back when I had my account. It's possible a PayPal or Cash App balance load might even trigger it.

  • Visited branch and applied with OOS DL, got approved with no issues. One thing I didn't realize, thr promo code i got I used the correct email but realize I input the wrong zip code. Didnt see anything in the fine print about that having to match, only the email. Anyone have experience otherwise tho?

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