Update 11/16/24: Deal is back and valid until 12/31/24. Now in branch only. Hat tip to snailrock
Update 7/13/24: Deal is back until August 31, 2024. Hat tip to reader jay
Update 5/20/24: Deal is back from May 1 – June 30, 2024. Hat tip to reader Tol
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $250
- Availability:Â SD & MN
- Direct deposit required:Â Yes, no minimum
- Additional requirements:Â See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding:Â Unknown
- Monthly fees:Â None
- Early account termination fee:Â $25, 90 days
- Household limit:Â None
- Expiration date: February 29, 2024
Contents
The Offer
- American Bank & Trust is offering a $250 checking bonus when you open a new checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Receive a direct deposit within 90 days of account opening
The Fine Print
- Offer available from January 1 – February 29, 2024, and American Bank & Trust (AB&T) reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time without notice.
- Accounts are subject to approval. 1) Open a new AB&T checking account; AND 2) Have your direct deposit made to this account within 90 days of opening. Person to Person payments (such as Zelle®) or external bank to bank transfers using the ACH network are not considered a direct deposit.
- All accounts have a minimum opening deposit of $50 and are subject to applicable terms, fees, and charges.
- After the qualifications have been met, we’ll deposit the bonus in your new account within 45 days.
- If the checking account is closed by the customer within 90 days after opening, the account will be subject to a $25 early closure fee.
- Eligibility may be limited based on account ownership.
- Offers not available to those whose accounts have been closed within 6 months or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years.
- Limit one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last bonus payout date per customer.
- Limit one bonus per account and per customer.
- Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 104-S, if applicable.) Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has no monthly fees to worry about
Early Account Termination Fee
$25, 90 days
Our Verdict
If anybody goes for this bonus please share your experiences in the comments below.
Hat tip to reader Gadget
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
Back until 12/31/24 (C6?) https://www.abt.bank/2024-checking-cycle-6/ In-branch only now lol
Applied late June and I just receiver this letter in the mail today: American Bank & Trust has been reviewing our processes for opening checking accounts online. We have identified a deficiency within the online account opening process which affected the account you applied for. You were initially given a notice your account was approved but it was later denied.
While you do not qualify for our current online account promotion, we have determined you should receive the $250.00 account opening bonus as you were initially approved for the account. Enclosed is the bonus check. Please consult your financial advisor for any income tax related issues…
An unexpected but welcome surprise!
Said my account was being reviewed and someone would be in contact with me shortly. Guessing a denial.
OK update, this one is a nightmare to set up. First they need a copy of my ID which wasn’t required when I signed up, now they need 2 forms for address verification but not sure if a bank statement will work. It’s been a week and I’m still trying to get this completed.
Offer is back: July 1st to August 31, 2024. https://www.abt.bank/2024-checking-cycle-4/ Finally got approved almost 2 weeks later…
Denied due to Chex. No digital response, was a physical letter <1 week later.
same. hand addressed envelope even!
Can confirm no Hard Credit pull.
Can someone confirm if this is a hard credit pull?
Can someone confirm if this is a hard pull or soft pull? Thanks!
Had to file an FDIC report to get the bonus. The banker said they wanted all my business even though I had two real DD. A day after filing the report the bank sent me an email saying they would post the bonus.
DP: credit card funding of $500 on my Visa worked.
Back to life again: May 1 – June 30, 2024
https://www.abt.bank/2024-checking-cycle-3/
Opened 2/6, real DD 2/16. No activity since. No bonus as of 4/24. Contacted AB&T and they said they are looking for long term relationships and since I basically have no activity that I was bonus hunting and the disclosures have language regarding that, so no bonus. I didn’t see any language like that, but I’m not going to fight it or go back and look through the terms. I would stay away unless you plan on using the account on a regular basis until the bonus hits. They seem to monitor this kind of activity closely, unlike bigger banks. Win some, lose some.
CFPB complaint time. Another commenter got them to pay up