Update 6/8/25: Bonus now $400. Hat tip to reader J
Extended to Dec 31.
Extended to September 30, 2024
Update 4/2/24: Extended until June 30, 2024
Update 1/4/24: March 31, 2024
Update 5/31/23: Extended until December 31, 2023.
Update 5/24/23: Deal is back and valid until 5/31/23.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $250
- Availability: WA only
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $100+
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Unknown
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Mixed datapoints
- Monthly fees: $0-$5, avoidable
- Early account termination fee: None listed
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: None listed
Contents
The Offer
- WECU is offering a checking bonus of $400.
- Open a spend plus checking account and receive a direct deposit of $1,000 or more
open a new True Blue Rewards account, set up and receive a direct deposit of $100 or more into that new account within sixty (60) days of account opening and receive a $250 bonusopen a new Spend Free account, set up and receive a direct deposit of $100 or more into that new account within sixty (60) days of account opening and receive a $100 bonus
The Fine Print
- Offer is available for a limited time to qualifying individuals who have not been a member in the last twelve (12) months. Requirements to receive the $250 bonus: open a new True Blue Rewards account, set up and receive a direct deposit of $100 or more into that new account within sixty (60) days of account opening. Bonus will be deposited into the account on day 61, if requirements are met. Offer expires December 31, 2022. WECU may change or discontinue this offer without notice.
- Offer is available for a limited time to qualifying individuals who have not been a member in the last twelve (12) months. Requirements to receive the $100 bonus: open a new Spend Free account, set up and receive a direct deposit of $100 or more into that new account within sixty (60) days of account opening. Bonus will be deposited into the account on day 61, if requirements are met. Offer expires December 31, 2022. WECU may change or discontinue this offer without notice.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
- First step checking has no monthly fees
- True Blue Rewards checking has a $5 monthly fee, this is waived with a direct deposit of $100+
Early Account Termination Fee
I didn’t see any early account termination fee in the fee schedule.
Our Verdict
Seems like an easy bonus to trigger, although keep the account fee free with a direct deposit is a little bit annoying but worse case you can just pay a $5 fee.
Hat tip to reader Cyril
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
Has anyone else had a hard time getting this bonus, after receiving a bonus offer in the past? Terms say “Offer is available for a limited time to qualifying individuals who have not been a member in the last twelve (12) months.”. Terms also say “one bonus per person”, so they’re claiming that overrides the 12 month previous member rule.
Account opened on 6/22 (Credit frozen, no hard pull)
6/27: $1000 ACH push from Cap One 360 Performance Savings
7/7: $1000 ACH push from Cap One 360 Performance Savings
8/25: $400 bonus posted
Deposited $1xxx,xx through Wise, received bonus about six weeks later.
DP 1 – froze all my credits right before applying for checking account, account opened, no hard pull.
DP 2 – used Citi Double Cash for funding $2500, counted as purchase.
can you use Cash App to do 20 debit transaction?
I will really appreciate if anyone can send me an OOS referral, thanks
yvonne_zheng@hotma
FYI I tried to go this route. OOS referrals only work for family members, and they want the referrer’s birthdate and account number to verify.
ic thanks
Account opened on 6/9, $5000 initial funding with Venture X (coded as purchase).
6/24: $1000 ACH push from US Bank Business checking.
8/5: $1000 ACH push from Chase Business checking.
8/12: $400 bonus posted.
Huzzah! Bonus hit, I can now offer a DP.
I was unsure about what would work for DD so pushed $1k.xx each using fidelity brokerage and One Pay. Fidelity coded as moneyline and One pay as ACH so I suspect it is fidelity that worked. Plan to keep pushing $100 monthly to avoid fee and eventually close
Could you share your account open date? 1k push date? Didn’t see any bonus hit yet for p1 and p2
opened 6/8, pushed 1k 7/28, bonus hit today
Also I’ll note I didnt do the 20 debit transactions but my account shows 8% interest on the dashboard still. However upon checking statement I did not actually get 8%
Can anyone confirm if this requires a hard pull? If not, can I apply with all 3 bureaus frozen?
Anyone else’s account showing 8% APY even without debit transactions? I have done 2 DD attempts but thought you also needed to have 20 debit transactions to secure the 8%. If it’s truly 8% just for doing DD that would be huge
8% APY is up to $5k only, so $400 per yr. But it requires 20 debit transactions and direct deposit of >$100 every month, which could be cumbersome (at least for me personally). Overall I’d say it’s good, but really nothing huge.
thats why I’m confused my account is showing 8% but I havent done any debit transactions just DD
Did you receive the interest yet? wondering if it’s in fact 8%? I did 20 debit but forgot to do DD:(
You might check whether you really get 8% (or any APR it displays). I found in my case I didn’t get the displayed APR.