Deal has expired, view the best current checking bonuses here.
Update 8/26/18: Similar offer is back through August 28th, and available online with promo code: SUMMER18. This time it’s for $200 cash instead of an Amazon gift card, and you’ll get a 1099 for it. (HT: MP)
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Ā $200 Amazon gift card
- Availability:Ā NJ/NY
- Direct deposit required:Ā Yes, $700+
- dditional requirements:Ā Use promo code AMAZON
- Hard/soft pull:Ā Unknown
- ChexSystems:Ā Unknown
- Credit card funding:Ā None
- Monthly fees:Ā $6 avoidable
- Early account termination fee:Ā $200, six months
- Household limit:Ā One
- Expiration date:Ā
March 31st, 2018August 28th, 2018
The Offer
- Lakeland Bank is offering a $200 Amazon gift card when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Use promo code AMAZON
- Require direct deposits totaling $700 or more within 45 days of account opening
The Fine Print
- Offer valid on new consumer checking accounts opened through March 31, 2018.
- Excludes Renewal Checking.
- Not available to existing Lakeland Bank checking account customers or those whose accounts have been closed in good standing within 12 months, or closed with a negative balance at any time.
- Offer not available for account conversions.
- Offer limited to one gift card per account, per household; requires qualifying direct deposit(s) totaling $700.00 or more into account within 45 days of account opening.
- A qualifying direct deposit is a recurring direct deposit of a paycheck, pension or other regular monthly income (including Social Security) electronically deposited into account per statement cycle.
- Personal transfers or deposits made at a branch, online or ATM do not qualify.
- Lakeland Bank will fulfill gift card requirement within 45 days of qualification.
- The value of the gift will be reported to the IRS on form 1099-INT.
- If the account is closed within six (6) months of account opening and the gift card was received, the value of the gift card will be deducted from the account.
- Offer may be withdrawn or changed at any time without notice.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Classic checking is the easiest account to keep fee free. There is a $6 monthly fee that is waived with an average daily balance of $250. You need to keep the account open for six months otherwise they will deduct $200 from your account.
Our Verdict
They had the same offer previously, but that required opening at their branch at Highland Mills. This looks like it can be opened online. Need to know if it’s a hard or soft pull to open. If it’s a soft pull then it looks like a good deal and I’d recommend completing it. Please share your experiences in the comments. I won’t add this to our list of the best checking bonuses until we know more.
Big thanksĀ to reader, Chris L who let us know.Ā Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.
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: Donāt Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Donāt 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 ā We Wonāt 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
Just got this one!
DP:
8/29/18 $250 open deposit from Chase
9/25/18 real payroll Deposit $700
10/31/18 $200 bonus cash posted
Select zip-codes only apparently. In NJ and my zipcode did not qualify.
Trying this from New York. Will post results.
Let us know if it goes hard or soft pull please and good luck.
this doesn’t seem to work for ny zip codes…
I originally submitted application on day before offer expired. Had trouble with online application. Talked it through with customer service. They said problem was on their end, to try online application again (this is a couple of days past the expiration date at this point). This time it worked and CS said the promo code was attached to application. Good CS!
I visited two branches in NJ. Neither one had the $200 promo or knew anything about it.
It’s an online promo.
FYI, I zeroed out my Lakeland balance on 8/14 (by pulling all the money via Wells Fargo) and the bank automatically closed my account on 8/21 before I called to close the account.
Thanks, added dp
Looks like offer changed for better https://www.lakelandbank.com/27682/
Still no gift card here either.
01/27 Account Opened
02/23 $350 Employer DD
03/09 $350 Employer DD
45 days later was 4/23. I called customer service on 5/2 and the rep tried to tell me I didn’t meet the requirement. I asked him how did I not meet the requirement. He put me on hold for a few minutes (I guess he checked with a supervisor) and then came back to say the Amazon gift card code would be emailed to me. I didn’t get it right away so I called customer service the next day and they said it would arrive via email in 3-5 days. Now I’m checking my email constantly, scared I’m going to miss it. (I hate that it’s an email, and I hate when reps act like our bonus money is coming out of their pocket!) I fully expect to have to call them again when the email doesn’t show up….
OMG, I just got my gift card email! This morning I called customer service to say 6 days had elapsed since I called on 5/2 (when the rep said it would be emailed to me). Of course I didn’t have the name of the person I spoke with last week. Today’s rep “Linda” checked and said that last week I spoke with “Andrew” and she transferred me to him. Andrew asked whether I had looked in my Spam/Junk folders and I said yes. So he said he would check with the marketing department and call me back. He called me back to confirm my email address (which was correct) and said they would resend the code within an hour, which they did!
It arrived in my Inbox with the subject line: Lakeland Bank sent you an Amazon.com Gift Card!
Sender was “Amazon.com Gift Card”
Message says: Thank you for opening your account at Lakeland Bank and we hope you enjoy the gift card. (Followed by the code and redemption links)
Now that I see what the email looks like, I know it definitely didn’t arrive before today, because I was searching my email folders for “Lakeland” and “Amazon” with no success. Maybe the marketing department had an issue with the original mailing(s) and that’s why people didn’t get their email yet.
Good luck to everyone else who didn’t get their gift card yet….
PS. The sender’s actual email address was: [email protected]
Ok so today I called them and inquired as to the status of the bonus. Rep took info down and contacted me later stating they declined the promo due to not meeting the direct deposit requirement.
01/09 Account Opened
01/19 $200 Employer DD
02/02 $500 Employer DD
I then cancelled my direct deposit because I thought I satisfied the requirement of $700 DD within 45 days of opening.
Rep told me that next sentence states ” A qualifying direct deposit is a recurring direct deposit of a paycheck, pension or other regular monthly income (including Social Security) electronically deposited into account per statement cycle.”
I took a screenshot of the promotional page and it does state that verbatim. Not sure if to use CFPB. Never have but feel like that is some BS haha. My first 2 statements show direct deposit and just about covers the time frame. What do you guys think?
John, I’m no expert because I didn’t get my gift card yet (see separate post) but I think they need to give you a better explanation of why they think your direct deposits didn’t meet the requirement. I would suggest contacting the branch where you opened the account to get someone there to escalate the inquiry on your behalf, i.e. for the personal touch. If you opened online, then you could try calling your nearest branch. In my case when I called, the rep on the phone initially said I didn’t meet the requirements but he couldn’t tell me why, and when I pressed for details, he said the gift card code would be sent to me via email. (I didn’t get it yet so he may have been lying to me.) This bank is looking pretty shady.
Thank you Dave for your informative experience. My rep also escalated to a “supervisor” who unfortunately relayed all info through the rep. He was nice although he couldn’t assist me.
I will attempt to contact them again and press the issue. Your situation appears extremely similar to mine. I hope you receive your gift card. Good luck!
Any update? Anyone received their gift card?
12/28 – Opened
1/12 – $800 DD
1/22 – $5 Bonus for having eStatements (lol)
Still waiting on the gift card
Has anyone received their GC yet? Thanks.