Update: Deal is back and valid until January 22nd, 2019! Last day today.
Update 1/21/19: Deal is back, unsure exactly when the new end date is. I assume it’s sometime in January but if somebody can confirm that would be fantastic. Hat tip to reader Silver Bay.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $200
- Availability: Select In branch locations only [Branch locations | Map]. They have branches in AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OR, SD, TN, UT, WA, WI, WY
- Direct deposit required:Â Not required
- Additional requirements:Â $100 in debit card transactions per month
- Hard/soft pull:Â Soft
- ChexSystems:Â Mixed data points
- Credit card funding:Â None
- Monthly fees:Â $10.95-$12.95, waivableÂ
- Early account termination fee:Â None
- Household limit:Â None mentioned
- Expiration date:Â
November 26th, 2018January 22nd, 2019
Contents
The Offer
No direct link. Offer is available at some select U.S. Bank locations. These are normally branches found in supermarkets
- Receive a bonus of $200 when you open a new U.S. Bank consumer checking account when you complete the following requirements:
- Receive $50 each month you spend $100 or more on your new Visa debit card (January, February, March, April)
The Fine Print
- Offer is not valid if you have an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. bank checking account account in the last six months or received other U.S. Bank bonus offers within the past twelve months
- Offer is not available to accounts opened through usbank.com or 24 hour banking
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
U.S bank has three checking products which qualify for this promotion:
- Silver Checking Account
- Gold Checking Account
- Platinum Checking account
Probably the easiest way to keep this fee free is to open the Gold Checking account: if you have a U.S Bank credit card then the monthly fees on this account are waived. Many of us have a U.S. Bank personal credit card like Altitude, Flexperks, or Cash+ which would work to keep the account fee-free. Having a personal loan gets the fee waived as well. You now need to specifically ask for the gold checking account.
If you don’t have a U.S Bank credit card and aren’t planning on getting one, your best bet is to open the Silver checking account which has of $8.95 ($6.95 if you enroll in paperless statements). Fee is waived if you do these three things: 1) Go paperless, 2) Open a Package Money Market Savings account (no fee), 3) Do one of these two things: have combined direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more, OR maintain an average monthly balance of $1,500. Another option is to get the Gold account and get the fee waived if you have a good credit score and join the Because You’ve Earned It program.Â
Early Account Termination Fee
These accounts have no early account termination fee
Our Verdict
We saw a similar recent bonus, that one was slightly better as it only required $50 in debit card spending rather than $100. Deal is still worth doing though. Just keep in mind you’ll only find it at U.S. Bank branches that are part of a grocery store, not exactly sure why they do it this way but they do. I will be adding this to the best checking bonuses.
Big thanks to reader, Brian & 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
Hi,
I just talked with the local branch of US Bank, and it sounds like they will have a similar promotion running March 13th thru March 19th. I don’t know a lot of details (they didn’t have a flier or anything), but they way she described it sounded very similar to this. It might be worth looking into in more detail.
I hope TD has changed……I did their checking, savings and credit bonuses several years ago and had nothing but trouble including a non authorized withdrawal made by my debit card which was never activated. They also tried to reneg on the credit card bonus. Customer service is beyond terrible plus there were issues with their ACH processes…..charging for either pushing or pulling funds. Just a terrible experience. Ah yes….there was also an issue with routing numbers. I rate companies based on the number of “we are sorry for any inconvenience we have caused”.I receive. TD’s count was over the top..
U.S. Bank has also been sending out mailers offering $250 for opening an Everyday Checking Account with direct deposit. You have to bring in the mailer.
Direct deposit is less of a pain than debit card spending for me. It takes me two minutes at work to change my account lineup and then I just change it back when I’m done.
Got the $250 bonus 3 days after the $1k hit my account.
Keep your eyes on your mailbox if you’re interested. I’ve gotten multiple $250 to $600 offers from regional and national banks in the past month. U.S. Bank alone sent me two or three mailers.
are those mailers targeted…i mean with specifically your names or its general like chase sends?
Heads up for anyone doing this – it has to be a physical purchase, online charges don’t count. When I called in to ask about the bonus(for Sep-Dec period), they said the bonus would accumulate and post all at the same time once the promotional period has ended. This is completely incorrect. Based on research in the other threads, the $50 monthly bonus should post relatively quickly.
Also, the “Because You’ve Earned It” program is really only an online naming gimmick – none of the bankers I spoke with knew about it, but they do know that the gold checking package will have waived fees with a credit card.
I was told both online and physical spending count in the branch. The offer sheet I got only says “Spend $100 or more with your new US Bank Visa Debit Card in each of the four qualifying months (February, March, April and May) to earn $50 per month, up to $200”. Did your offer sheet say it has to be a physical purchase?
So it is $50 for spending $100 for the first four months of the year. If I signed up today, would I get a debit card in time to spend $100 before feb?
According to the rep when I opened my account yesterday, she said I would have to make $100 in debit card purchases in each of Feb, March, April, and May.
I was told this as well yesterday.
Expires today according to a Meijer branch in Ohio. Will be nearby tomorrow, but that’s already late.
received other U.S. Bank bonus offers within the past twelve months
Do U.S. Bank bonus offers include credit card bonus?
I already have a gold checking with them. Can I open another one and get the bonus?
I am at the branch right now in korea town (los Angeles county), representative stated that it expires today.
Does anyone know if pulling money from serve will trigger $100 spend for the bonus? Has anyone done it for previous offer?
If I use serve to pull money from the debit card, would it work as a $100 spend ?
I guess it is the same as debit card transaction and should trigger the bonus the spend?
Did you ever try this? Did it work for you?