[Expired] [OR, WA only] Columbia Credit Union $250 Checking Bonus

Deal has expired, view more checking bonuses by clicking here

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $250
• Availability: Must Live or work in Washington State or the Oregon community of Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah or Washington Counties [Branch locator]
• Direct deposit required:  Yes, $500+
• Additional requirements: eStatements and 15 debit card purchases
• Hard/soft pull: Soft. Now a report of a hard pull. Seems to be soft in branch and hard online.
• ChexSystems: Unknown
• Credit card funding: Fund up to $2,500 with a credit card
• Monthly fees: None
• Early account termination fee: None listed
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: October 31st, 2019

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Columbia Credit Union is offering a bonus of $250 when you open a new income checking account when you meet the following requirements by November 30th, 2019:
  • Enroll in e-statements
  • Have a direct deposit of at least $500
  • Make at least 15 purchases between your Income Checking debit card and Columbia CU credit card
• If you meet these requirements you’ll also earn 2.5% APY on the account on balances up to $25,000

The Fine Print

• $250 account opening bonus.
• Open a Columbia Credit Union Income Checking account from October 1 – 31, 2019.
• To be eligible for cash bonus, this must be your first Columbia CU consumer checking account and you must meet all Income Checking monthly requirements listed above by November 30, 2019. 1099-INT will be issued to the IRS as interest paid.
• If requirements are met, $250 bonus will be deposited into your Income Checking account prior to December 31, 2019.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

This account has no monthly fees to worry about

Early Account Termination Fee

I wasn’t able to find an early account termination fee in the fee schedule.

Our Verdict

Probably only worth doing in branch, due to the online hard pull. But if you open in branch you won’t be able to do the credit card funding I don’t think, so that’s worth keeping in mind. I’ll be adding this to our list of the best checking bonuses though as it’s a relatively big bonus and not that difficult to meet the requirements.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

• A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
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• 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?
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