[Expired] [CA only] $150 Tech CU Checking Promotion

This bonus has expired and is no longer available. Click here for current Tech CU promotions or here for the best checking promotions.

Update: Offer now restricted to Californian residents

Extended till August.

Update: Tech CU have added the following fine print to the offer:

Maximum total credit $150. Credits are posted to Tech CU savings account as of the end of the month in which the verified qualifying transaction occurs, but will not count toward the balance available for withdrawal until nine months after account opening. If account is closed within nine months of opening, credit posted under this offer and any dividends accrued thereon will be forfeited.

Basically you need to keep the account open for a minimum of six months now. Not sure when the new terms came in, but they were there on the 15th of January at the very latest. Given their is no monthly account fee, it’s not really a big deal.

[Originally posted on 9/16/14. We’re reposting today, 1/1/16 since the expiration date got extended until 7/31/16. It’s been confirmed to be a soft inquiry and $1k in credit card funding, plus easy direct deposit requirements. We’ve updated the credit card funding and direct deposit data points as well.]

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $150
  • Availability:
    • Offer now restricted to Californian residents
    • Anybody can become a member if they join Financial Fitness Association first ($8 fee). Or sign up directly if you live, work, worship, or attend school in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, or San Francisco Counties or are an employee of their tech CU member companies or are related to or live with existing member
  • Direct deposit required: $500+, recurring, see what counts here
  • Additional requirements: Online bill payment
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft
  • Credit card funding: Up to $125, Visa/MC/Amex/Discover
  • Monthly fees: None
  • Early account termination fee: Nine months, bonus forfeited
  • Expiration date: December 31st, 2015 July 31, 2016 August 17th, 2017 December 31st, 2017 March 31st, 2018

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Receive a sign up bonus of $150 when you open a Tech CU checking account, with promo code: moveon. The bonus is broken down as follows:
    • $100 for establishing a recurring direct deposit of at least $500
    • $50 for performing three Tech CU online bill payments or other automated Tech CU payment

The Fine Print

  • Requirements must be completed within 90 days of account opening
  • Bonus will post at the end of the month in which the requirements were meet
  • Offer valid only for new-to-Tech CU personal checking accounts. Not available on UTMA, HSA, IRA or business accounts
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Their basic checking account doesn’t come with any monthly fees. I wasn’t able to find any mention of an early account termination fee in their fee schedule. But given there is no monthly maintenance fee, it’s probably a good idea to keep it open at least six months.

They have added fine print to the bonus that says the bonus is not available for withdrawal for six nine months.

Our Verdict

We don’t really have enough information to know whether this is a good deal or not, if it’s soft pull and can be funded with a credit card than yes, but if it’s a hard pull forget about it. If anybody has any experience with this bank, please let us know in the comments below.

Update: It’s been confirmed in the comments that it’s a soft pull and that it can be funded with a credit card up to $1,000, even with Amex (now only $125 and no amex). The direct deposit requirement also seems like an easy one. Since this in nationally available, it should be a popular bonus.

Direct link to offer
    William Charles
  • On July 25, 2016, 07:30

View Comments (441)

  • I opened the account on 1/25/2018 and the funds from the bonus were being held for 9 months. I just checked and my funds are available in my account. I just transferred all the funds out of my account, but they are holding on to $25 in my savings account. When I close the account, they should be able to send me a check for $25.

  • It has been ten months since I opened this account, and I have already received the bonus. Can I just abandon the account or do I have to officially close it?

  • waited til the last day for this promo 3/31/18 and the link didn't work. So I called in and inquired. Here's the new link for the new promo and it says it's available til 12/31/18. https://www.techcu.com/banksmart/ Hope this helps those like me that waited til the end.

    • OFFER HAS CHANGED. Note in the fine print for “banksmart” the $50 part now says “To qualify for $50, within 90 days of opening a new Tech CU checking account, also open a new Tech CU certificate with a minimum 18-month term and a minimum $1,000 opening balance.“

    • Note the fine print. Now says it's restricted to Bay Area counties. Don't know if that's being enforced.

  • Here are my data points from this bonus:

    1/25/18: signed up online and funded $125 with my credit card
    2/7/18: $500 direct deposit posted
    2/11/18: 3 bill payments sent
    3/2/18: $500 direct deposit posted
    2/28/18: $100 and $50 bonuses posted to my account
    3/2/18: 3 bill payments sent

    Looks like I have to keep the account open 9 months before closing...

    • Thanks for the DP!

      May I ask how many approximate new accounts/inquiries in the past 6-12 months? Sounds like some denials/scrutiny for Chex inquiries

      • Probably at least 10 inquires over the last 12 months. I even did this bonus in the past, probably 1.5 years ago.

        • Thanks. I also did the bonus back in ~2016, closed in late 2016.

          Did you manage to get immediate approval online or did request need additional clearance/docs? Questions via phone, etc.?

          I applied last night and seemed to have gotten approved -- account numbers, login, even set up bill pay. But when I called in today, Saturday, to confirm, they said to call back Monday to proceed further...

          • Instant approval. I try to go slowly with these bonuses and not set up direct deposit until I get the debit card and the opening deposit posts to my account.

  • 12/22/17 - Chase Freedom $125 deposit coded as purchase
    1/2/18 - Chase $500 push
    1/22/18 - 3rd bill pay
    1/31/18 - Received $150 bonus

  • Based on the terms, do you think this bonus is churnable? I closed my last Tech CU checking account in March 2016, so it's been more than 12 months and I did not close my account with a negative balance.

    "To qualify for offer, a new membership and Tech CU checking account must be opened by March 31, 2018. Tech CU reserves the right to change or cancel this promotion prior to December 31, 2017. Offer available only to California resident new-to-Tech CU members ages 18 and up who have had no account relationship with Tech CU during the previous 12 months and who have never caused Tech CU a loss. Offer not available on IRA, HSA, UTMA or business accounts. Maximum total credit $150. Credits will post to the membership savings account at the end of the month in which a requirement is met, but will not be available for withdrawal until nine months after account opening. Credits and any dividends accrued thereon will be forfeited if accounts are closed within nine months of opening. (a) $100 credit will post if, within 90 days after opening, the checking account begins receiving at least one recurring monthly $500 single-transaction direct deposit. The direct deposit must occur no less often than monthly. (b) $50 credit will be posted if, within 90 days after opening, at least three online bill payments have been made out of the checking account."

  • DP: Transfer from Chase checking account worked as DD and I was able to get $100 by the end of the month.

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