U.S. Bank $500/$900 Business Checking Bonus

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• With all the discussion on ACH, want to double check I have this right (didn't receive a debit card and this is P2's account so easier to do via ACH if possible).

  I added US Bank on SoFi, then transferred $5 FROM SoFi to US Bank on the SoFi website. Do that x5 and should be good right?

  • Correctamundo

    • Thank you. I almost messed up and forgot to transfer the remaining $2000 (after $3000 cc initial funding), so Zelled that from P1 to P2. I think that probably takes care of one transaction but will do 5x ACH to make sure. Thanks again!

• I also set up a new business savings and later a money market account and funded each with $3K.
  There isn't a bonus on these, just the ability to fund the accounts with $3K.

  I don't believe there is any early termination fee.

  So what's to stop churning this several times in a year? Anybody do this? I suppose if they pull Chex that could be an issue, or USB shut down for doing so many open/closings.

• Bonus NOT received. Don’t make the same mistake I did. TL;DR ACH transfers initiated from US Bank do NOT count as ACH credits (US Bank codes them “External Transfer Deposits”, but pushes from external accounts DO count (US Bank codes these as Transfer Credits”)

  2/27 Opened account with 3k via BoA credit card (didn’t count as cash advance)
  3/5 Transfer of $5k received into account. This was initialed via US Bank site (limited $5k per transfer, $10k per week) Coded as “External Transfer Deposit”
  3/6 Transfer of $5k received into account. Coded as “External Transfer Deposit”
  3/18 Transfer of $5k received into account. Coded as “External Transfer Deposit”
  3/19 Transfer of $5k received into account. Coded as “External Transfer Deposit”
  3/20 Transfer of $7100K received into account. This one was a push. Coded as “Transfer Credit”.
  3/25 Withdrew $5k as I over funded it accidentally.
  4/14 $30 fee assessed
  6/3 Called in check on status. After reading terms, the agent didn’t understand why I didn’t receive bonus. Agent verified 5 credits. Agent created an internal request to research the issue. Said it would take 10 days to get a response. I also requested refund of $30 fee.
  6/5 $30 fee refunded
  6/18 Still no bonus has been paid. I called back into check on status. Agent cannot read the response to the internal request. Agent claims I made ONE ACH credit, not 5. External transfer deposits do not count as ACH credits.

  • @guest_2080591 I would file a CFPB complaint. (I realize that there is not much left of the CFPB, but supposedly complaints are still getting forwarded.) The issue is not what US Bank subjectively considers "ACH credits." The issue is what an average customer, reading the terms of the bonus, would understand the term "ACH credits" to mean. An average person (not a banker) would understand that term to mean a credit to the account through an ACH transaction. If US Bank wanted the more technical definition of "ACH push," they should have made that clear.

    Take your shot -- you've got nothing to lose. If the CFPB does not work, contact a local TV station or paper and tell your story to one of their consumer reporters. This is the sort of thing they love -- regular people tricked by corporate gotchas. You will get your bonus in the end.

    • On the one hand, I absolutely agree that the terms should be clearer for the average customer. The average customer doesn’t know ACH network terminology.

      On the other hand, USB is correct in their usage of “ACH credits”. An ACH entry can only be a credit or a debit, and describes the action on the account at the bank receiving the instructions. The complementary transaction at the initiating bank is not performed via ACH. If you Google “ACH credit”, you’ll find plenty of articles explaining that ACH credits are pushes and pulls are ACH debits.

      • @guest_1986710 You are absolutely right from a technical, bank terminology standpoint. But one should not assume that the contract term here must be construed to carry its technical meaning. I think OP has a pretty reasonable argument that the contract should be read from the standpoint of the average consumer, and any ambiguity construed against the drafter. Is it a slam dunk argument -- no. Is it good enough to take a shot with the CFPB and the media, especially given the potential PR embarrassment to the bank of being perceived as playing games -- I think so.

        • I agree. I think it might be worth escalating the case first though. Explain that “ACH credits” is not clear to the common customer and ask for an exception. You gotta remember that the people writing these terms are in the industry, and may not realize they are misleading their customers. Give them a chance for a little goodwill before taking the antagonistic approach.

          Personally, I think a CFPB complaint has a low chance of success here, but it should be a precursor to reaching out to the media anyways. I think it just depends on how much effort the OP wants to invest.

• New to this, already did this offer with my SSN, but I also plan on setting up an EIN too. Could I apply again with my EIN and be eligible?

  • Yes you can do both.

    • I don't recall if I used EIN or SSN for the first app. Is there any way to tell?

      • I might be wrong, but I think you can only double dip the biz bonus if you have two different biz entities. The EIN will need to be for a different biz than the biz associated with your SSN.

• 03/17/25 - $3000 Deposit via Chase Saphirre Preferred coded as purchase
  03/21/25 - $2020 Xfer from Ally Bank
  03/27/25 - $25 Xfer from Ally Bank
  04/01/25 - 5 debit transactions, a lunch and 4 Amazon $5 reloads (new minimum!)
  06/12/25 - $500 posted as 'Adjusted Interest'

  I signed up as a sole proprietor and provided my SSN. No further verification needed. I had a personal checking account that I closed earlier this year, so maybe that was an "existing relationship" data point.

• I spoke to a rep today that said I had until the end of the promotion to complete the 5 qualifying transactions, not the the 60 days.

  I was approved on 4/16, so 60 days would be 6/15. I had 2 Zelle transactions go through on 6/16 (although was completed on 6/15).

  They told me to complete one more transaction to qualify as my first Zelle for $2k doesn't count because it was towards the initial 5k, does that sound right?

  The promo qualification tool they normally use was down so they had to look at it manually.

  Here is my activity, will I still qualify for the bonus?

  6/16/2025
  defaultdebit
  Zelle Instant Pmt To _
  $20.00
  $5,025.00

  6/16/2025
  defaultdebit
  Zelle Instant Pmt To _
  $30.00
  $5,045.00

  5/13/2025
  deposit
  Zelle Instant Pmt From _
  + $35.00
  $5,075.00

  5/13/2025
  deposit
  Zelle Instant Pmt From _
  + $15.00
  $5,040.00

  5/13/2025
  deposit
  Zelle Instant Pmt From _
  $5,025.00

  4/22/2025
  deposit
  Zelle Instant Pmt From _
  + $2,000.00
  $5,000.00

  4/17/2025
  deposit
  Funding Deposit
  + $3,000.00
  $3,000.00

  • Rep doesn’t know what they’re talking about. You definitely have to complete the 5 transactions within the first 60 days, and transactions aren’t excluded just because they’re used to meet the $5k balance requirement. Always take what CSRs say with a grain of salt and stick to what the terms state.

    You didn’t answer my question on your previous comment about whether your funding was a push or pull, so I can’t tell you if that counts. Your first four Zelle transactions clearly count. Your next two Zelle transactions should also count, because you completed them on day 60. Terms don’t state the transactions have to post by day 60, just that you have to complete them.

    • Hey, I just replied to your last comment on my first post.

      I believe the 3k funding was a pull from US Bank to another outside bank’s checking account. Is there anyway to confirm?

      The 2k Zelle was a push from an outside bank account to US Bank via Zelle.

      The last Zelle was made on 6/16, and the second to last was made on 6/15.

      So not sure if the 3k counts, but should the 2k Zelle through 1st 6/16 (6/15) Zelle count, leaving me at 5 qualifying transactions?

      • A pull is when you initiate an ACH transfer with the bank receiving the funds. There’s not really anything to confirm, since you should just know which bank you scheduled the transaction with.

        Yes, your first 5 Zelle transactions should count.

        • I believe the first one was a pull to US Bank from Chase. So sounds like that doesn't count but the 5 Zelles should be good. Thank you for the help

• Does the initial funding count as one of the 5? Does us bank count exactly 60 days or a few extra?

  • If by initial funding you mean during the application, no. It’s not possible to perform any of the qualifying transaction methods during the app. Once the account is opened, any qualifying counts.

    Also, it’s exactly 60 days. Why would there be “a few extra”?

• 3/25 Opened w/ $3k CC funding (Amex Delta Reserve, coded as purchase)
  4/7 Transferred $2.1k from USAA checking
  4/21 5x Bluebird transfers w/ debit card
  6/12 Bonus hit

• I can not get the bonus again if I had the account open in last 12 months? Is this correct? I should wait >12 months after the account closure to be eligible for the bonus?

  • Correct

    • Seems like an incentive to close account as soon as possible (?).

      • You could say that about almost any bonus.

        • Citibank, Wells Fargo, PNC: So many days/months/years from last bonus. No incentive to close quickly.

        • Well yeah true, I guess that was a tad bit hyperbolic. However, there are MANY promos that require no open accounts within a certain time frame.

• Any use EIN to sign up but bunded with their personal credit card?

  • I assume you mean "funded" and yes I did this. Used my EIN to sign up and funded with personal credit card.

    • That makes more sense then what I thought 🤣

  • Assuming that was a typo, wdym "bundled"?