Update 1/1/25: Extended to 2/28/25
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $450
- Availability: Must be a resident of DE, MD, NJ, PA
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Can fund at least $1,000 with a credit card
- Monthly fees: Yes, $10 or $25 monthly fee (avoidable)
- Early account termination fee: $25, 1 year
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date: 12/31/2024
Contents
The Offer
- Firstrust Bank is offering up to 50,000 points when you open a new checking account. Bonuses are as follows:
- Open a Eagles FirstPaySM Checking and earn 35,000 points when you spend $350 within 60 days
- Open a Eagles FirstPaySM Premier Checking and earn 50,000 points when you spend $500 within 60 days
The Fine Print
- Limit 1 bonus reward points offer per household. Bonus points may be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, or travel.
- Bonus will be provided 60 days after completion of the spend requirement.
- Points will not be earned for ATM or other cash withdrawals, for transferring funds, Bill Pay transactions, or for transactions using third-party money transmission service providers. Points can be redeemed through scorecardrewards.com.
- Reward points have no cash value. Other terms and conditions apply, see Program Rules for complete details. Offer can be withdrawn at any time without notice.
- New Eagles FirstPaySM checking customers can earn 35,000 bonus points. Eagles FirstPaySM customers will become eligible for the bonus points by making debit card purchases totaling $350 or more within 60 days of new account opening. Official Bonus Point Program Rules – FirstPaySM Debit Card
- New Eagles FirstPaySM Premier checking customers can earn 50,000 bonus points. Eagles FirstPaySM Premier customers will become eligible for the bonus points by making debit card purchases totaling $500 or more within 60 days of new account opening. Official Bonus Point Program Rules – FirstPaySM Premier Debit Card
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
FirstPay Checking Account
To avoid monthly maintenance fee ($10), account is required to have one of the following each month: $500 minimum daily balance, monthly direct deposit, 10 debit card purchases or 5 online bill payments.
FirstPay Premier Checking
To avoid monthly maintenance fee ($25), account is required to have one of the following maintain $5,000 combined balance in deposits accounts or have $50,000 in consumer loans and lines of credit balances.
Early Account Termination Fee
There is an early account termination fee of $25 if closed within a year.
Our Verdict
The points system is a bit annoying but the some redemptions are:
- 12,400 points = $100 cash back via ACH
- 10,800 points = $100 gift card to Amazon, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Cabela’s Best Buy, Sephora
- 3600 points = $25 cash back via ACH
- 6500 points = $50 cash back via ACH
- 9500 points = $75 cash back via ACH
- 5500 points = $50 gift card to Amazon, Home Depot, Darden Restaurants, Best Buy, etc…
- 3200 points = $25 gift card to Apple
- 2700 points = $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble
So the 35,000 point bonus is basically 3 x $100 gift cards and the 50,000 point bonus is 4 x $100 gift cards and a $50 ACH. Even though the points are annoying this is better than when it’s an all cash bonus and very much doing doing as no direct deposit is required. Will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
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
This has been extended to 2/28/25.
William Charles
Tried to downgrade the account via chat, and got : Hi, unfortunately we are not able to “downgrade” an account type. you would have to open a new account and transfer the funds into it from your current account.
I received a similar response via secure message today, that customer care cannot perform account changes, instead someone at a branch location would have to do it. The other option they provided was applying for a new account, and then closing out the Premier Checking out once the funds were transferred. Too much effort. I would like to get my $5K out of there and ideally close this out anyway. Not worried about the $25 early closure fee, but want to avoid negative on Chex (or EWS?) if possible.
If zero out the account and can close via secure message, I don’t think anything negative can be reported. It would be closed by the consumer, I would think.
If anyone isn’t getting the text verification code try applying on a mobile device! It would not work on my computer but tried my phone chrome browser and was able to finish the application. I got a congratulations message but it took a day for the account to actually be opened. Chex was 0/1, 3/3, 6/12, 11/24.
DP:
10/15: FirstPay Premier account opened
Funded >$5,000 from brokerage
CSR told me the $500 MUST be spent from the debit card. Online payments using checking account and routing numbers do not count.
11/19: Received email welcoming me to Redzone Rewards. Created login ccount
11/23: Received 50,000 points. Redeemed for 5 x $100 Amazon gift cards.
Just wondering how long does it take to receive the GCs from them?
Are there any recent DPs on closing an account before the 6-month mark?
Forgot to unfreeze Chex when applying a few weeks ago and got a denial letter in the mail with reasoning: “CHEXSYSTEMS SECURITY FREEZE ON FILE”
Given that they’re pretty Chex sensitive in general I’m wondering if it’s even worth another attempt after unfreezing…. I’m at like 20 accts in past 6 months so I’m gonna go with a solid no.
Applied for the account with Chex frozen. They couldn’t find the application even though got the confirmation that will be reviewed and will know in 2 days or so. They advised to reapply. Reapplied, and successfully opened the account to find out after three days that they closed it. No notification, no letter nothing. The reason given was that there was a mismatch in the account/credit card provided and the account holder’s info, hence deposit was returned and the account was closed, which was a BS. Still waiting for monies to be returned to the CC.
It’s definitely a terrible feeling when a FI approves you for an account and then closes your account later. You never forget scars like that. It’s happened to me with Teachers and Wings. ☹
Thanks for the DP and sorry to hear they did you dirty like that. Definitely hard passing on this one, not worth the Chex pull or potential shutdown headache.
Is it always recommended to freeze chex before opening a new account? I know what chex is but have no knowledge on the freeze/unfreeze aspect. Can you please elaborate and explain?
No, that is a very bad idea. Only freeze Chex before applying for an account that you don’t care either way if you get approved or not (ie a < $100 offer).
vk,
There is 1 other situation where I sometimes freeze my Chex before applying for an account.
If there are multiple DPs of people getting approved with their Chex frozen, I might also apply with my Chex frozen. I rarely rely on just 1 DP though.
For example, I applied for FFCU and CCU with my Chex frozen and was approved. I did this after seeing multiple positive DPs. Others applied with their Chex unfrozen and got a Chex hit. That is a waste of a Chex inquiry, IMO.
How many times are you able to freeze in a given time limit? How long does the request take to process after submitting for freeze?
I don’t know the answer to your 1st question but I haven’t run into a limit yet.
IME, Chex freezes and unfreezes have happened instantly.
Did anyone have issue with receiving the text msg for phone number verification druing account open? I tried 3 different phone numbers (2 real cell phone numbers and 1 google voice number), but none of them got the validation code text. Not sure how to get around and open the account… Thanks in advance!
Yup, was having the same issue. Kept getting the code sent to my email though but it would not work when entered. Called customer service and they said go to branch smh.
Thank you! The closest branch is 1 hour drive. I guess I will pass.
denied today . reason letter will come in mail.
other accounts opened – 10 or 11 in last 2 years
Does anyone know how fast you can close this account after receiving bonus? Is it the usual 6 months? I see nothing on their terms and conditions.
Tried to churn this unsuccessfully.
Closed account w/ $300 bonus on 6/23
Applied again 10/14, rejected
I live pretty close so may go in branch one of these days and hopefully not get rejected like Eric 🔗 (=
Go birds!
If you were rejected for Chex online, you will probably just be wasting another Chex hit applying in-branch. They don’t seem to be more lenient in-branch like Flagstar and BSB are. I learned that the hard way. ☹
I see that you are an Eagles fan. I considered making fun of how the Eagles’ offense has looked pedestrian this year but then I remembered that I am long suffering Jets’ fan. 😉
I wonder if I was rejected because of Chex or because I churned. It’s not like I had great Chex when I applied and was accepted the first time. Even if in-branch wouldn’t solve the Chex issue, perhaps it would solve the churning issue.
lol at least the Bryce Huff – Haason Reddick trade worked out for both parties
I think that the Jets will be okay without him now that they have 2 “#1” receivers.