[Expired] Wells Fargo $200 Checking Bonus; Direct Deposit Required

This deal has expired, click here for the best current checking bonuses.

Update 02/06/18: This stopped working after we first posted it, it’s now working again. Keep in mind there is another offer with no direct deposit requirement but only available in select areas. Hat tip to reader Gadget.

Update 01/24/18: Deal is back and valid until March 22nd, 2018. Hat tip to reader YAR

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $200
  • Availability: Nationwide, apart from the following states: AA, AE, AP, AS, GU, HI, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MP, NH, OK, PR, RI, VI, VT, and WV
  • Direct deposit required: Yes
  • Additional requirements: None
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft
  • ChexSystems: Mixed reports, likely doesn’t pull
  • Credit card funding: Can fund up to $50 online
  • Monthly fees: $10, waivable
  • Early account termination fee: None
  • Household limit: None
  • Expiration date: December 7, 2017 March 22nd, 2018

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Receive a sign up bonus of $200 when you open a new Everyday checking account with Wells Fago and have $500 direct deposited into the account for three consecutive months within 150 days of account opening

 

Eligibility

Enter your zip code to check eligibility. I checked around the country and it seems to be working everywhere.

The Fine Print

  • Not eligible for bonus if you are: 1) a current owner on a Wells Fargo consumer checking account; 2) a Wells Fargo team member; 3) a recipient of a consumer checking bonus in the past 12 months (limit 1 bonus per customer)
  • Online only
  • Initial deposit of $25 required during account opening
  • A qualifying direct deposit: Your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income, electronically deposited (by an employer, the government or an outside agency) to the account opened for this offer. A non-qualifying deposit: Transfers from one account to another, deposits made at a branch or ATM, and deposits from payments for the sale of goods or services.
  • Offer cannot be  paid without providing a valid (W-9) and U.S. taxpayer ID number
  • Offer can not be combined with any other consumer deposit offer
  • Bonus will post to your new checking account within 45 days after eligibility and qualifications have been met
  • Offer available on wellsfargo.com only and not available in AA, AE, AP, AS, GU, HI, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MP, NH, OK, PR, RI, VI, VT, and WV.
  • You are responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes due on your bonus and we will report as income to the tax authorities as required

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fee

The Everyday Checking account comes with a $10 monthly fee. Get the fee waived with one of the following:

  • 10 debit card purchases and/or payments each statement cycle from this checking account, OR
  • Direct deposits totaling $500 or more each statement cycle, OR
  • Maintain a $1,500 minimum daily balance, OR
  • Link checking account to a Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card

If you have a Wells mortgage, you might be able to get a higher-level account with no fees.

Early Account Termination Fee

There is no early account termination fee.

Our Verdict

I suspect most people will be ineligible for this deal due to doing other bonuses last year (none of these are valid anymore):

 

  • The one discussed in this post; $200 bonus with 3 x $500 direct deposit requirement
  • There’s a $300 offer in select areas; that one is similar to the one outlined in this post, though the direct deposit requirement is $1,500 instead of $500
  • There’s a $200 offer in select areas; that one doesn’t have a direct deposit requirement, just an easy debit card usage requirement

This deal isn’t as good as those as it has the direct deposit requirement and it isn’t for $300, but it’s still a pretty good deal. We’ll add this to our list of Best Bank Bonuses.

Hat tip to reader James
    Chuck
  • On February 7, 2018, 00:38

View Comments (274)

    • Also, does anyone know the difference to the receiving bank between an employer direct depositing via ACH and me pushing via ACH?

  • Late entry DP: SO signed up for this just over 12 months from last bonus (Feb 2017), this account opened in early March 2018. Did $500 plus ACH each month from BMO Harris, Cap One 360, and Chase for 3 months, in March, April, May from all 3 banks on various dates approx 30 days apart.

    No bonus. Gave up waiting in late July. Didn't contact the bank. (Guess I forgot to post this last summer.)

  • I'm guessing the "within 150 days" is strictly enforced or coded in :( waited too long for this one

  • DOC, you should update the forms of Hub DD acoutns that work. cap1 and charles schwab seem to not work anymore, while fidelity still does as per commentors dp's.

    • We update whenever new DP are posted. What dp you see that aren't listed?

      • There's a Charles Schwab dp from "Josh" "kats" on here not working and a few cap1 dd's that aren't working from "Chris","Tim". I did a cap1 dd as well, no bonus, it's been 30 days, 15 more and I'll know for sure....the direct deposit page for WF shows that cap1 and Charles Schwab still works...thanks for the reply

        • Thanks, not sure what happened there but Iv'e added them now. Looks like they are much more strict currently

    • Mind sharing how you confirmed? Did you follow-up to see about the status of your bonus?

      And you did perform monthly or >3x ACH pushes?

      • I followed up yes. They weren't all the same time day each month, but it was in the first few days of each month $500 pushes each time. As someone else mentioned, it was enough to waive the fees though..

        • Thanks. Phone rep? Did you happen to say, I met the requirements with monthly DDs, and s/he specifically said they were not DDs?

          Just want to make sure this wasn't a bonus already received in <12-month situation, or not meeting some other requirement

  • 2/7 - opened account
    4/11, 5/9, 6/13 - $500 real Direct Deposit
    6/20 - $200 Bonus is pending which is 7 days after the 3rd real DD

  • Opened account on 3/15, 3 CO360 DDs of $500 on 3/28, 4/27 and 5/29 but still no bonus. Received bonus previously but more then 12 months have passed I believe. Am I out of luck?

    • Not out of luck. I got the bonus exactly one month after my 3rd monthly deposit so you may get it end of June. Just in case, you may want to do a DD from a different source in June, July, and before Aug. 11 (since you'll hit the 150 day mark on Aug. 12).

  • Opened account in March. Used Charles Schwab brokerage for deposits for Mar, Apr, May. No bonus so far. Contacted customer service and they said the last bonus I had posted in Feb 2017. I didn't even mention previous accounts I had with them. They told me I had to make 10 debit card transactions for three consecutive months. I told them they are giving me info from the wrong promo. I'll wait a bit longer then cancel.

    • My brokerage transfers aren't posting either. I contacted them 2 weeks back regarding my bonus and I received a letter dating 6/14 that I had not met the requirements. Someone posted that it had worked back in Feb. 2018. Going to try Serve or maybe Venmo

        • Very unfortunate, this was Venmo, to clarify?

          And was the denial via phone, SM, etc.? Did they explicitly note it was the DD requirement, not 12-months or other component?

    • Dan, can you try another direct deposit option for June, July, August before you hit the 150 day mark?

      • I could. I used the brokerage because so many people reported not getting the bonus when using CapitalOne and Charles Schwab checking. I don't know if I have enough time though because the rep said I had 150 days to do the debit card transactions and I only did them once for one month, I was under the impression it was 10 debit card transactions and three direct deposits of $500 or more.

        • What day did you open the account? What day did your May deposit hit? Also, when you opened the account you should have received an email with the terms required to get the bonus (debit card or direct deposits).

  • 01/24/2018 Opened account
    Jan-Mar Ally deposits
    Mar-May CO360 deposits
    06/11/2018 No bonus, closed account

    Oh well, can't win 'em all.

    • Clay, was this your first time attempting a WF bonus? If so, did you mail back your W-9? What day was your last CapOne360 deposit?

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