Seems to have been extended with no end date?
Update 1/20/24: Deal is back and valid until 03/31/24.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Availability: Cobalt Credit Union is located in 15 counties across Nebraska and Iowa
- Direct deposit required: Yes, no minimum
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Unknown
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees:None
- Early account termination fee: None
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: 12/31/23
Contents
The Offer
- Cobalt Credit Union is offering a $200 checking bonus when you open a new Cobalt Elite or Cobalt Blue checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Have at least one recurring direct deposit
- Enroll in e-statements
- Have at least 15 debit card transactions totaling at least $500 post and clear within 90 days of account opening, and for the Cobalt Blue checking account, have at least 10 debit card transactions totaling at least $250 post
The Fine Print
- Offer available 11/14/23 – 12/31/23. In order to receive the $200 bonus, you must open a new Cobalt Elite or Cobalt Blue checking account and fulfill the following requirements: (1) have at least one recurring direct deposit in the form of payroll or government benefit deposited into a Cobalt account, (2) enroll in e-statements, and (3) for the Cobalt Elite checking account, have at least 15 debit card transactions totaling at least $500 post and clear within 90 days of account opening, and for the Cobalt Blue checking account, have at least 10 debit card transactions totaling at least $250 post and clear within 90 days of account opening. All qualifications must be met within the first 90 days of account opening.
- The bonus will be deposited into your membership share account within 90 days of meeting all account requirements.
- The bonus is not available for existing Cobalt Blue or Cobalt Elite Checking members who have closed a Cobalt Blue or Cobalt Elite Checking account within the past 90 days.
- The bonus will be reported to the IRS as dividends earned.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
Neither account has any monthly fees.
Early Account Termination Fee
I wasn’t able to find any fee schedule so unsure if there are any EATF.
Our Verdict
Nice deal just need to know if it’s a hard or soft pull.
Hat tip to reader Gadget
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
Cobalt is denying me the bonus and is stating different terms than the original signup terms. What course of action do I have here?
I filed a CFPB complaint and I’m happy to report that my case was escalated and the VP approved the signup bonus. I’m not even sure the compliant had gotten to them yet, it was that fast. It’s possible they looked at it before I got there. A bit annoying to spend that much time for a $200 bonus but kudos to Cobalt for making it right.
I am living in Iowa but NOT related to a current Cobalt Credit Union member. How can I open checking accounts for this promotion bonus.
You have a few options: Move to one of the counties, get a job in one of the counties, adopt or be adopted by someone living in one of the counties.
Offer is back, valid till 03/31/24 William Charles
Direct link to offer seems to be a 404 error on this one.
simple process to open, it appears to need a manual approval but received within 24 hours. Was not a hard pull on credit. Chex: lol/24