Update 12/22/20: Available again until 1/21/2021. Hat tip to reader moreD
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:
- Availability: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull as long as you opt out of over draft protecton.
- ChexSystems: Mixed data points
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: $9.99, avoidable
- Early account termination fee: None
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date:
December 26th, 2019February 20th, 2020 June 11th, 2020October 1st, 2020
The Offer
- Citizens Bank is offering a bonus of up to $600. Bonus is broken down as follows:
- Get a bonus of $300 when you open a new one deposit checking or Platinum checking account and make a direct deposit of $500 or more within 60 days
- Get an additional $200 when you open a new green savings or platinum savings account with a minimum of $15,000 not currently on deposit with Citizens Bank and maintain that balance for 3 months (this must be the initial deposit according to comments)
- Get an additional $100 when you do both
The Fine Print
- To earn a $300 bonus, open your first new personal checking account, excluding Student Checking, between 9/12/19 and 12/26/19 and have at least one single direct deposit of $500 or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
- To earn a $200 bonus, open your first new personal checking account (excluding Student Checking) AND open your first new personal savings account on the same date between 9/12/19 and 12/26/19 with a minimum of $15,000 not on deposit with Citizens Bank that remains on deposit until date stated in the table below.
- To earn the additional $100 bonus, you must qualify for both the $300 and $200 bonuses noted above.
- Primary signer on the new checking and savings accounts may not be or have been a signer on any Citizens Bank personal checking or savings account within the previous six months.
- The new account(s) must be open and in good standing to qualify for this offer.
- Direct Deposit is recurring income electronically deposited into your Citizens Bank checking account and may include salary, pension, and other regular income.
- Eligibility: Customer must open their first new Platinum Checking or One Deposit via Citizens Bank’s online account opening system accessed by clicking on one of the links on this page.
- Customer should print this screen for their records.
- Customer will only be paid a one-time bonus for this program.
- Payout: Bonus will be deposited to the new checking account by the date stated in the table below and will be labeled as “Balance Builder Bonus.”
- Bonus will be reported to the IRS for income tax purposes.
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking Account $9.99 Monthly Fee
The One Deposit checking account comes with a $9.99 monthly fee. Fee is waived by making one deposit each statement period. (According to this comment they really do count any deposit – even a transfer from another Citizens Bank account will trigger this.)
Citizens Bank Platinum Checking Account $25 Monthly Fee
Citizens Bank Platinum Checking: $25 fee is waived with $25,000 in combined deposits
Early Account Termination Fee
As far as we know there is no early account termination fee.
Early Account Termination Fee
Our Verdict
Previously you’ve been able to get a bonus of up to $600 but without the savings requirement, just a slightly higher direct deposit was required. That was a significantly better bonus as you didn’t need to tie up $15,000 for three months. I suspect this new offer will be the standard bonus that Citizens offers and because it’s churnable I do think it’s worth doing this bonus terms have been updated so don’t think it’s churnable anymore. (it’s basically the same as the popular Chase $600 checking & savings bonus). Because of that I’ll be adding this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
Hat tip to reader Carlos
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
Post history:
- Update 6/25/20: Deal is back until 10/1/20.
- Link still working on mobile but not desktop
- Update 4/19/20: Deal has been extended until June 11th, 2020.
- Update 1/16/20: This link works until 4/16/20.
- Update 12/30/19: Deal is back and valid until February 20th, 2020. Hat tip to reader Johnz
