Update 12/15/24: $350 bonus back at this link through 1/31/25 (ht Shawn)
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100/$150/$200/$250/$350
- Availability: CT, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Yes
- Credit card funding:
None - Monthly fees: Avoidable
- Early account termination fee: $50, 180-days
- Expiration date:
JulyAugust 15, 2018 September 5, 2018 October 31st, 2018November 26th, 2018 January 16th, 2019 February 25th, 2019 April 1st, 2019May 13th, 2019March 2, 2020 September 15, 2020January 11, 2021April 5, 2021 October 5, 2021 April 30, 2022May 27, 2022June 28, 2022February 24, 2023 August 25, 2023 - Household limit: None listed
Contents
The Offer
Input your zip code and see what offers show for you:
- ($350) Open an M&T MyChoice Premium checking account and receive a sign up bonus of $350 & maintain a $10,000 average daily balance in November 2022 and December 2022. Promo code TK. Can also get a $100 bonus when you open a MyChoice Money Market account.
The Fine Print
- We will credit one cash bonus to the account if the account receives a total of at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening.
- Qualifying direct deposits include, but are not limited to, recurring electronic deposits such as payroll, pension or Social Security. Person-to-person, bank transfers or other electronic money transfers such as those made through internet payment services do not qualify.
- Bonus will be credited to the account within 90 days of direct deposit activation as long as the account is in good standing and all of the eligibility requirements are satisfied at the time we seek to credit the bonus.
- Only one Premium Checking Bonus and one Direct Deposit Bonus will be awarded per customer regardless of the number of accounts opened.
- The bonus(es) are not available to existing personal M&T checking account customers, or those whose accounts have been closed within 180 days, employees of M&T Bank or any of its affiliates, or customers who have received a bonus in connection with a personal M&T checking account within the preceding twelve-month period.
- A $50 early close-out fee applies if the account is closed within 180 days of opening.
- Bonus offers may vary by product and region, are not transferable and are reportable for tax purposes.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them.
Avoiding Fees
EZChoice Checking
This account has no monthly fees.
Basic Banking
This account has a non-waivable $3 monthly fee.
Classic Checking
This account has a monthly fee of $4.95 that can be waived with any one of the following methods:
- Have at least 1 direct deposit to your M&T Classic Checking with Interest account
- Keep an average daily balance of $500 or more in the account per monthly service charge cycle
- Make 10 or more debit card purchases or payments
- Keep combined balances of $1,500 or more in eligible personal deposit accounts
MyChoice Plus Checking
This account has a monthly fee of $14.95 that can be waived with any one of the following methods:
- Keep an average daily balance of $2,500 or more in the account per monthly service charge cycle
- Have direct deposits to your MyChoice Plus Checking account totaling at least $1,500 per monthly service charge cycle
MyChoice Premium Checking
This account has a monthly fee of $24.95 that can be waived with any one one of the following methods:
- Keep an average daily balance of $7,500 or more in the account per monthly service charge cycle
- Keep total combined balances of $25,000 or more in eligible personal deposit accounts, loans and home equity outstanding balances, investments6 and business deposit accounts
Early Account Termination Fee
Looks to be $50 now if closed within 180 days.
Our Verdict
The direct link above is just a generic M&T website link, so the bonus should work for any zip code deemed eligible (not sure what the “not transferable” means in the fine print). I’m assuming this bonus is available in the the states listed above, as was the case last time around (note it won’t work in all areas in those states). Let us know if you see eligible areas elsewhere. Remember, you can’t do this if you’ve gotten a bonus within 12 months.
There’s also a $50 referral offer from M&T which should stack with the regular bank bonus. More details and referral sharing can be found on this dedicated page. Do not share referrals in the comments here.
Thanks to reader Michael for letting us know about this bonus. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.
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
Bonus history
- Update 10/30/24: New code TV 11/30/24. Doesn’t seem to be any mailer restrictions this time. Hat tip to reader Massy Mass
- Update 9/10/24. Looks like you need to have received a mailer to be eligible.
$500 bonus is back with promo code UC. See also this comment for the various options. - Update 7/7/24: Another link for this offer, promo code UB. (ht RobertL)
- Update 7/2/24: Offer is back, new promo code TJ and valid till 8/30.
- Update 4/1/24: Deal is back, this time for $400. Promo code TE and valid until 5/31/24
- Update 3/4/24: Deal is back, this time $350. Valid until 3/29/24.
- Update 1/5/24: There is now a $400 checking offer, requires a $1,000 direct deposit and promo code TK
- Update 11/5/23: Deal is back until 11/24/23 .
- Update 10/19/23: Deal is back until 10/27/2023.
- Update 9/19/23: Deal is back valid 9/29/23. Bonus is $350 this time. Promo code is CA.
- Update 7/6/23: Another bonus option can be found at this link – get $200 and $150 with potentially easier requirements. (ht Yukun) Again, this should also stack with the $50 referral offer.
- Update 7/3/23: Extended through 8/25/23 with promo code CC. Referral $50 offer still around too as a stack. (ht Shawn)
- Update 6/15/23: There’s also a $50 referral offer from M&T which should stack with the regular bank bonus. More details and referral sharing can be found on this dedicated page. Do not share referrals in the comments here.
- Update 5/14/23: New $450 link. Does say use code found in the mailer, but the landing page says the code is CB so unsure if that is enforced.
- Update 3/1/23: new $350 link
- Update 2/27/23: the $350 and $450 links are expired. Here’s a lower $200 link.
- Update 1/22/23: here’s a $450 link (ht jd) and another link (ht DailyGrindit)
- Update 12/2/22: Bonus is down to $350 with promo code CJ, new link here, valid through 1/27/23 (ht Jim). There’s another link here for $250/$350 which is valid through 2/24/23.
- Update 10/14/22: $450 bonus is back.
- Update 10/13/22: $350 bonus is back, not as good as the $450 bonus. Valid until October 28, 2022
- Update 9/5/22: The $450 is expired. Seems only $200 is now available (link).
- Update 7/10/22: New $450 offer link here. Promo code UB. (ht Elena)
- Update 6/9/22: New $350 offer link, use promo code CC. (ht TallyTime)
- Update 4/28/22: $350 checking bonus + $100 direct deposit bonus now available online. Promo code TY
- Update 4/12/22: Instead of a savings bonus you can get a $100 direct deposit bonus
- Update 4/11/22: There is also a $100 savings bonus now as well. Hat tip to reader MC
- Update 4/2/22: Extended through June 30th
- Update 2/21/22: Extended through April 30, 2022. Hat tip to reader alopez14
- Update 1/13/22: Looks like there is a $450 bonus as well.
- Update 1/11/22: Extended through 1/28/22.
- Update 4/7/21: Extended through July 12, 2021
- Update 1/14/21: Extended through April 5, 2021 now
- Update 7/1/20: Extended through September 15, 2020. It seems like promo codes are now state restricted. E.g TH doesn’t work in NJ/NY.
Update 3/11/20: New $250 checking/$100 savings bonus with promo code TK. Hat tip to Peckerwood17. Valid until 6/1/20Looks like the TK promo code has not been extended.- Update 1/15/20: There is a $400 bonus now.
- Update 1/7/20: Deal has been extended until March 2, 2020.
- Update 11/8/19: Deal has been extended until January 6th, 2020.
- Update 8/20/19: Deal has been extended until November 4th, 2019.
- Update 7/10/19: Deal has been increased to $300 for MyChoice Plus or Premium & $200 for EZchecking & basic. Hat tip to readers Sean A & Allen W
- Update 7/2/19: Now available until August 19th, 2019
- Update 5/14/19: Deal is now available until July 1st, 2019.
- Update 4/7/19: $350 bonus now available in branch. Hat tip to reader Gerald
- Update 2/26/19: Bonus has been extended until April 1st, 2019.
- Update 1/17/19: Offer has been extended until February 25th, 2019.
- Update 11/28/18: Offer has been extended until January 16th, 2019.
- Update 11/01/2018: Offers extended until November 26th, 2018
- Repost 09/17/18: There is now a $300 in branch offer. Details below. Hat tip to Lazy Traveler’s.
- Repost 8/19/18: Offer extended through September 5, 2018.
- Repost 7/19/18: Offer extended through August 15th.
No referrals in comments.
Can confirm, alliant credit union push worked to trigger bonus.
can confirm that both Wise and fidelity work to trigger this
Was there any fees or forfeit of the bonus reported from downgrading the account to EZChoice after receiving the bonus?
11/24 Opened
12/2 $25 opening deposit
12/13 Real DD of $501
Still awaiting bonus for UB – $400 bonus when DD $500.
Just called. They claim even though UB is on my account, it’s not the correct region? Is that a joke? I literally have the PDF showing my zip code is eligible, and went to the branch after for ID, and they confirmed the promo.
Opened 11/24 for $400 bonus after $500 DD
Real DD hit 12/13
Still awaiting bonus
Admin can delete this. Didn’t show up in my browser so double posted above.
STAY AWAY from this bonus. I live in PA and I thought I qualified and did all the requirements and they said it is only for New England.
Thanks. When I entered my zipcode and it said no products available in my area.
my zip was eligible and branch confirmed. I called just to ensure the code was properly attached since people are getting bonuses really quick after DD, they told me my region wasn’t eligible so it’s weird that it let you use the code.
They said wait the 90 days, then submit the backup that showed my zip was eligible if I don’t get it.
Same happened to me, but I ended up getting paid anyway, it just took the system a extra few days.
The last round, for the $500 bonus:
Link?
Do not come anywhere near this bank. Approved…then account was closed without notification and even got a marketing letter after they closed account to make a direct deposit for the promotion. This bank is deplorable..
I had a similar experience to you (and Slick Nick below). Opened an account online but it was closed without notice a few days later (I noticed when I logged in and the account did not appear). I reached out to my local branch and they couldn’t give me any information about why it was closed but said that I could come into the branch with documentation verifying ID, address, etc to open a new account. I didn’t get around to doing this prior to the expiration of the previous $500 offer (this happened last month) but am debating going in for the new one. FWIW, I have churned M&T multiple times before without an issue but I do recall that last round I was not able to open an account online for some reason and had to go in branch.
My 6 months end in January. I will close and churn next Summer.
Churning might be a problem, even if the terms are met. See Sick Nick’s comment below and https://www.doctorofcredit.com/mt-bank-150-checking-bonus-tn-available-online-ct-dc-de-md-nj-ny-pa-va-wv/#comment-1921999
“Bonus offers are not available to anyone that has received a cash bonus credited to a personal M&T checking account within the last 12 months (Refer Friends Program is excluded from this 12-month period), or employees of M&T Bank or any of its affiliates.”
You do not need to close your account. In fact, keeping your account should help you avoid the eDocusign or identity/security verification issue that many of us had to go through to have an unrestricted account to use. This is what I did in my most recent churning and I avoided the drama.
The eDocsign is the most notorious enemy when it comes to dealing with M&T.
I’ve only churned M&T personal checking twice (once online and once in branch) and from what i can recall, the online version needed you to wait ages to sign the docs and even then, it wasn’t a green light to proceed with the DD.
and if you somehow slipped up and did do an ACH push, you’re insta locked from using that particular account again and possibly it will even delay your future deposits.
Branch opening i believe they do all the magic upfront so you don’t need to deal with all that b.s
When i opened, via a branch back in January, my account was pretty much good to go and i could do deposits, transfers and ACH push/puls without a hiccup.
If you’re not too paranoid about your Chex numbers and it’s not too inconvenient for you, i think going in Branch will be the smoothest way possible to avoid future headaches.
Bank is a pain to work with. Tried to close account last time and said I have to wait until interest payment posts (statement period ends). Then I got hit with a monthly maintenance fee which brought my balance to negative. I called asking to close and they said I have to pay the negative balance to zero out. Told them I will not pay and they ultimately agreed to waive the fee and close my account.