Update 3/16/24: Bonus is back and $400 this time.
Update 9/23/23: Deal is back and $300 this time.
Update 9/19/20: Bonus is back, but bonus reduced to $200 (from $250). Hat tip to reader Maria
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $300
- Availability:Â Â Must live or work in the State of New Jersey
- Direct deposit required:Â Yes, $1,000
- Additional requirements:Â 10 debit card purchases
- Hard/soft pull:Â Soft pull
- ChexSystems:Â Unknown
- Credit card funding:Â Up to $1,000
- Monthly fees:Â $9, avoidable
- Early account termination fee:Â Account must be opened at time of bonus posting
- Household limit:Â None listed
- Expiration date:Â None
Contents
The Offer
- Open a new Columbia bank cash back checking and receive a bonus of $300 when you complete the following requirements:
- $300 for receiving a qualifying direct deposit of at least $1,000 within 60 days of account opening
- $100 for 10 debit card purchases within 60 days of account opening
The Fine Print
- You are permitted to receive only one of each of these bonuses irrespective of the number or type of checking accounts you open.
- To receive any of the aforementioned bonuses, the account must still be open at the time we are ready to credit the funds (within 60 days of qualifying) and at all times the account was in good standing.
- If you have ever received a new account opening bonus in the past, you are not eligible for either of the cash bonuses even if you open a new Advantage Plus Checking Account.
If you have received a cash and/or subscription bonus associated with a Yield Plus and/or Advantage Plus checking account within the 365 days preceding the opening of this new checking account, you are not eligible for either of these cash bonuses. Doesn’t look like this is still there and readers report being able to get bonuses more often than that.- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
$9 Monthly Fee
Maintain a $500 minimum balance or transact 10 POS debit card transactions (not including ATM withdrawals) to avoid a monthly service fee. This fee is waived if you’re under 22 or under.
Early Account Termination Fee
Account must be open at the time of bonus posting
Our Verdict
Best bonus they have offered in the past has been $500 so this isn’t as good as that. Might still be worth doing for those that missed out on that bigger deal. Because of those factors this is going in our best checking promotions list.
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 1/4/20: Bonus has been extended and you can now fund with a credit card up to $1,000.
- Update 8/26/19: Bonus is back but has been reduced to $250 (from $300)
- Update 1/26/19: Deal is back. Hat tip to reader Fly.
- Bonus has been improved and you now get $200 for a direct deposit. Still not as good as the $500 bonus they have previously offered.
Does anyone know if Cash App reloads work?
This post has to be fixed. It’s NJ NY and PA and the bonus is as high as $800, though it’s only worth it up to $600.
https://www.columbiabankonline.com/personal-banking/personal-checking/build-your-bonus
Has anyone been approved recently? Applied several days ago, still pending
Update: Declined
Are you in NJ or OOS?
NJ
No go on Chex after 48hrs. How long back do these banks look at chex reports for account openings
“Thank you for your interest in Columbia Bank. Unfortunately, we are unable to submit your application online, but may be able to further assist you in branch. Please schedule an appointment or visit one of our nearby branches to further discuss opening an account.“
same lol
In state, applied online Saturday, notified by email Monday of denial due to Chex.
Could you share your chex stat, e.g. how many in 12 months?
Applied today, I’m in state. Application went pending, said up to 72 hours. Did anyone get instantly approved? Or how long after did you get a decision?
Been waiting since the 16th, same situation
Update: denied due to Chex, says to come in person to branch to open
I applied to their checking account bonus from six months ago, however, I was denied because of Chex. I’m wondering, should I apply again online or try an in branch visit? I see that someone OOS got denied, however, I live in state.
get up to $800
They took a picture of my ID, they made me create a annoying password, they made me put in a cc number to fund the account, only to tell me my application is denied???