[Expired] [CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT] Citizens Bank $200/$450 Checking Bonus

Deal has expired, but there is now an offer for up to $600.

Offer at a glance

• aximum bonus amount: $450
• Availability: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+ or $1,000+
• Additional requirements: See below
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull as long as you opt out of over draft protecton.
• ChexSystems: Mixed data points
• Credit card funding: Up to $1,000, Visa & MasterCard only
• Monthly fees: $25, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: None listed
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: March 21st, 2019

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Citizens Bank is offering bonuses of up to $450 when you open checking/savings accounts.
  • Receive a $200 bonus when you open a One Deposit Checking from Citizens Bank and make a single direct deposit of $500 or more within 60 days of account opening
  • Receive a $450 bonus when you open a Citizens Bank Platinum Checking account and make a single direct deposit of $1,000 or more within 60 days of account opening

The Fine Print

• To qualify for the $450 bonus you must open your first new Platinum checking account between 12/10/18 and 3/21/19 and have at least one single direct deposit of $1,000 or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
• To qualify for the $200 bonus you must open your first new personal checking account, excluding Student Checking, between 12/10/18 and 3/21/19 and have at least one single direct deposit of $500 or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
• Direct Deposit is recurring income electronically deposited into your Citizens Bank checking account and may include salary, pension, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and other regular monthly income.
• For both offers: Primary signer on the new checking account may not be or have been a primary or secondary signer on any Citizens Bank personal checking account within the previous six months.
• The new account must be open and in good standing to qualify for this offer. Offer may be withdrawn without notice and cannot be combined with any other checking offer. In order to be eligible to participate in this promotion, customer must open their first new Platinum Checking or One Deposit via Citizens Bank’s online account opening system accessed by clicking on one of the links on this page.
• Customer should print this screen for their records.
• Customer may only be paid a bonus associated with this program one time.
• Bonus will post to the checking account within 90 days after direct deposit has posted and will be labeled as “Balance Builder Bonus.” Bonus will be reported to the IRS for income tax purposes.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking Account $9.99 Monthly Fee

The One Deposit checking account comes with a $9.99 monthly fee. Fee is waived by making one deposit each statement period. (According to this comment they really do count any deposit – even a transfer from another Citizens Bank account will trigger this.)

Green Savings $4.99 Monthly Fee

The $4.99 monthly fee on this account is waived with a minimum daily balance of $200+

Citizens Bank Platinum Checking Account $25 Monthly Fee

Citizens Bank Platinum Checking: $25 fee is waived with $25,000 in combined deposits

Early Account Termination Fee

As far as we know there is no early account termination fee.

Our Verdict

The $200 bonus is the same that is currently available. The $450 bonus is $50 more than the current $400 bonus but there is no savings offer available with this. Personally I think the $450 bonus is better than the $400 + $100 bonus. You’ll have to pay a few monthly fees if you don’t want to have $25,000 tied up, but it’s worth it considering it’s a $450 bonus. We will be adding it to this our list of best bank bonuses.

Hat tip to reader Mike

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