Deal has ended, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here.
Update 7/25/21: Bonus increased to $250. Hat tip to ShawntheShawn
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Availability: North Carolina
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500 combined each month
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Hard pull according to CSR, soft pull acccording to readers
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Up to $500
- Monthly fees: $3-$20
- Early account termination fee: Unknown
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: 9/30/2021
Contents
The Offer
- Open a new First Flight Credit Union checking account and receive a bonus of $200 when you do the following:
- Receive a recurring qualifying direct deposit within 60 days of account opening (minimum of $500 combined each month)
The Fine Print
- Membership eligibility may be required.
- Offer applies to new checking accountholders only.
- In order to receive $200, a qualifying direct deposit must be credited to the checking account within 60 days from account opening.
- Bonus will be deposited into member’s checking account on the first business day following the month the requirements are met.
- A qualified direct deposit must be reoccurring from an employer, pension payment, Social Security payment or other government benefit to be deposited electronically each month totaling a combined total of $500 or more to the checking account.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
I wasn’t able to find the fee schedule.
Basic Checking $3 Monthly Fee
Waived with either of the following:
- Direct deposit
- Loan
Prestige Checking $20 Monthly Fee
Waived with combined share balances of $5,000+
Our Verdict
Bit annoying that a direct deposit or $5,000 is required to keep the account fee free, probably not worth it to be honest. If anybody does sign up though then please share your experiences in the comments below.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- 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
Post history:
- Update 4/18/20: Bonus has been increased from $100 to $200.
Will not distribute 1099 if you earned less than $10.00 interest on account/received less than $600.00 in promotional money. So, most will not receive a 1099 for this bonus.
What a stupid bank. Got an email 3 days later that they closed my account because they did not like my information. lol. Just glad I waited to do direct deposit.
Same thing happened to me and I’m in NC.
Closed my account 3 days after it was opened, cited “it’s for your protection”. Said I could come in branch to open a new one instead. And they couldn’t just freeze the account instead of closing it?Filed with cfpb.
You should file with the NCUA, but CFPB might forward – might not. Unfortunately I don’t think it will get you anywhere… they do get to choose who they keep and who they throw back. They will just have nicer terms for it.
Normally would just move on but judging off my phone call there were a number of inconsistencies that I hope will aid my case. For example they said the reason they closed instead of freezing was bc they can’t freeze after 10 days since opening. I replied that mine had been open for 3 days to which they had no reply to.
They then stated that they were inundated with applications and didn’t have the time to call and ask me to come in branch. To that I replied, if they were so overburdened with applications, then, how could they devote the time to make a well reasoned decision to close for fraud that supersedes the system generated identity verification?
I am aware that they are allowed to cease the relationship with no reason given, however at some point I believe that can’t be actioned literally. For example if Wells Fargo suddenly closed 50% of their accounts today for no reason, I think they’d run into problems.
I have done some research and after reading the outcome of the seacoast bank promo, I’m hoping for a similar result here where I just get a $250 check.
How’d it go?
Was forwarded to NCUA and I have a case # from them. Waiting for a reply.
Received a response but no action will be taken, just encouraged me to visit a branch to apply.
I did tell them later that they pulled my Chex twice, once during auto approval and again during the “manual review” 4 days later. They seemed to take little accountability, and told me to dispute the duplicate inquiry with Chex. I’d advise anyone who applied to pull your Chex report to confirm.
Approved as I live in NC. Pulled initial funding from my CC and sent me all the account opening documents which I digitally signed. Online account showed it was open and funded. First Flight froze my account on the day my first direct deposit was going to hit.
Got an email the next day saying they were closing my account due to “unsatisfactory activity”. I realize these smaller institutions are sometimes a crapshoot, but this is a total cracker jack operation imo.
If you are doing this deal, I’d let the account sit with no activity for a week or two before setting up any DD. These guys apparently get spooked easily.
Was approved. Live in state with high amount of Chex inq.
I was able to open in NC. My initial funding didn’t work and received an email to call them.
Another DP for unable to open – I live like 5 miles from a branch.
Got an unable to verify, but uploaded a copy of license as part of process, had charge to a valid credit card for opening of bank account (that successfully went pending), don’t have any current credit freezes, and have lived at the same address for 10+ years. Unique experience for me in dozens of bank churns.
Applied OOS and application went pending. Received an email the next day letting me know they were unable to verify my identity and invited me to come in branch to apply. I received the same response a year ago when applying OOS.
Thank you for your interest in First Flight Federal Credit Union. Due to fraudulent activity related to your profile we are unable to open an account for you at this time
First Flight Federal Credit Union
Operations Department
I assume this is their way of saying you are too bank slutty and nobody could possibly want that many accounts at different banks, but is that the case? Guessing they mean Chex credit file vice “profile”. What’s your Chex numbers look like?
I would like to apply for this, but I have a feeling I would be denied. Too many factors stacked against it., esp OOS.
Chex at least 10+ enq this yr.
Looks like they allow active/retired Military and Govt employees to join. Svy Jason_08
No, they actually don’t. I qualify under this and they wouldn’t let me join. I opened an account last year and a few days later they closed it saying I don’t live in the area.
Thanks for the DP. Not nice they did that… because it’s clearly the first option on the application.
I had a similar thing happen with Kessler. The terms were clear, yet denied. For a short period of time, latwrbKessler opened up membership nationwide, and I got in then. Like you, I don’t deal well with rejection. 😉