[Expired] Wells Fargo $250 Checking Bonus [Select Areas In TX, IA, IL, NM, MN, ND, FL, AK, NV, VA, SD, WA MT, WI, AL, CA, GA, ID & NC]

Deal has expired, view the best current checking bonuses by clicking here.

Update 12/03/18: Reposting as there is another variation of this offer with different states. Hat tip to reader Gadget.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $250
• Availability:  There is two versions of this offer: 
  • Offer one is available in the following participating locations:  Amarillo, TX; Corpus Christi, TX; Davenport, IA-IL; Des Moines-Ames, IA; El Paso, TX-NM; Great Falls, MT; Green Bay-Appleton, WI; Huntsville, AL; Milwaukee, WI; Montgomery-Selma, AL; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Twin Falls, ID; Wilmington, NC.
  • Offer two is available in the following participating locations: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX; Birmingham, AL; Columbus, GA; Duluth-Superior, MN-WI; Fargo-Valley City, ND; Ft. Myers-Naples, FL; Juneau, AK; Las Vegas, NV; Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Minot, ND; Norfolk, VA; Seattle-Tacoma, WA; Sioux Falls, SD
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $500 within 60 days and ongoing for 5 consecutive months
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems:Mixed reports, likely doesn’t pull
• Credit card funding: Can fund up to $50 online
• Monthly fees: $10, waivable
• Early account termination fee: None
• Household limit: None
• Expiration date: December 31st, 2018

The Offer

Direct link to offers: Offer one | Offer two

• Wells Fargo is offering a bonus of up to $250 when you open a new checking account online. Bonus is broken down as follows:
  • To receive a $150 bonus, within 60 days of account opening, receive qualifying direct deposits with a cumulative total of $500 or more into the new checking account.
  • To receive an additional $100 bonus, for the next 5 consecutive months after day 60, continue to receive qualifying direct deposits with a cumulative total of $500 or more each month.

The Fine Print

• Everyday Checking is the account eligible for the up to $250 bonus when opened online. If you do not qualify for Everyday Checking, but do qualify for Opportunity Checking^®, this offer can still be applied to the Opportunity Checking account.
• You cannot be:
  • A current owner on a Wells Fargo consumer checking account
  • A Wells Fargo team member
  • A recipient of a consumer checking bonus in the past 12 months (limit one bonus per customer)
• Offer available online only in the following participating locations: Amarillo, TX; Corpus Christi, TX; Davenport, IA-IL; Des Moines-Ames, IA; El Paso, TX-NM; Great Falls, MT; Green Bay-Appleton, WI; Huntsville, AL; Milwaukee, WI; Montgomery-Selma, AL; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Twin Falls, ID; Wilmington, NC.
• Offer cannot be:
  • Paid without a valid U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (W-9)
  • Combined with any other consumer deposit offer
  • Reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

The Everyday Checking account comes with a $10 monthly fee. Get the fee waived with one of the following:

• 10 debit card purchases and/or payments each statement cycle from this checking account, OR
• Direct deposits totaling $500 or more each statement cycle, OR
• Maintain a $1,500 minimum daily balance, OR
• Link checking account to a Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card

If you have a Wells mortgage, you might be able to get a higher-level account with no fees.

Early Account Termination Fee

There is no early account termination fee.

Our Verdict

Seems every second day Wells Fargo is adding a new checking account bonus. There is a $500 checking/savings bonus and a $200 checking bonus with no direct deposit required, but requires opening in branch. Personally I think both of those offers are better than this as this requires direct deposit for five months and is only slightly higher than the no direct deposit required bonus. Because of that I won’t be adding this to our best bank account bonus page.

Big thanks to reader, Curmudgeon who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.

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