This offer has expired, more bank account bonuses.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $300 Visa gift card for checking + $100 for savings
- Availability: LA, MS, FL, AL, & TX only
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements: E-statement enrollment and 5 transactions
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: Waived with $250 balance
- Early account termination fee: $25, 180 days
- Expiration date: Novmeber 30th, 2016
The Offer
Direct Link to Offer Branch Locator
- Open a checking account with Whitney Bank and receive a $300 Visa gift card after enrolling in e-statements and using your debit card 5 times before December 31st, 2016.
- Open a Silver Savings account and receive an additional $100 Visa gift card when you deposit a total of $20,000 or more in new money and maintain your $20,000 balance through February 28th, 2017.
Account must be opened in-branch or possibly over the phone. No option to open an account online. Note that in the previous offer, some bankers weren’t able to get the offer, depending on the area etc. It may be worth calling in first to verify before making the trip.
The Fine Print
- To be eligible for the promotion: A personal checking account, with new money not currently held by Whitney Bank or Hancock Bank, must be opened.
- One gift card per household.
- The offer is non-transferable and valid only for person residing at the address the mail was sent to. This cannot be combined with other offers. [Note, this hasn’t been enforced with previous offers]
- Gift card will be sent to the address associated with your new account within 4-6 weeks after the qualification expiration date of 12/31/16.
- You’re required to pay taxes on all bank account bonuses
Avoiding Fees
The basic checking account (called the ‘Access’ account) comes with a $10 monthly fee, waived with a $250 daily balance and waived for those under age 24 or over the age of 64 (also waived if you have a direct deposit of $250+).
According to reader Vasv, there is an early account termination fee of $25 if closed within 180 days.
Our Verdict
This is obviously an awesome bonus, the downside is that the fine print states it’s targeted. This wasn’t enforced last time, but I imagine if lots of people open accounts this time it will be enforced (if they have that capability). I’m not going to add it to our list of the best bank account bonuses due to that risk, only you can decide if that makes sense to sign up or not.
Big thanks to reader, Chris who let us know. Please consider sharing bank bonuses with this site so we can make it even better.
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I did this offer end of 2017 and I think I got the bonus posted to my account then closed the account. However I don’t remember if I ever received a 1099 INT.
Has anybody received the form? Since the account is closed I can’t go back to see if the deposit was described as INT or MISC.
I still haven’t received one for this bonus. Anyone else get one? I’ll probably assume it was treated as a rebate (non-taxable) for filing purposes unless someone else reports receiving a 1099.
Still haven’t received anything from them nor Wells Fargo so I’m not going to worry about it. I did my tax report already.
Wondering if anyone else has NOT gotten bonus. I opened 11/28, completed debits by 12/8. It’s been 3.5 months and no bonus. Anyone else no bonus? Or had to call in to inquire? Or waited longer than 3.5 months? I don’t want to call prematurely, but at some point, I need to. Note: I also put this comment on an older post (dated July 2016) for this offer, but it is THIS October offer that I actually did.
Just call them. May be something was wrong with their system since they also messed up my case. Still have to wait another 4-6 weeks after your call. Hope they will mail me the gift card this time.
Thanks, P. I DID call and yes, they said I was eligible and they would reissue… said it would take 3-4 weeks… So glad I called.
This matches almost exactly my experience. Opened 11/28, met requirements 12/9, waited until 7 weeks after 12/31 offer expiration and called them. Rep said I didn’t qualify but then looked at account and said, well, yes I did. Little over three weeks later (yesterday) I got the $300 gift card. You should get it.
Similar DP as poster “RB” above. Was not targeted, applied in branch in FL with emailed promo code in late Nov. 2016. Instant approval, made all purchases soon thereafter. $300 visa debit card showed up 2/1/17.
Thanks, DOC!
Does anyone know if the $300 VGC is considered taxable income?
Wanted to leave my DP in case it helps anyone in the future:
I was not targeted for this offer.
Applied in-branch on Nov 18 with the emailed promo code (enrolling in e-statements at the same time), approved and opened on the same day. Funded account on same day.
Made 10 debit card transactions by between 12/5/16 to 12/27/16 at grocery stores.
Received the $300 VGC in the mail on 1/28/17. About 71 days from the date account was opened to the date to receive the bonus in the mail.
A big thanks to DOC!
Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Similar DP to above, was not targeted and no previous relationship. Applied on 11/4, enrolled in e-statements and completed 9 debit card transactions by 11/16. Received $300 VGC on 1/28.
Wanted to leave my DP here for posterity purposes, in case it helps anyone in the future:
I was not targeted and did not receive any mailer.
No business relationship history with Hancock/Whitney.
– Sep 23: Applied online with the emailed promo code (enrolling in e-statements at the same time), approved and opened on the same day
– Sep 26: Account funded
– ~Sep 30: Debit card arrived and made all required debit card transactions by reloading Amazon GC online in amounts between $0.50 and $0.70
– ~Dec 6: $300 VGC received in the mail
– Dec 8: Loaded to Serve at FD
Pretty much the easiest bonus ever.
I went to the branch to open an account after thanksgiving. I only requested for opening a checking account. However, I found that they also opened a credit card account for me and gave me a pretty high credit limit. And I didn’t see any new hard inquiry from them on my 3 credit reports. I was wondering is it normal? I am thinking about send a email to the banker to inquire about it tomorrow.
I successfully opened a checking account online today, 11/30/16. I had to get help from Hancock Whitney over the telephone because they were experiencing unexplicable computer glitches on their end but they got it done for me. They also confirmed that my promo code was accepted.
I signed up for this bonus last time it was offered where you had to complete your 5 transactions by October 31st. Said the offer was targeted but we will see in 3-4 more weeks
Did you get the $300 bonus?