[Expired] SunTrust $300 InStore Branch Checking Promotion

This offer has now expired. But there is a $100/$200 SunTrust promotion which has even better terms. Alternatively you can check out our massive list of other bonuses.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $300
• Availability: InStore branches only, not at all locations. [Branch locator]
• Direct deposit required: Yes
• Additional requirements: Keep direct deposit going until April 30th, 2015 for $150 of the bonus
• Hard/soft pull: Soft 
• Credit card funding: Up to $1,000 (note, you probably won’t be able to use a credit card to fund this account in store)
• Monthly fees: $7, waivable with direct deposit of $100 or more or minimum daily balance of $500 or more
• Early account termination fee: None, account must be open to receive bonus
• Expiration date: Account must be opened by November 16th, 2014 at a participating SunTrust branch

The Offer

Direct link to offer (no online offer, this links to a photo of the in branch offer. Photo courtesy of deposit accounts)

• Receive a $150 bonus when you open an eligible checking account with SunTrust and establish an eligible direct deposit of over $500 within the first 60 days of account opening
• Receive another $150 bonus if you maintain that direct deposit until April 30th, 2015

The Fine Print

• Only available at InStore branches at Publix, Kroger, Walmart, Bi-Lo retail stores and inside the Orlando Airport. You can use the location finder found here. Make sure you select “InStore branch”, you should then be able to call to check to see if they have this promotion available or not. Some have reported only being able to get a $250 promotion.
• Eligible checking accounts are Everyday Checking, Solid Choice Banking, Signature Advantage Banking and Signature Advantage Brokerage
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

The easiest way to avoid monthly fees is by opening an Everyday Checking account. This account has a monthly fee of $7 which can be waived  by having a minimum daily balance of $500 or more, or receiving a payroll direct deposit of $100 or more. As you’ll need to maintain a direct deposit of $500 to get the full promotion, this should be easy to meet.

Our Verdict

This is a pretty big checking promotion. Some of you might have recently opened SunTrust accounts for the $100 or $125 online promotions, this is obviously an upgrade on that offer. I’d recommend calling in to SunTrust to see if they will match this better promotion.

For those considering this promotion, it’s important to remember that SunTrust often requires you to bring your paystubs in to verify that you’re depositing your full pay check into your account. This will hamper your ability to sign up for other bank account bonuses.

I think this promotion is worth whiled if you live near a SunTrust InStore branch that is participating in this promotion and you usually don’t sign up for bank bonuses, or it’s not easy to change your payroll and you typically only do bank bonuses that can be triggered with an ACH transfer.

The other option is to just go after half of this bonus and forget about the other half. Personally I hate leaving money on the table, but a $150 bonus is still decent so it’s worth considering.

There aren’t any InStore branches in California, so I won’t be participating in this bonus. We haven’t added it to our list of best bank bonuses because of the limitations of this offer. Are you planning on signing up for this bonus? If so, what store near you is participating?

Direct link to offer (no online offer, this links to a photo of the in branch offer. Photo courtesy of deposit accounts)

Hat tip to Deposit Accounts