[Expired] [DE, MD, NJ, PA, & VA Only] Fulton Bank $150 Checking Bonus

This bonus has expired and is no longer available. Click here for a list of the best banking bonuses.

Offer Details

  • Maximum bonus amount: $150
  • Availability: DE, MD, NJ, PA, & VA Only. (Possibly further restricted by county—see the fine print.)
  • Direct deposit required: Yes, $250.
  • Additional requirements: None.
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft.
  • ChexSystems: Yes.
  • Credit card funding: None.
  • Monthly fees: $0–$10, waivable.
  • Early account termination fee: None listed.
  • Household limit: One (1).
  • Expiration date: August 25, 2017

The Offer

Direct link to offer.

  • Receive a bonus of $150 when you open a new checking account (either via the “Apply Now” button on the offer page OR by choosing “Email me a Coupon” and presenting the coupon to a Fulton Bank branch representative), AND set up a monthly direct deposit of $250 or more within 60 days.

The Fine Print

  • Promotion only available to visitors of the landing page that either apply online or generate a coupon utilizing the landing page’s links.
  • Existing checking account customers are not eligible for this offer.
  • Fulton Financial Corporation affiliate banks do not offer products and services to individuals that live outside of their service area, which you can view here.
    • It’s unclear as to whether the indicated counties are the only ones that are considered in Fulton’s service area, or whether adjacent counties are included, or whether they use a distance based formula from the indicated counties. If you have any experience or data points, please comment below!
    • Fulton Financial Corporation affiliate banks include FNB Bank, Fulton Bank, Fulton Bank of New Jersey, Lafayette Ambassador Bank, Swineford National Bank, and The Columbia Bank.
  • This offer is valid for new consumer checking accounts.
  • Promotion is limited to one $150 cash bonus per household/address.
  • Fulton Financial Corporation employees and immediate family members sharing a household are not eligible.
  • This offer is valid when you open a new checking account between July 5, 2017 and August 25, 2017, AND and you set up one (1) recurring monthly direct deposit in the single amount of $250 or more within 60 days of opening the checking account.
  • The direct deposit requirement is limited to Social Security, pension, payroll, or unemployment.
  • $150 cash bonus will be credited to your checking account four to six weeks after the conditions above have been met and as long as the account is in good standing.
  • The bonus is treated as interest income and as such you will need to pay taxes on it; Fulton will issue you a 1099-INT.
  • There is a $0 minimum balance to open any checking account in branch, but a $25 opening deposit is required if opening an account online.

Avoiding Fees

Avoiding monthly service fees couldn’t be easier. The Simply Checking, Student Checking (ages 16–22), and Prime Life Interest Checking (age 50+) accounts all have no monthly fee.

The Interest Checking account has two ways to waive the $10 monthly fee: have a minimum daily balance of $1,000, OR have an ACH direct deposit into the account each statement cycle (statement cycles are implied to be by calendar month, but don’t quote me on that!). As per usual, an ACH direct deposit does not include transfers and deposits made through various channels, including ATM, branch network, mail, mobile banking, online banking, or telephone banking.

The Relationship Banking (checking) account waives the $10 monthly fee with a minimum daily balance of $2,000.

Opening a Simply Checking account is definitely the way to go. (Relationship Banking could’ve been interesting, but Relationship Rewards points look weak. They’re worth 0.417¢ for $25 cash back, 0.455¢ for $50 cash back, and 0.476¢ for $100 cash back.)

Early Account Termination Fee

I can find no references to an early account termination fee on their website, nor other websites covering bank bonuses.

Mobile Deposit Fee

Since it’s unusual, I’ll mention that you only get two (2) mobile deposits per month fee-free; after that, they cost $0.50 each.

Our Verdict

With the presence of a checking account that does not charge a monthly service fee, a $150 bonus for a $250 direct deposit is an acceptable offer, with one catch: there are no DPs on what Fulton Bank will count as a direct deposit. (Previous promotions have only required debit card transactions, at least those that have made it online.) The direct deposit requirement is slightly larger than some comparable bonuses, such as the M&T Bank $150 offers, but – in my opinion – that’s partially offset by having to do nothing to keep the Simply Checking account fee-free. This offer is certainly worth going after, but I hesitate to recommend it too strongly without knowing for sure what counts as a direct deposit.

Be aware that when reader Gadget opened an account, the end of the application notes: “we cannot open your online account until your signed signature card and opening deposit are received. If you choose to open your new account with funds from another bank, we will initiate the transfer when we receive your signed signature card.”.

(Do note that, if you click “Apply Now” on the offer page, the proffered accounts for opening include a Health Savings Account, which is not eligible for the offer, by my reading – so don’t choose that one!)

If you do go for this bonus, let us know what counts (or doesn’t count) for direct deposit in the comments, so that we can add it to our list of methods banks count as direct deposits. And as always, you can view our collection of the best bank account bonuses at this link.

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    sirtheta
  • On July 6, 2017, 19:02

View Comments (106)

  • Sent SM to close account. Response: Need a signed letter, mailed or faxed, to close the account. Said to send to my opening branch. They didn't say notarized.

    I replied, because I opened online, and they provided this:

    Please forward your letter to our Penn Square Branch at One Penn Square Lancaster, PA 17602. Phone number 717-291-2499, fax 717-295-4792.

    I am going to use the FAX option... I will report back if it gets botched.

    • Here's my data point: I faxed my letter and the bank called me and asked to fax a notarized signature in order to release the funds, since there was a small balance left. Fulton Bank snail mailed me a check for the remaining balance. If your balance is $0 then they probably won't ask for a notarized signature as you stated. Hope this helps someone.

    • Thanks for this information. Luckily I had the account number lying around the house in order to cancel. This bank is awful. Not being able to give account numbers out on the website or over the phone?

      Still waiting to see the results of the fax and whether they will be anal about not having it notarized.

    • Thanks Gadget!
      This is helpful. Got my bonus but waiting until after tomorrow's real dd to clear then empty the account. By next week I'll be ready to close.

      • Letter faxed last night. Now when I login via app, no accounts found. So, notarized is not required. Just the fax, ma'am. I keep it next to my VCR and rotary phone.

  • FYI, Fidelity Brokerage ACH does not work, either.

    A real pain to close the account as well -- you need a notarized letter if you can't go to a branch. :(

    • Their hours are so crappy, I'd find it easier to send a notarized letter than to try to get there when they're open.

  • In Northern VA

    Bonus posted a week after a Work DD and Robinhood (I was afraid of bonus not posting and hence decided to do a Work DD in addition to Robinhood)

    These ACHs did *NOT* trigger a bonus more than 2 weeks after the transfer:
    Citi
    Discover
    Huntington
    Capital One 360 Checking
    Wells Fargo

    • Just keep in mind that even after my real DD, the bonus took more than two weeks to be credited. I ended up having to contact them a couple times and they admitted to having issues posting bonuses. So, I'm not so sure it's a triggering issue... It's a overall screwed up issue.

  • My saga continues. My real DD hit this account on 8/1 - still no bonus. Contacted them Monday, saying that a "friend had got paid their bonus and they signed up and met the requirements after me". It's not untrue - you are all my friends. Got a response back after 1 day saying that the marketing dept said the incentive will be paid by the end of the week. Well, today was the end of the week - so I SM'ed again.

    Got this response: We have received a response regarding this issue. Again, we want to sincerely apologize regarding this. Our Marketing Department has advised us that they are experience issues with crediting customers for this incentive. Please allow 2-3 business days to see this credit in your account.

    I used a real DD and live in their "footprint: area, so I will get my bonus... And I will contact them repeatedly until they give in. But, I shouldn't have to do so!!!

    • Suddenly appeared online on 9/2, even tho dated 9/1. (never showed as pending)

      "09/01/2017 PROMO CASH BONUS / MISC CREDIT $150.00"

      Sweet taste of success. Although, not the easiest bonus and had a lot of bumps. Since the account is free and doesn't take a DD to do so, I might keep it for a couple months. I don't like to be a huge jerk.

      • How did you manage to keep yours free? I have to keep a nominal DD from my payroll ($10) going in monthly until I decide to close it.

        • Simply checking has no monthly fee. I am assuming you opened a interest checking. I assumed they let you convert the account if you want.

    • Ditto this. I tried two Ally pushes, 8/4 and 8/21, and nothing yet. Hopefully my real DD next Friday (9/15) will hit in time for the 60-day limit from the day I opened (7/18). Will update once I get a concrete DP but I would imagine that if I get the bonus after a real DD it wasn't because of the Ally push.

      • I switched to payroll DD. I met requirements back in September. Today, 10/17, I called and was told to wait until mid November for the bonus.

  • I inquired about closing my account via secure message and received the following response. Looks like either have to mail/fax a signed letter or do it in-branch.

    "To ensure the security of our customers’ accounts, we require our accountholder’s signature to close an account. To make this request, please visit the Fulton Bank office most convenient to you. A complete listing of our office locations is available on our website. If you prefer, you may mail or fax a letter requesting to close the account. This letter should include your signature and instructions to distribute any remaining funds in the account. Please direct this to the office where your account was established."

      • Some banks direct you to the nearest branch as the crow flies to your location (FNB PA did that to me - had to speak to that particular Branch Manager for an issue). Not sure about this bank. I would call for yourself. Sometimes HUCA or your own message under Support > Secure Message > Contact Us in their online banking might get a different result. Might depend on Zip.

  • I've done a Cap one 360 and 2 Vanguard Brokerage deposits so far.

    No bonus.

    Probably too late for employer DD because I opened it at the beginning of July and there is a 2 week minimum lag on DD changes with my employer.

    Does anyone have any successful DP that was not an employer DD?

    Thanks

  • My bonus posted 12 days after an employer DD of $250. I imagine if you are attempting non-employer DD and it takes longer than 2 weeks, it's not going to work. I live in DC.

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