Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100 for checking & $50 for savings (phone might shower a lower bonus, make sure to load on desktop). Bonus is only $125 for MO residents.
- Availability: OK & MO only, If you don’t live within 50 miles of a branch you won’t be eligible for the offer (it’ll let you sign up and then they will later close your account) [Branch locator]
- Direct deposit required: None
- Additional requirements: Use promo code
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Can fund up to $1,000 with a credit card. Mastercard & Visa are accepted
- Monthly fees:
- Early account termination fee: 90 days, bonus forfeit
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date: October 31st, 2017
The Offer
- Central Bank is offering bonuses of up to $150, broken down as follows:
- Receive $100 when you MyChoice Checking Account powered by Checknology with promo code MyChoice
- Receive an additional $50 when you open a SaveUpSM Savings Account WITH your MyChoice Checking with promo code SaveUp
The Fine Print
- Minimum to open MyChoice Checking account is $50. No minimum balance required to receive incentive for MyChoice Checking.
- Incentive for opening MyChoice Checking is $100 and account must be funded to receive incentive.
- Minimum to open SaveUp Savings account is $250. Incentive for SaveUp Savings is $50. SaveUp Savings must be opened at the same time as the MyChoice Checking account and MyChoice Checking and SaveUp Saving must be funded to receive SaveUp incentive.
- Incentive(s) are reported to the IRS as interest. All incentives will be deposited to the MyChoice Checking account within ten business days after the account is funded.
- Available to new checking account customers only.
- If checking account is closed within first 90 days a fee may be imposed.
- Online accounts using an offer code may only be redeemed by the intended recipient and are non-transferable.
- Eligibility for this offer will be verified prior to providing the bonus.
- One offer per household. We reserve the right to not open accounts for customers outside our market area.
- Not all offers are available at all affiliates of Central Bancompany.
- Promotion ends 10/31/2017.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
The MyChoice checking account has a $3 monthly fee, it’s avoidable if you do any of the following:
- Maintain a recurring direct deposit
- Use your debit card at least 10 times for a point of sale transaction
- Keep an average daily balance of at least $500
- Set up a monthly transfer between MyChoice Checking and SaveUpSM Saving
You do need to keep the account open for more than 90 days otherwise you’ll be charged an early account termination fee.
Our Verdict
Pretty great bonus if you live within 50 miles of a branch. My only concern is the targeted language in the fine print, I’m not exactly sure if that is targeted or not (and if it’s new to the previous offer they had last year). This won’t be on the best checking sign up bonus page until we know for sure.
Big thanks to reader, Jon who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- 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
Promo back, but not as lucrative. Per website link from above:
Step 1:
Earn a $75* bonus when you open a MyChoice Checking Account powered by ChecknologySM.
Open your account NOW with the offer code MyChoice.
Step 2:
Earn an additional $50** when you open a SaveUpSM Savings Account WITH your MyChoice Checking.
Open your account NOW with the offer code SaveUp.
Your offer expires 12/31/2017.
This appears to be dead- no bonus language on landing page.
My spouse just opened mychoice checking and saveup savings accounts with the bonus codes. when he mistyped the code it said invalid code but when corrected it (copy pasted) from their page , it accepted the code that means its still working . I received my bonus last month , it may not work for my husband as it says one offer per household. I needed get my 15$ rewards out of my citi DOUBLE cash and we funded with citi DC 2000$ , funding went through fine , so now i can take 55$ out of citi ;). I do hope they credit him the bonus but since i already received my bonus from this household it may not work.
It was such an easy process. A branch is 1.3 miles away from my home.
10/13/2017 – OPENED checking and savings account one after another online and funded using Citi simplicity 1000$ each . (Citi simplicity was going to credit me 25$ after i spend 2500$ so this was perfect)
10/16/2017 -The deposits posted as initial CC funding and posted as purchase on my Simplicity statement.
10/17/2017 – paid the bills using the deposits , left 5$ in checking and 50$ in savings(to avoid any fee)
10/19/2017 – Bonus of 125$ ( I live MO) posted as Consumer rewards program.
Very happy with this entire process , This is my second bonus after BOA. i am still waiting for Pinnacle, BMO, US bank, Andigo and Bank of the west , Regions bonuses to post. perhaps during Christmas time. 🙂
Doctor of Credit is very detailed and very very helpful in the banking and credit world. You guys DO make a difference in people’s lives. I dont really care much for other sites as they are not as detailed and as honest as DOC of CREDIT. Good job! keep it up
Thanks, added your datapoints
DP for closing accounts: I called to close my accounts and was told I either have to do so in person or via signed request letter to their PO box. They require a signature on file to close out accounts.
Providing DP as there is none listed for this bank on the “Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank” post at this time.
Just so you are aware,this bank is a hassle. I was charged maintenance fees on both accounts AGAIN this month. Apparently now, it’s not just a monthly transfer between MyChoice Checking and SaveUp Savings to keep fee free. I was told by Chat it have to be a transfer using the USaveFirst program??!?!
“USaveFirst is an add-on to your savings account that makes it easier than ever to save EACH MONTH. It’s easy. You choose from one of the following amounts – $0.25, $0.50, $0.75, or $1.00 – and at the beginning of each month, we’ll transfer the specific amount out per debit card transaction from your Checking Account to your SaveUpSM SavingsAccount. The amount transferred is based on your purchases in the month prior.
For example, if you choose $1.00 and make 15 transactions in June, at the beginning of July, we’ll automatically transfer $15.00 to your SaveUpSM Savings Account. Improve your savings strategy with USaveFirst.”
I am so glad I can close this account next week…
Hi Too Good 2B!,
Can you provide more DPs: dates for account opening and bonus applying, bonus received, do you live within 50 miles of branch?, first time customer?, etc.
Thanks
Sure thing!
7/16 opened MyChoice checking and SaveUp savings with promo codes listed in this post. I live within 50 miles of a branch. First time customer.
I set up a monthly $5 transfer from checking to savings to keep fee free. A rep on the phone told me this would be all I needed to do to keep checking free.
8/10 $125 bonus posted (MO). I had to call to get it because it did not post in 10 business days as stated in the offer.
Now just have to keep messing with the maintenance fees they keep charging. Last month it was only savings. This month it is both.
So apparently the SaveUp savings account has a $2/month maintenance fee? There is nothing I can find about this on their site (I can find the info for Checking – under compare checking accounts, with the information on how to avoid the monthly fee for MyChoice Checking) Does anyone else have information about this and how to avoid the $2/month savings account fee?
Thanks in advance.
I got an answer: there is a $50 minimum balance required for SaveUp Savings account or there is a $2/month maintenance fee.
Open both accounts recently in MO and funded 7/18. No bonus yet. Just put in a request with them via chat to have someone take a look at my accounts. Anyone else not get the bonus automatically 10 business days from funding as stated in the terms/conditions?
I was unable to open an account using an previous address in MO (while cuurently residing in UT). After gathering my information, the checking account application redirected me to a prepaid Mastercard. I called the bank for more information, and was told that this was likely because it was the only account I was qualified for (despite unblemished credit and ChexSystems reports). I expressed concern that the information they used may be inaccurate, and was told the only way to resolve the issue was to come in to the brance.
Note that the address I used was less than 5 miles from a branch.
Going to the direct link to offer is showing $25 for each with the MyChoice promo code. Bummer.
Odd, I’m in MO and I only see an offer for $125 when I go to their site. https://imgur.com/a/88To0
Anyway around this?
You using mobile? Use desktop
Desktop. Tried two different computers. Cleared cookies on both/incognito.
Oh well, may still be worth it
I’m in MO as well and the mailer said $125.
Will update post, thx
I’m in St. Louis, and when it input my location, the offer disappears.