[Expired] PNC $400 Checking Bonus [IL Only]

Update 2: This has expired according to this comment. You can view current checking promos here.

Update: Please let us know in the comments if this has been extended or not.

Seems to be IL only unfortunately.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: Up to $400 
• Availability: IL only and maybe only greater Chicago area
• Direct deposit required: $2,000
• Additional requirements: 10 debit card transactions
• Hard/soft pull: Soft 
• Credit card funding: Up to $2,000 with Visa or Mastercard. Unsure if it will be a cash advance if you open in branch
• Monthly fees: $7-$25, waive-able 
• Early account termination fee: $25 if closed within six months
• Expiration date: October 31st, 2016 December 31st, 2016

The Offer

No direct offer link, must go in branch

• Open a new Virtual Wallet withPerformance Spend, Virtual Wallet with Performance Select, Performance Checking Or Performance Select Checking before October 31st and receive a $400 bonus when you do the following:
  • Establish a qualifying direct deposit of $2,000 within 60 days
  • Select the Chicago Bears PNC Visa Debit card (annual fee of $10)
  • Make at least 10 qualifying debit card purchases [Read: How To Meet Minimum Debit & Credit Transaction Requirements]

The Fine Print

• Bonus will post within 60 days of all conditions being met
• Only one reward per customer
• New account will not be eligible for offer if any signer has signing authority on an existing PNC Bank consumer checking account or has closed an account within the past 90 days, or has been paid a promotional premium in the past 12 months
• A qualifying Direct Deposit is defined as a recurring Direct Deposit of a paycheck, pension, Social Security or other regular monthly income electronically deposited by an employer or an outside agency
• A qualifying debit card purchase is defined as any debit card purchase made at a point of sale using your signature or PIN, or a purchase made electronicially or online using your debit card number.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
• Promo code is BEAR1

Avoiding Fees

There is an early account termination of $25 if the account is closed within 6 months of account opening. The account must also be open and in good standing when the bonus posts.

Performance Checking $15 Monthly Fee

This is the easiest account to keep fee free. The $15 monthly fee is waived if you do any of the following:

• Average monthly balance of $2,000 or more
• Qualifying direct deposit of $2,000 or more
• $15,000 in linked eligible accounts

Our Verdict

They are also offering a bonus of up to $300 with some slightly different requirements. This bonus is obviously better, but you do need to go in branch to get it and there is no guarantees they will actually offer you this bonus (reader Feb S let us know about it). They also sometimes offer the $400 bonus without needing to go in branch, but that does require a higher direct deposit requirement. We might add this to our best checking sign up bonus list depending on people’s experiences with this offer. Make sure you share yours in the comments.

Asking the banker to input the promo code BEAR1 might help.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

• A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
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• 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