[OK, IL KS & MO, CO only] Central Bank $300 Checking Bonus + $100 Savings Bonus [$800 St Louis Offer]

Update 1/7/25: Extended to 12/31/2025.

Update 1/1/25: Extended to 1/6/2025

Update 9/10/24: There is an offer for the St Louis market only that is up to $800 

Update 4/15/24: There is another link that doesn’t require a referral here.

Update 1/14/24: Extended until 12/31/2024

Update 2/25/23: Deal is back until 12/31/2023

Update 6/11/22: Looks like CO also works.

Update 3/8/22: There is a new link with a $100 savings bonus as well.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $300 + $100
• Availability: OK, IL,  KS & 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: Yes, two direct deposits
• Additional requirements: See below
• 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: None
• Early account termination fee: Unknown
• Household limit: One
• Expiration date: December 31, 2022

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Central Bank is offering a referral bonus of $300. Requirements are as follows:
  • Use promo code RAF300
  • Enter person who referred you first and last name
  • Deposit $50 or more at account opening
  • Have at least two qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days of account opening

The Fine Print

• To receive the $300 checking bonus open a new eligible personal checking account. Eligible accounts include MyChoice Checking, MaxMoney® Checking, Free Checking, World Checking, and Preferred Interest Checking.
• Deposit $50 or more at account opening; and have at least two or more direct deposits within 90 days of account opening.
• Acceptable types of Direct Deposits include Payroll, Pension or Government Benefit.
• Bonus is reported to the IRS as interest.
• No minimum balance required for bonus.
• Bonus will be deposited into the checking account within 15 business days after account 1) meets all requirements AND 2) has been open for 90 days.
• Available to new checking account customers only.
• One offer per household.
• We reserve the right to not open accounts for customers outside our market area.
• Offer not valid with any other offers.
• Promotion ends 12/31/2022.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

They offer a free checking account with no monthly fees to worry about

Early Account Termination Fee

I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so I’m unsure if there is an early account termination fee. Might as well keep the account open as there is no monthly fees to worry about (usually six months is long enough to avoid any potential early account termination fee).

Our Verdict

Not sure what the person referring gets. We’ve seen a bonus as high as $350 in the past, but that had targeted language. Feel free to share your referrals in the comments below. We will add this to our list of the best checking bonuses. No longer possible to do Jefferson and this one, unfortunately.

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