[Expired] [CA, IL, NJ, NY, TX, VA] Hanmi Bank $250 Checking Bonus ($100 For Existing Accountholders)

Deal has ended, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here.

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $250
  • Availability: CA, IL, NJ, NY, TX, VA
  • Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+ for three months
  • Additional requirements: See below
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
  • ChexSystems: Unknown, not sensitive
  • Credit card funding: Unknown
  • Monthly fees: None
  • Early account termination fee: Six months, bonus forfeit
  • Household limit: None listed
  • Expiration date: December 31, 2023

The Offer

Direct link to offers: $250 for new members | $100 for existing

  • Hanmi is offering a $250 checking bonus for new accountholders. Broken down as follows:
    • Maintain $5,000 3-month average balance and enroll in uChoose Rewards® within 30 days of account opening and earn 15,000 points (worth $150)
    • Use Bill Pay in each of the first 3 full months and earn 5,000 points (worth $50)
    • Make a direct deposit of minimum $500 each month (For 3 consecutive months) and earn 5,000 points (worth $50)
  • Hanmi is offering a $100 checking bonus for existing account holders:
    • Receive 10,000 points (worth $100) when you set up a new direct deposit (min $500) and maintain for 3 consecutive months and Enroll in eStatement and uChoose Rewards® by 12/31/2023

The Fine Print

  • Bonus Points Offer: This offer expires on December 31, 2023, and is subject to change and may be discontinued at any time without notice.
  • Offer is valid for new checking customers who open the account with new money.
  • New checking customer is defined as a customer or consumer who does not have an existing checking relationship with Hanmi within the past 60 days.
  • Only one (1) eligible account per customer (SSN/TIN).
  • New money is defined as funds that are not held at Hanmi Bank; funds withdrawn from another Hanmi account do not count as new money.
  • Eligibility evaluation period is three (3) full months after account is open.
    If the account is opened mid-month, the evaluation period will be begin at the beginning of the next full month.
  • Bonus uChoose Rewards® points will be awarded within sixty (60) days after end of evaluation period.
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Simple checking account has no monthly fees to worry about.

Early Account Termination Fee

In the past account has need to be kept open for six months otherwise bonus is forfeit, unsure if that’s the case this time. The $5,000 required in the account doesn’t really earn interest so you’d lose out on ~$60 compared to a high yield savings account. Still definitely worth doing so we will add this to our best bank bonuses.

Our Verdict

Previously this was $300 and didn’t require a direct deposit. Nice part of this bonus is that it doesn’t require opening in branch.

Hat tip to reader Bockrr

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
    William Charles
  • On November 19, 2023, 13:00
Tags: ca bank bonusesdirect deposit requiredIL bank bonusesnj bank bonusesny bank bonusessoft pulltx bank bonusesva bank bonuses

View Comments (118)

  • Anyone know how to close this checking account?

    Call the customer service and they said unable to close over the phone, must visit a branch.

    • part 3 of the offer: they will also match all points earned in the first 3 months (so up to an additional $150 there)

      • nvm i just realized that was already taken into account (so up to 7x$50+3x$50 bonus, max $500 if dd is maxed for june-dec)

    • So you need to tie up $3k for the rest of the year and then receive $5k in DDs each month for the rest of the year to potentially get $500 (best case) or possibly only $350 (worst case)? That doesn't seem worth the effort.

      • Personally worth doing for me. Good return on a single chex hit. Lately not many bonuses left to do. Not the best bonus for sure, but still much better than nothing.

        • @guest_1861384 @guest_1861534 Please let me know your Chex stats after you are approved/denied. Mine are creeping up & I'm interested in opening this account but might have to pass depending on your results.

          • I'll probably end up skipping this as well. Trying to keep the Chex count low after a big round of bonuses

          • @guest_1861534 @guest_1740282 No luck for me. Applied on 6/21 & received the following email:

            "Thank you for applying for an account with Hanmi Bank. Unfortunately, we are unable to open your account at this time. If you have any questions, please contact us at 855-773-8778."

            Called but their policy is to not reveal why the application was declined. Seems counterproductive to encourage people to call & then not have any questions answered.

            So, no confirmation it was Chex but, it could be identity & the closest branch is 3 1/2 hours away.

            I will dispute the Chex Inquiry.

            Chex: 2/1, 4/3, 7/6, 15/12, 26/24

          • Also declined with the same email. Chex is 1/1, 4/3, 10/6. I'm near a branch but there's a DP of someone here being declined in branch for Chex so probably won't bother trying.

          • I have a different DP. Was declined online. Later in the branch I was approved but it was another Chex hit.

          • @guest_1862754 This is a pretty good bonus, so it might be worthwhile going to a branch. You either get to open the account or find out why. Please update if you give it a shot.

          • Eh, it's not that great - $500 is nice but it's a lot of work. And I'm pretty sure I'd just be wasting time and another Chex pull by going in branch. Like you, I called in and was told that they couldn't tell me why I was declined. They said I was welcome to go in branch to apply but that there was no guarantee I'd be approved. I'll pass and just try again online with P2.

          • How successful are you in disputing Chex inquiries? I just started disputing my duplicates.

          • @guest_1861534 I've had success with duplicate entries but not for being declined (yet).

            Will use "The application was never processed due to identity verification issues.  Request this Chex inquiry be removed or placed in the Inquiries Viewed Only by You section." or something along those lines.

            All Hanmi can do is say the Chex inquiry was valid & it will remain, but it's worth a try.

          • @guest_1862178,

            Below were my Chex stats roughly when I was approved back in December. I wrote "roughly" because I checked my report about 2 weeks before applying.

            4/1, 8/3, 15/6, 22/12, 38/24

          • @guest_1740282 Wow, that's encouraging as those numbers are higher than mine. 2/1, 4/3, 7/6, 16/12, 26/24.

            What did you use as your DD & what will you use for this new promotion? TD?

          • I thought you said below that TD did not work for the previous DD bonus? Why do you think it would work this time?

      • BTW, I just checked and this is your 1st comment in this post. Did you do this $250 bonus?

        • I did not. I think I passed on it last time because it was also too much effort/work for the payout.

      • For me, it will only be a maximum of $450 as I am skipping June. I just calculated that I'll be missing out on about $75 in interest for the 6 months and should receive $450. That's a pretty good trade off IMO.

        The only potential negatives are that I may not qualify at all based on the "maintain" wording that I pointed out and that I am delaying my eligibility for the next "regular" bonus offer by keeping my account open.

  • @guest_1839573 @guest_1743044 @2

    I just scoured the terms of the offer, and I didn't see them define a QDD at all. If I missed it, please point it out to me.

      • @guest_1743044,

        Did you mean to write "etf" (electronic funds transfer)?

        Either way, my point is that if they didn't define what a QDD is, then I have a case to complain. Are you in agreement that they did not define it?

  • Did any of you that used a "fake" DD get the 5K points for the DD bonus? If so, what did you use?

  • @guest_1743044,

    I just redeemed for $200 CB. After that posts to my account and I transfer it out, I might ask Hanmi what I received the points for just to be sure.

    Anyway, this was my 3rd (mostly) successful bonus from Hanmi. How many have you done?

    • @guest_1743044,

      I just checked and I only received 20K points. So either TD didn't count as a QDD (likely) or they didn't give me the points for the BP promo for some reason. Any way that you can see to check?

        • They should have sent you an email showing you if you didn't qualify for the DD or BP offer like they did for @guest_1743044 and me.

  • i mean if we're playing it safe, ppl that started dec- jan/feb/mar then 60 day is till end of may

  • Got my points today:

    • For maintaining $5,000 average balance: 15,000 points
    • For using Direct Deposit in each of the first 3 full months: 5,000 points
    • For using Bill Pay in each of the first 3 full months: Not qualified
    • Total Points Earned: 20,000 points

    

    • @guest_1839573,

      Where did you see this? This would be helpful to me to see if I didn't receive the points for DD (likely) or the BP.

      • The points showed up in a separate website (uchooserewards.com). I then request the rewards to send it back to my Hanmi account.

        • @guest_1839573,

          It seems you you misunderstood my question. I am asking where you saw the following that you quoted above. As I wrote to @guest_1743044 earlier, I would like to see if it shows "Not qualified" for the DD or the BP.

          Got my points today:

          • For maintaining $5,000 average balance: 15,000 points
          • For using Direct Deposit in each of the first 3 full months: 5,000 points
          • For using Bill Pay in each of the first 3 full months: Not qualified
          • Total Points Earned: 20,000 points

          • yeah i don't know where the above is. if i go to "my rewards" i see this:
            Points
            Description
            Transaction Amount
            25,000 Points
            Offer used for arbitrary adjustments
            4Q23 uChoose
            $250.00

          • ohh i JUST (like literally right now) got an email from hanmi:
            We are pleased to inform you that you have met the requirements to qualify for the uChoose Rewards bonus points for your checking account ending in 3169.
            Total points earned are as follows:

            • For maintaining $5,000 average balance: 15000 points
            • For using Direct Deposit in each of the first 3 full months: 5000 points
            • For using Bill Pay in each of the first 3 full months: 5000 points
            • Total Points Earned: 25000 points

             
            The points were credited to your uChoose Rewards account on 6/6/2024.

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