Unify Financial Credit Union $150 Checking Bonus

Update 11/6/23: New link looks nationwide?

Update 6/22/22: New link for those in Los Angeles County, CA, Orange County, CA, or Ventura County, CA.

Update 4/16/21: There is now a link for LA County, Ventura County and Orange County. Hat tip to reader TJ

Update 4/9/19: Bonus is no longer nationwide, you now must reside in Collin County, TX

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $150
• Availability: Previous deal has been nationwide you now must reside in Collin County, TX
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
• Additional requirements: 50 debit card transactions of $5 or more for full bonus
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
• ChexSystems: Yes, mixed data points on being sensitive
• Credit card funding: Can fund up to $100 with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover card
• Monthly fees: None
• Early account termination fee: Unknown
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: March 31st, 2019 December 31st, 2020 December 31st, 2021

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Unify Financial Credit Union is offering a bonus of up to $150 when you open a new checking account, bonus broken down as follows:
  • $50 deposited after first statement cycle
  • $50 after establishing a recurring ACH direct deposit of at least $500 aggregate each month (must be done within 60 days of account opening)
  • $1 per debit card transaction of $5 or more within the first 60 days ($50 maximum)

The Fine Print

• Members cannot have had a UNIFY Free Checking or eChecking Account within the last three (3) years.
• Offer expires March 31, 2019, and is subject to change without notice.
• Eligible new account holders who qualify for and open a new checking account (excluding Right Start Checking and Right Start Debit) will receive a $50 deposit into their checking account following the first statement cycle. Limit one $50 new checking bonus per member.
• Receive an additional bonus of $50 by establishing a recurring ACH Direct Deposit of at least $500 aggregate each month. New Direct Deposit must be established and posted within 60 days of account opening, and bonus will be paid after the second statement cycle following account opening.Limit one Direct Deposit bonus per member.
• Receive an additional bonus up to $50 by earning $1 bonus for each debit card transaction that exceeds $5 made with your new UNIFY Visa Debit Card within the first 60 days of account opening (maximum bonus of $50). Bonus will be credited to the checking account linked to the UNIFY Visa Debit Card after the second statement cycle following account opening. Limit one Debit Card usage bonus per member.
• Account must be in good standing to receive any bonus.
• Account holder responsible for all applicable taxes. Membership eligibility, and account qualification requirements apply. Membership requirements include establishing a membership share savings of at least $5.
• Minimum deposit of $25 required to open Free Checking, and eChecking. UNIFY employees, volunteers and family members not eligible. Not valid with any other offers and subject to change at any time.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

The free checking account has no monthly fees to worry about

$1 Paper Statements

After your second month you’ll be charged $1 for paper statements, so opt in for paperless statements when signing up.

Early Account Termination Fee

I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so I’m unsure if there is any early account termination fee or not.

Our Verdict

Previous deal was for $100, but you also got two LA Rams tickets that could easily be resold for more than $50. That deal also didn’t require any debit card transactions. This bonus isn’t that bad, but the debit card transactions will be difficult for most people to meet – especially as it requires the transaction to be more than $5. Really up to you if you want to go for this deal or wait for a better deal to return. I’ll likely add this to our list of best bank bonuses, just with a disclaimer that they have recently offered a bigger bonus.

Hat tip to reader Jonathan F

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

• 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?
• Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
• Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
• Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
• Bank Bonus Posting Times