Citi $325/$750/$1,500 Checking Bonus

Update 1/13/25: Deal is back, this time for $325/$750/$1,500

Update 10/11/24: Another variation for $450 bonus but requires $6,000 in direct deposits.

Update 9/2/24: There is another $400 bonus but requires a $10,000 deposit that must be maintained for 45 days.

Update 7/11/24: There is another variation for $325 but requires $3,000 in direct deposits.

Update 7/9/24: Extended until 10/8/24

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $300
  • Availability: Nationwide
  • Direct deposit required: Yes, $3,000+
  • Additional requirements: See below
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
  • ChexSystems: Yes
  • Credit card funding: None
  • Monthly fees: $12, avoidable
  • Early account termination fee: None
  • Household limit: None listed
  • Expiration date: 7/8/24

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Citi is offering a $325 checking bonus when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements:
    • Open a new eligible Citi® Checking account with Enhanced Direct Deposits, and enroll in this offer by applying directly from this page.
    • Deposit at least two (2) Enhanced Direct Deposits directly into your new checking account within 90 calendar days from account opening. Your total combined Enhanced Direct Deposits must equal $3,000 or more.
    • Your cash bonus will be deposited into your open, eligible Checking Account within 30 days after you successfully complete all required activities.

 

The Fine Print

  • An EDD is an electronic deposit through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network of payroll, pension, social security, government benefits and other payments to your checking or savings account. An Enhanced Direct Deposit also includes all deposits via Zelle® and other P2P payments when made via ACH using providers such as Venmo or PayPal. Teller deposits, cash deposits, check deposits, wire transfers, transfers between Citibank accounts, ATM transfers and deposits, mobile check deposits, and P2P payments using a debit card do not qualify as an Enhanced Direct Deposit. (Note: see this comment about Zelle.)
  • So long as you have not owned a Citi checking account in the last 365 days, meet Tax Requirements, and are at least 18 years old, you can apply to participate in the Enhanced Direct Deposit Checking Acquisition Offer (“Enhanced Direct Deposit Offer”) (click the Offer, Product & Pricing Information link at the top of the fine print to see this)
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Regular & Access Checking fee waived:

  • in the month of account opening and for 3 months after account opening or
  • each month the account has $250+ in Enhanced Direct Deposits

Early Account Termination Fee

In the past, Citi has not charged any ETF, and none is mentioned for this offer.

Our Verdict

This is better than the $200 checking bonus we previously saw. There is also a checking bonus for up to $2,500 but that requires huge deposits. This smaller bonus will be a better option for most people as those huge deposits aren’t required. I do think now that this is $300 it’s worth doing and we will add it to our best bank bonus page. You can see the definition of an enhanced direct deposit here.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
    William Charles
  • On January 13, 2025, 11:30
Tags: direct deposit requirednationwide bank bonuses

View Comments (3539)

  • Opened in Jan with 750 offer.
    Open Date 1/13/25
    750 Bonus date 4/24/25
    Got 4.0+ interest for about 3 months, but it is .06... Great bonus and savings rate for 3 months

      • it's only the savings that got 4+%. it was in the fine print that if you opened both you would get 4+% on the savings for 3 months. So i got 4+%, but since I kept it all in there until the bonus hit. i only got .06 the last week since it has been over 3 months. Keeping 30k in the savings allowed me to get the 750$.

  • Did anyone open the savings together with checking by checking the box (open a linked savings account)? I did that online and now customer service says they cannot find the 4.35apy on my account, and I'll have to close this one and open another one in branch to qualify for the offer. Oh well, really shouldn't have opened it together...

    • I did but the rate has now decreased since it's been 3 months... it's only an initial offer

    • Did you meet the terms of the savings offer?

      'New Citi Savings accounts opened in a branch, on Citi Online or through the Citi Mobile App during an Offer Period (“New Citi Savings” account) will receive a “Promotional Rate” up to the end of the Promotional Rate Period if Required Activities are fulfilled. Applicants must 1) apply in a physical branch location (or with an employee in a physical branch by phone – including video calls) or 2) use a residential address in one of the following locations when applying to open a New Citi Savings account on Citi Online or the Citi Mobile App: California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and select markets in Florida and Illinois. New Citi Savings accounts opened by any means other than those described will not be eligible for the Promotional Rate.'

    • Should be fine to withdraw, but don't zero it out. There's a tracker of sorts if you click "Learn more" where it says "Explore all the benefits of being a Citi Priority customer" (or whatever type of customer you are) on the account dashboard.

      • Thanks. I see:
        "Way To Go!You completed your required activities for the New to Citi Checking Cash Bonus Offer! $750 Bonus as of April 17, 2025
        You must still meet the eligibility requirement in the Terms and Conditions of the offer. The Bonus will be deposited to your open, eligible account within 30 calendar days after you complete all required activities. Your Checking Account must remain open and in good standing from the time it's opened until you receive your Bonus."

  • Does anyone know when the terms of the $750 for $30000 offer changed? I opened on 1/29/25 and copied and pasted the following from the offer page: "*If you also open and fund a new Citi® Savings Account, your balance can be held in your Checking Account or between your Checking Account AND your new Citi Savings Account to count toward the minimum requirement to earn a bonus."

    Today - 4/22/25 - I checked the offer page (to figure out when to open for P2) and that asterisk was gone and the following language was added to the "Offer, Product & Pricing Information" popup: "You cannot use a Citi Accelerate Savings Account or a Citi Savings Account to maintain your Balance as part of this offer."

    My 90 days are up on 4/29/25, and I can't find a tracker on the website or the app. I'm hoping I won't have to argue with them, but does anyone happen to have a screenshot of the offer page or offer, product, and pricing information popup from before they changed the terms? Thanks in advance.

    • I think the terms can be different depending on what zip code you input. I’ve never been able to see the offer that allowed you to keep the money in a Savings account. Hopefully someone has a screenshot.

      Did you open the Citigold account?

      • I did Citi Priority. But thanks to this comment I found the tracker and it confirms that my qualifying balance includes the $30,000 I put in savings, per the terms I received when I signed up for my zip code (but which at some point seem to have changed). So hopefully I won't need to fight them or show a screenshot.

  • 3/28 Opened account
    4/7 Push $1.5k from Alliant
    4/8 Pull $1.5k from Alliant
    4/9 Push $1.5k from Alliant
    4/10 Pull $1.5k from Alliant
    4/18 $325 Bonus posted

  • DP from PA, second time getting this bonus:

    2025/03/14: Checking account opened.
    2025/03/14: Opening deposit from Discover Checking posts ($25).
    2025/04/01: Transfer from Discover Checking to Citi posts ($1510).
    2025/04/11: Transfer from Discover Checking to Citi posts ($1520).
    2025/04/18: "Interest Adj 1H25 National Checking EDD Control Offer" posts ($325).

    Super quick bonus. Thanks as always, Doc.

  • Anyone successfully churning this one? I closed my citi account 1 year + 5 days before I got a new account. I completed 2x Ally transfers of $1501 (same process as last year). Its been a month since those transfers and I haven't seen the bonus. Did I cut it too short applying for a new account barely over a year? The terms say 365, so I figured I was good at that plus 5 days.

    • I just churned it--new account was opened 1 year and 10 days after the previous account was closed.

  • Just saw the 450$ for 6000$EDD came back. If we've gotten the 325$ bonus between January-March (only 325$ available) and try to push another 300$EDD, will the extra bonus show up, or it's tied to different code already?

      • It's right near the top of this post @guest_2047416 , there's a link that says "Another variation for $450 bonus but requires $6,000 in direct deposits" under the 10/11/24 update.

        • Oh nice! I had ignored those links because they had the old date and I sure wasn’t finding it through Google or citi’s website.

  • When you push from one bank to another do you have to include words like direct deposit or payroll? Is there any info on the correct ways to push that I can look into? I'm new to this and have already opened my accounts and have to push from BMO to Citi on my first direct deposit.

    • Most banks don't have a memo or reference field. Some that do are only meant to be a reminder for the sender, and probably not transmitted. Many of the business accounts do have this ability, but for example, I pushed from Novo to Chase and left the memo field blank and it still worked as a qualified DD. It's very uncertain that it makes any difference.

      There is nothing special you need to do when "pushing". If using a bank that offers faster transfers, it usually recommended to use the slower option to ensure the funds go over as an ACH Direct Deposit and not a Real-Time Payment/Transfer. At Citi, probably is allowed and will work regardless because they allow for things like Zelle to count as an "EDD". @guest_2046106

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