Update 11/19/23: Bonus lowered from $100 for each to $50 for each. Also increased balance qualification from $100 to $5,000.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum Bonus Amount:
$100$50 + $25 for each party - Availability: Nationwide
- Additional requirements: 15 debit transactions/
$100$5,000 minimum balance - Hard/soft pull: Unknown (soft according to customer service rep)
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Can fund up to $100 with a credit card
- Monthly fees: $10, avoidable
- Insured: FDIC
The Offer
Fitness Bank is offering the following two referral offers:
- When your friend opens a Fitness Elite checking account, each of you gets
$100$50 bonus deposit, plus you each get 100,000 bonus steps.- Use promo code: Bonus+YOUR FRIEND’S NAME (no spaces, for example: BonusJaneDoe)
- Qualifications: 15 debit card transactions must post to the new account in the most recent statement period (monthly statement that concludes 90 days at or after account opening). Also, the account must have a positive balance.
- When your friend opens a Fitness savings account, each of you gets $25 bonus deposit, plus you each get 25,000 bonus steps.
- Use promo code: Bonus+YOUR FRIEND’S NAME (no spaces, for example: BonusJaneDoe)
- Qualification: the account must maintain $100 minimum balance
Do Not Share Referrals In The Comments Below.
The Fine Print
- The Free Bonus Deposit offer ends December 31, 2023.
- Bonus is not available if referred person has an active account or has had one within the past 12 months.
- Accounts must be in good standing at time of payment and qualifications must be met.
- Bonus payment will be transferred into the newly established account and the account of the person making the referral within 45 days after the end of the 90-day qualification period that begins after account opening.
- Bonus may be subject to tax reporting, applicable 1099 may be sent for tax purposes and the customer is responsible for any applicable taxes.
- Due to privacy concerns, we cannot discuss the status of the referred account with the referrer.
- At time of application the referred person must enter in the promo code field the word Bonus + the referrer’s name with no spaces. Example – BonusJaneDoe.
- All accounts are subject to Bank approval. FitnessBank reserves the right to amend or cancel any part of this offer at any time without notice. Regular account fees apply and are subject to change at any time.
- Only one new account per customer is eligible for this Bonus.
- Existing customers may make referrals to multiple new customers.
- Individual making referral will have their bonuses capped at $1,000 per calendar year.
Avoiding Fees
This account has a $10 monthly fee; this is waived if you have a $10 minimum average daily balance.
Our Verdict
We’ve heard of the bank before due to their decent interest rates, see our original post on Fitness Bank here. This added $100/$100 referral sweetener is nice. I’d guess you can signup for both accounts and get both referral bonuses, but I’m not certain of that.
Do Not Share Referrals In The Comments Below. In this case, the referrals are the existing user’s full name, and we won’t make a referral post for this. Instead, try scouting around to find a friend who you trust has an account, and enter their name in the promo code field. Again, no discussion or requests or offers in the comments on DoC.
Hat tip to Chief Loss Leader
I got this bonus for myself and P2 recently. Didn’t get in on the $100 offer unfortunately. The $50/$25 offers are still worth doing if you can get some referrals or are in multi-player mode, etc. P3 should also be receiving both checking and savings bonuses in the near future as well. All accounts were approved after pending review.
12/19/23 – Opened the referral versions of the Elite checking and savings accounts with referral/promo codes entered twice and $100 each (minimum initial deposit requirement, also required to keep each account fee-free)
1/3/24 – $5k deposit from Keypoint Credit Union hit checking account
3/5/24-3/8-24 – 15 $1 PayPal debit card transactions (P2 did some with Cash App and they worked as well)
3/11/24-4/8/24 – 15 $1 PayPal debit card transactions (I did 15 in two different statement periods because I honestly wasn’t sure which one was the right one for the bonus)
6/12/24 – $50 checking bonus posted twice, one for being referred and one for referring, same with the $25 savings bonus
I think I initially used Gadget’s referral? P2 has a similar timeline, though obviously signed up after me. P3 was asked for a Persona selfie via email, but that went nowhere. P3 had to apply again to get approved at a later date.
I haven’t tried their app that’s supposed to track your steps to increase the APY on their accounts–has anyone tried this yet? Did anyone get the free steps awarded from the referral program too?
When did you pull the $5k out?
I had to ask for the free steps to be added.
So I ended up getting the $100 bonus even though I screwed up the debit spend. My account clearly shows 13 debit transactions on the statement ending 3/10, then 2 more that posted on 3/11, even though the transactions were done on 3/9.
I assumed I didn’t get the bonus and forgot about it. I just logged in today and I see the $100 Bonus payed on 4/4.
I asked why I hadn’t received the $100 for the debit card spending and they came back with that the debit card transactions must be completed in the statement period that concludes 90 days after opening. However, this doesn’t jive with 15 debit card transactions must post to the new account in the most recent statement period. The “most recent statement period” depends on your point of reference. If I did the debit card transactions during the first statement period, then that period would have been the “most recent”.
Could have it been worded differently? Sure. But, the key was the 90 days. Normally I don’t bother to ask CSR’s questions, but I did ask this:
For the checking bonus, it says
Please confirm I am interpreting that correctly.
So I can’t do the debits in prior statements?
CSR RESPONSE:
You are correct – you must have, at minimum, 15 debit transactions in the statement that concludes March 10th (or earlier if on a weekend). You can do debits prior to that statement, but for the bonus purpose, the statement we are looking at is the one when the 90 days occurs.
Not that you were required to read my comments, but I know I said twice to remind people to use their debit card around Valentine’s day and show it some love.
I interpreted their terms to mean that you had 90 days to complete the requirements and that it was just worded very poorly. However, it seems they are sticking to their interpretation of only the 3rd statement period counts. If that’s the case, why do the terms even mention a 90 day qualification period? Shouldn’t it be a 30 day qualification period starting on day 61 and ending on day 90? I have already filed a CFPB complaint that was forwarded to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), so we’ll see how that goes.
Has anyone received the bonus steps? I received the $100 bonus on 4/4/24 but nothing yet for the steps.
Checking bonus payments posted yesterday…
John R
4/4/24 $100 “BONUS PAYMENT – CHECKING REFERRAL”
P1 just had the one, and P2 had less than the number of Savings referrals… which doesn’t make much sense. I am sure anyone who signed up would have done the Checking offer either in tandem, or in favor of, the Savings offer.
So, my recommendation, for anyone still waiting, time to start complaining. Hopefully they are honest and post the bonus for both sides.
Anyone get the checking bonus?
Still within the posting period if you opened your account based on this post:
“Bonus payment will be transferred into the newly established account and the account of the person making the referral within 45 days after the end of the 90-day qualification period that begins after account opening.”
Late last night, I also saw the $25 Savings bonus for being referred and another for a referral.
BONUS PYMT – BEING REFERRED
BONUS PYMT – FOR SAV REFERRAL
Don’t forget to get your debits done ASAP if you haven’t done them yet. They have to be done in this statement cycle that ends next Friday. 15x – no dollar amount specified.
Pretty annoying that purchases made on Thursday stayed pending and didn’t post until today. All other purchases I made posted within a day, until now. No $100 for me.
Did your $100 checking bonus post? Mine should have appeared on 3/30, I’ll probably give it a day or two before sending a SM.
Nope. No bonus, P1 or P2. I am going to hold off contacting them as I think they had up to 45 days to payout.
John R
The 45 day window has passed:
11/15/23 + 90 + 45 = 3/29/24
“Bonus payment will be transferred into the newly established account and the account of the person making the referral within 45 days after the end of the 90-day qualification period that begins after account opening.”
Gadget - Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
Gotcha. I am behind on my follow-ups. I am still going to wait a bit.
I imagine they are going to try to say we did not meet the requirements, because they were yet another bank/CU that made changes without starting fresh.
John R
Opened in November. The $25 for savings already posted on 2/29.
Still waiting on the $100 for checking. Completed the 15 debit card transactions in February after the 2/9 statement posted.
The checking bonus is not due until after the current statement closes. If anyone forgot to do the debits, there is still time to get them done to be included on the statement that will close out around March 8th.
Latest statement for the checking account posted 2/9/24, so debit card transactions can now be made for this condition:
“15 debit card transactions must post to the new account in the most recent statement period (monthly statement that concludes 90 days at or after account opening).”
Did anyone ever get the bonus?
Too early,
Mark. Assuming most people signed up in November, next month… we get to do our debits… just remember Valentine’s Day, and show this card some love 💘 with 15 debits!
So, no, we are still waiting.
“Bonus payment will be transferred into the newly established account and the account of the person making the referral within 45 days after the end of the 90-day qualification period”