Offer at a glance
- Interest Rate: 14% APY
- Minimum Balance: None
- Maximum Balance: $15,000
- Availability: OH only
- Direct deposit required: Yes
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Yes
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees: None
- Insured: FDIC
The Offer
- Buckeye State Bank is offering 14% APY on balances up to $15,000 until November 30, 2025.
- Complete 12 debit card swipes per month
- Enroll in e-Statements
- Sign up for monthly direct deposits
The Fine Print
- Direct Deposits are required every month until November 30, 2025, the promotional period, to receive the promotional APY. Enrollment in electronic services (e.g. online or mobile banking, electronic statements, and log-ons) is required to meet some of the account’s qualifications.
- Enrollment in mobile banking and receipt of electronic statements may be a condition(s) of this account.
- Limit 1 account per primary account holder’s social security number.
- A $30 early closing fee applies if account is closed prior to 180 days of account opening. C
- ontact one of our member service specialists for additional information, details, restrictions, processing limitations and enrollment instructions.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
This account has no monthly fees
Our Verdict
This is really a bank account bonus rather than an increased rate. You’d earn $525 during this three month period. We will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
Hat tip to reader Scott S
Any DD idea?
Denied. Chex sensitive. Banker called me and said they were a small bank and couldn’t risk me with all my inquiries. 🤷♂️ I mean they were about to pay me and get dropped so I suppose that’s fair. But they must go back pretty far because I haven’t had any inquiries for a year.
The terms state you get the 14% interest “if qualifications are met during each monthly qualification cycle.” They go on to say “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning the first day of the month through the last day of the month.” To earn the 14% interest, does anyone know if you have to make the direct deposits and 12 debit card purchases in August, or not until September? If I open now it will be hard to meet the qualifications by 8/31 for August, but the terms aren’t clear to me.
Terms say the promotional period is 90 days from account opening (but not beyond the end of November), so that’s the period we have to earn the 14%. Clock starts when the account is opened, so those that have not opened an account yet might want to consider when to open so as to not miss out on earning the 14% for some portion of the first 90 days from account opening. I recommend funding fully immediately for that same reason. You quoted the definition of Monthly Qualification Cycle correctly, so I do assume that means for example August 1 thru August 31. I noticed the terms don’t specify any required Direct Deposit amount, just that there be one in each Monthly Qualification Cycle. Banker told me they were already preparing debit card to be sent (gave the the last 4 numbers of the card already), and said activation instructions along with how to set pin would be included, so don’t need to wait for a separate pin mailer. Routing number isn’t visible via online banking, but I called the bank and confirmed that 044109417 is the correct routing number. Debit card purchases must be fully posted by the last day of the Monthly Qualification Cycle, so be sure to do those several days before the end of the cycle.
At this point 20 days remain in August. That should be enough time for me to receive a debit card and make 12 transactions (bananas or something else), plus one DD. Since account number was provided immediately, and routing number is known, and I can see the account via online banking on the same day it opened, that gives me enough time to get a DD done in August, but that may not be true for some others. I don’t see any data points yet on DOC about what might work to simulate a DD.
Applied 08/07 and received a call later to verify few details and got Approved. Funded $15K from Chase Freedom Unlimited, so essentially getting 22500 easy UR points. My available credit limit reduced, so it coded as a Purchase. Didn’t try with Amex, since there was a DP of AMEX getting declined so didn’t took any chances.
Same for me. After call from banker (applied Sunday, banker called at 9:30 Monday morning), banker quickly prepared and sent Docusign to me, I think my charge alert from Chase came in even before I returned the Docusign! I checked, and same as sparky the credit limit on my Chase Freedom Unlimited dropped by $15k, that’s far more than my cash advance limit on that card so looks like a purchase. I registered immediately for online banking and my account balance is zero, so perhaps they won’t show a balance until the charge completes posting at Chase.
During phone call the banker asked only a few basic questions when reviewing my submitted application. One of those was to confirm my actual address matched what was shown on my application – it does, it is in Ohio, and it matches my Ohio drivers license submitted as an attachment to the application. So yes, this was an in-state application. Their approval process was very fast, about 30 minutes from when the banker called to when I registered for online banking, and that included the time for me to complete the Docusign package. A very positive experience.
Not sure what my Chex score is, but I’m sure it looks pretty bad, didn’t seem to be an issue.
Later same day as opening day, BSB alert tripped for a credit to my account, I logged in and my balance now shows as $15k. Awesome, can start earning that 14% on the very first of my 90 days since account opening. $15k charge on Freedom Unlimited card still shows as Pending on Chase site.
Just got a phone call from the bank, said the 15k charge on credit card will be reversed. We have to use ACH for the funding.
Did you receive a phone call about CC funding being reversed? I never saw a pending charge and the CSR called me a couple days later to tell me that I had to fund via ACH. However, he did state that he would try to put the charge through. Still no charge pending and haven’t heard back.
NO OOS, must live in OH. Chex pull – yes. No Hard Credit pull. Application went pending, got an email 4 hours later – must live in OH to open account.
Thanks, added these DP
Applied 8/7 and tried funding 15k with Amex BBP. Received a call from banker ~1.5 hours after submitting to confirm details(SSN, DOB, etc).
Banker tried to run transaction but Amex rejected. I didn’t have another card handy that could be run as 15k, so I had banker run 9.5k on Chase Freedom. It went through on her end and is showing pending on Chase app. Cash advance is set to 2k, so assume this will post as a purchase.
Appears that it is possible to fund with CC for up to 15k. Chase works, but not Amex.
Banker also stated 4% after initial period only required 12 debits.
The information you got about not needing a direct deposit to get the 4% interest rate after the Promotional Period does not appear to agree with the written terms which show a direct deposit as a requirement. The T&Cs have a section specific to the time frame that follows the Promotional Period. I’ll paste it below, you decide what to do. My conclusion is that a direct deposit is required.
After the Promotional Period ending November 30, 2025:
*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 08/1/2025, if qualifications are met during each monthly qualification cycle: (1)domestic ATM fees incurred during the qualification cycle will be reimbursed and credited to the account on the first business day of the next monthly cycle; Refunds on ATM fees over $5.00 may require proof of fee incurred; (2) balances up to $15,000 receive APY of 4.00% and (3) balances over $15,000 earn 1.00% on portion of balance over $15,000. If qualifications are not met, all balances earn 0.02% APY. For example, if qualifications are met on a balance of $115,000 you will earn up to 4% APY on the first $15,000, then you will earn up to 1% APY on the remaining $100,000. There are no minimum balance requirements for this account. There is a minimum deposit of $50 to open the account. Qualification criteria includes agreement to receive e-statements, direct deposit and completing 12 qualified debit card transactions. Qualifying transactions post to and settle to account during monthly qualification cycle. Transactions may take one or more business days from the date transaction was made to post and settle to the account. ATM processed transactions do not count toward qualifying debit card transactions. Transfers between accounts do not count as qualifying transactions. “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning the first day of the month through the last day of the month. Rates and rewards are variable and may change after account is opened. Fees may reduce earnings.
Ginger on landing page gets automatic upvote from me.
plus the bonus and i take back everything i’ve ever said about ohio
Worth noting: After the 90d promo period, the rate is 4.00% APY on max $15k if you continue with qualifying activities (debit card use, DD, estmts).
Why 14%? They’re celebrating 140th anniversary. https://www.joinbsb.com/about-us/buckeye-state-bank-celebrates-140-years/