[Expired] [Targeted] Citi $100 – $1,500 Checking Bonus

Deal has ended, view more checking bonuses by clicking here.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $1,500
• Availability: Nationwide
• Direct deposit required:  None
• Additional requirements: See below
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
• ChexSystems: Yes
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $25-$30, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: None
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: July 17, 2022

The Offer

No direct link to offer, sent out via e-mail. Subject line is ‘<name>, earn up to $1,500 with this exclusive cardmember bonus’

• Citi is offering some existing customers a checking bonus of up to $1,500. Must deposit the funds within 20 days and maintain balance for 60 days
  • Minimum Balance $2,500: $100 bonus
  • Minimum Balance $5,000: $200 bonus
  • Minimum Balance $15,000: $400 bonus
  • Minimum Balance $50,000: $700 bonus
  • Minimum Balance $200,000: $1,500 bonus

The Fine Print

• Your Checking Account will be opened in the Basic Account Package. To waive the $12 monthly service fee, make one qualifying direct deposit per statement period and one qualifying bill payment per statement period, or maintain a $1,500 or more combined average monthly balance in eligible linked accounts. Fee also waived for first listed account owners 62 or older or for accounts opened after April 23, 2021 when one account owner is a minor. Fees could reduce account earnings. For all account pricing details, please visit citi.com/compareaccounts.
• You can earn a $100, $200, $400, $700 or $1,500 Bonus by opening a new Checking Account in the Basic Account Package, funding it with New‑to‑Citibank Funds within 20 days, and maintaining that balance for another 60 days. You must also be a primary Citi cardmember from the time you open your account until you receive the Bonus.
• So long as you have not owned a Citi checking account in the last 180 days, are at least 18 years old, are a primary Citi cardmember, have received a Communication from Citi inviting you to participate, and furnish or have a valid Form W‑9 or Form W‑8BEN on file with Citibank and are not subject to backup withholding, you can participate in the Tiered Bonus Checking Offer in select markets. Customers who open via phone or apply online with a residential/home (not mailing) address in an Eligible Location can qualify. “Eligible Locations” include AA, AE, AK, AL, AP, AR, AS, AZ, CO, DE, GA, GU, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, Northern Mariana Islands, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VI, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY and select markets in Florida and Illinois.
• Certain “Checking Accounts” are eligible for the Tiered Bonus Checking Offer. Your new Checking Account must be a Regular Checking Account in the Basic Banking Package from the time you open your account until you receive your Bonus.
• Checking Accounts that are living trust accounts and custodial accounts are eligible, but fiduciary, estate, business, retirement (IRAs, SEPs, CESAs, money purchase pension plans and profit sharing plans), and other trust accounts will not qualify for this offer.
• International Personal Bank customers are not eligible for this offer.
• Here are the steps to qualify:
  • First, open a new Checking Account in the Basic Account Package between January‌ ‌20,‌ ‌2022 and July‌ ‌17,‌ ‌2022 (“Offer Period”).
  • Second, so long as July‌ ‌17,‌ ‌2022 has not passed, enroll in the Tiered Bonus Checking Offer on the same day you open your new Checking Account pursuant to the instructions provided. You can enroll online by clicking “enroll now” and following the instructions for online account opening or by contacting a Citibank representative by phone and asking the representative to enroll you in the Tiered Bonus Checking Offer. However, if you open your account on citi.com by any other means than those described, you will not be eligible to earn the Bonus Checking Offer.
  • Third, on the 20th Day after you open your account, we will check your “On Deposit” balance in New‑to‑Citibank Funds which will determine the Bonus you can try to earn (“Balance”). Your Balance must be held in your eligible Checking Account. As long as you maintain at least a $2,500 Balance every day for 60 calendar days after your 20th Day (“Maintenance Period”) you will remain eligible for a Bonus, but please understand if your Balance falls into a lower Balance Tier for even one day during the Maintenance Period, your Bonus will change (see Chart).
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Citi Priority Account Package 

• Fee increases to $30 and requires $50,000 in combined average monthly balances to remain fee free for the $600 bonus

Early Account Termination Fee

In the past, Citi has not charged any ETF, and none is mentioned for this offer.

Our Verdict

This is better than the public bonus for all the tiers apart from the $1,500 tier. This is actually a worse offer as it requires Citi priority account package. We would add this to our list of the best checking bonuses but it’s obviously not publicly available.

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• 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?
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