[Expired] [NY, NJ, PA, MA, MD, or FL] Five Star Bank $300 Checking Bonus

Deal has ended, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here.

Update 8/2/22: $300 deal is back and available in NY, NJ, PA, MA, MD, or FL and online. Hat tip to ShawntheShawn

Update 11/19/21: Deal is back and valid until 12/31/2021

Update 9/1/21: Extended until 09/30/2021.

Update 2/19/21: Deal is now $100 and $300 instead of $150 and $250. Looks like you can open online as well. Hat tip to reader Rachel.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $300
• Availability: NY, NJ, PA, MA, MD, or FL [Branch locations]
• Direct deposit required: Yes, no minimum specified
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Unknown
• Credit card funding: None, at least in branch. Possibly up to $4,000 online
• Monthly fees: $5-$22, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: 180 days, bonus forfeit plus $35 fee
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: April 30th, 2018 June 30th, 2018 for $250 bonus or December 31st, 2018 for $150 bonus December 31st, 2018 December 31st, 2019 May 31st, 2019 November 15th, 2019 August 31, 2020 November 30, 2020 December 31, 2020 May 31, 2021. August 31, 2021

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Five Star Bank has two checking bonuses currently available. Both bonuses require you to establish a direct deposit into your account within 60 days from the last day of month the account was opened
  • 300 bonus when you open a Premier Checking account using promo code MTG
  • $100 bonus when you open any consumer checking account

The Fine Print

• To receive the $300.00 Premier Checking account (NOW account) bonus, you must open a Premier Checking by 12/31/2022.
• In addition, to receive the $300.00 bonus, you must establish a direct deposit into your account within 60 days from the last day of month the account was opened.
• The bonus will be deposited into this checking or NOW account within 90 days from the last day of the month the account was opened.
• A $25.00 minimum deposit is required to open a Premier Checking account.
• Offers not available to existing Five Star Bank consumer checking or NOW account holders, or those who have closed a Five Star Bank consumer checking or NOW account within 12 months or have an outstanding negative balance on a previously closed Five Star Bank consumer checking or NOW account.

Avoiding Fees

Early Account Termination Fee

Account needs to be kept open for 179 days otherwise the bonus is forfeit a $35 early account closeout fee is charged. If you zero out the account after receiving the bonus they will close it after two weeks and you’ll keep the bonus though according to this comment.

E-Checking Account $5 Monthly Fee ($150 Bonus)

This is the easiest account to keep fee free for the $150 bonus. It has a $5 monthly fee, but that is waived as long as you enroll in eStatements.

Premier Checking $22 Monthly Fee ($300 Bonus)

This is the account required for the $300 bonus. It has a $22 monthly fee, this is waived when you do either of the following:

• A combined total consumer deposit accounts and/or loan balances of $25,000 or more at the end of the activity period OR
• Direct deposits totaling at least $5,000 into the account during the activity period

Our Verdict

It’s difficult to keep the account fee free. The bonus will post after only 90 days though, so it might just be worth paying the monthly fee for those who can’t do a $5,000 direct deposit. We will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.

Big thanks to reader, elegua who let us know. 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: 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

Post history:

• Update 12/2/20: Extended until December 31, 2020
• Update 8/9/20: Deal is back up to $150/$250 and can be opened online.
• Update 11/16/19: Extended until December 31st, 2019.
• Update 9/15/19: Deal is back but back down to $100/$200, better to wait for the $150/$250 deal to return. Hat tip to Dan LBR
• Update 2/24/19: Deal is now back to $150/$250. Hat tip to reader EW
• Update 1/5/2019: AAA account no longer available.
• Update 10/23/18: AAA customers can get $150 again. Account can also be opened online.
• Bonus has been reduced to $100/$200 from $150/$250. I’d wait for the higher bonus to come back.