Sadly this bonus has expired, but you can view more current checking bonuses here.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $250
- Availability: Seems the only branch is American Bank, 4029 West Tilghman Street, Allentown, PA 18104. Now restricted to those in PA counties of Lehigh and Northampton
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Unknown
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Unknown (unlikely due to in branch requirement)
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: Unknown
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: June 16th, 2017
The Offer
- Open a new Forever Free checking account in person at an American Bank and receive a bonus of up to $250. You must complete the requirements within 60 days of account opening. Bonus broken down as follows:
- Sign up to receive eStatements: $50
- Complete ten debit card point of sale transactions: $100
- Receive $500 in qualifying direct deposits: $100
- They are also offering a 10% APY CD for twelve months (minimum $500 and maximum $1,000)
The Fine Print
- Open a Forever Free Checking account in person by June 16, 2017 and meet the conditions outlined below and earn up to $250.
- Forever Free Checking is a non-interest bearing account that does not have a monthly maintenance service charge and does not require a minimum balance, forever, as long as the account remains open.
- A $1.00 minimum balance is required to open; however, to participate in this bonus offer, the minimum amount to open is $100.00. To qualify for the bonus, open a Forever Free Checking account in person by June 16, 2017.
- When you meet any or all of the following conditions within the first 60 days of account opening you will receive the applicable bonus: (a) sign-up to receive e-Statements1 and earn $50; (b) complete 10 debit card POS transactions2 with your American Bank debit card and earn $100; or (c) have $500 in qualifying direct deposits3 and earn $100.
- You must be at least 18 years old and be a new personal checking account customer to American Bank to participate.
- New account will not be eligible to receive the bonus if any owner has an existing personal checking account, closed a personal checking account within the past 12 months or has received a promotional premium within the past 12 months.
- If the same owners open multiple accounts, only one account will be eligible to earn the bonus.
- You must satisfy the condition(s) within 60 days of account opening to earn the stated bonus amount.
- The bonus amount will be deposited to your account within 30 business days of satisfying each condition and will be reflected on your monthly account statement.
- Your account must remain open, active and in good standing until we deposit the applicable bonus to your account. As you satisfy a condition for a designated bonus amount, your account will no longer be eligible for that condition.
- Only one bonus amount paid for each condition satisfied.
- Bonus is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on form 1099-INT.
- A qualifying Direct Deposit is a recurring electronic deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income deposited to your account by an employer or an outside agency. $500 is an accumulated amount (one or more direct deposits that add up to $500 or more) within the 60-day period.
- Transfers from one account to another or deposits made at American Bank or an ATM do not qualify as a Direct Deposit.
Avoiding Fees
Forever free account does not have any monthly fee associated with it. I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so I’m unsure if there is any early account termination fee or not.
Our Verdict
Good deal if you live in the area and it turns out to be a soft pull as it’s a nice large bonus and you can get some of it without the direct deposit. It’s also good that the account has no monthly fees to worry about. If we can confirm it’s a soft pull then we will add it to our list of the best checking bonuses currently available.
Big thanks to reader, Ryan H 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
- 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
I called today and was told by a CSR that as long as I made it into the branch my address outside of the above listed counties wouldn’t be a problem. Also was told it is $50 for setting up paperless statements, $100 after 10 debit pos transactions, and $100 after $500 qualifying DD.
This offer is restricted to residents in the PA counties of Lehigh and Northampton. It was open to all only on Sat Jun 10th. Good that I called them before going as I was only 1 hr away.
Updated post, thanks
I had a free checking account with them for several years. That was 10 years ago. At the time, American Bank was one of the better choices listed on Bankrate.com for online checking accounts that paid a slightly above average interest rate without requiring alot of money be parked there. The account was opened online, but I did visit their only location at a later time. I just checked their website and did not see mention of this offer, but it did mention a 20th anniversary celebration. The bank was founded by and is still operated by the Jaindl family. They started out as turkey farmers, and then got into land development and then banking. A highway and an elementary school are named after the bank founder. Sorry that I don’t have the time to drive to the bank before the offer expires.
Thanks for the info, Harv.