[YMMV] Secret $200 Wells Fargo Checking Bonus

Update 3: Looks like this offer has expired. I called a few different Wells Fargo branches asking about it, saying I had an ATM receipt and they all apologized and stated it expired on the 15th of December. If you’ve been able to get the bonus since then please let us know in the comments.

Update 2: This offer was due to expire on the 15th of December, it might still be valid but make sure you get confirmation when you open the account (as well as a reference number and the name of the person who verified it was still active). If you have any personal experiences, let us know in the comments at the end of this post.

Update: You shouldn’t actually need the ATM receipt, if you go into a Wells Fargo branch and quote the code “ATMPLS” you should be able to get this offer applied to your account, just say you lost your receipt.

Why is this Wells Fargo checking bonus a secret? Well, you would never know about it unless you happened to be getting cash out of a Wells Fargo ATM with another bank’s card. But now that you know, you can head over to your local Wells Fargo and get yourself targeted to receive $200.

The Offer

• Maximum bonus amount: $200
• Availability: Nationwide
• Direct deposit required: Choice of $500 direct deposit or 10 debit card purchases
• Additional requirements: Must be a new checking customer and not have received a cash bonus in the past 12 months
• Hard/soft pull: No
• Credit card funding: No, account must be opened in branch
• Monthly fees: $10-30, all waivable
• Early account termination fee: none listed
• Expiration date: December 15, 2014

To receive this offer you will need to use a Wells Fargo ATM with another bank’s debit card. By using an alternate banks card, you will trigger a screen that says “What would you do with $200 ?”.

Tap the “Print Offer” tab to print out the offer you can take into the branch.

This is what the print out says:

Receive $200 for opening a new Wells Fargo consumer checking account

To qualify for the bonus you must:

1.Be a new consumer checking customer and present this ATM bonus offer coupon to the banker at the time of opening the checking account.

1. Certify your U.S. taxpayer identification number (W-9) is signed and dated and on file with Wells Fargo.
2. Open and fund an eligible consumer checking account with a minimum opening deposit of $50 (not including the bonus) from September 8, 2014 to December 15, 2014 and
3. Within 60 days of opening and funding your checking account, either make 10 debit card purchases or establish a qualifying direct deposit.

 

 

The Fine Print

• A qualifying direct deposit is your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income of an accumulated $500 or more, electronically deposited to your checking account by your employer or an outside agency. Transfers from one account to another or deposits made at a banking location or ATM do not qualify as direct deposit.
• All Wells Fargo consumer checking accounts are eligible for this offer including non-interest earning checking accounts, except Teen Checking account. See banker for details.
• Offer may not be combined with any other offer, given to customers who have received any cash or cash equivalent bonus from Wells Fargo in the last 12 months, or Wells Fargo team members.
• The bonus will be deposited into the new checking  account within 45 days after all qualifications have been met. Limit one bonus per customer.
• The value of the bonus will be reported to the IRS, state and local tax authorities. If required by applicable law and the customer is responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes due on this bonus.
• Banker instructions: Enter bonus offer code ATMPLS in SVP. See SRG for procedures.

Avoiding Fees

My favorite thing about this bonus is it works with any consumer checking account, so you can pick the one that is right for you. All the accounts have fees, but they can be waived. Here’s how:

Everyday Checking

A basic checking account for everyday banking needs

Fee: $10  Note: $5 monthly service fee discount when the primary owner is 17-24 years old

Waive the fee with 10 debit card purchases/payments or other options.

Preferred Checking

An interest-earning checking account that includes the benefit of a bundled savings account

Fee: Checking: $13 with online-only statements or $15 with paper statements

Waive the $13 monthly service fee with online-only statements ($15 with paper statements) on your Preferred Checking account when you open it as a complete package4 and have one of the following:

• Maintain $10,000 in combined minimum deposit balances, OR
• Have a linked Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

PMA® Package

A checking account for higher balance with our best rates, discounts, and fee waivers when linked to your PMA Package along with other Wells Fargo accounts

For each month that one of the following requirements in statement-ending combined balances is met, you’ll avoid the $30 monthly service fee:

• $25,000 or more in qualifying linked bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, FDIC-insured IRAs), OR
• $50,000 or more in any combination of qualifying linked banking, brokerage (available through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC), and credit balances (including 10% of mortgage balances, certain mortgages not eligible)

 

Can you fund with a Credit Card ?

I asked the banker if credit card funding was possible in branch, and was told that wasn’t an option. Later, I tried to create an account online for my husband to take advantage of up to $1,000 ($500 checking/$500 savings) in credit card funding, but there was no place to enter the promo code. So to take advantage of this offer you will have to forgo the ability to fund the account with a credit card.

Our Verdict

First of all this checking bonus is very easy to qualify for. No high minimum balances or direct deposit requirements. You can literally, go to to self checkout right after (they give you a temporary debit right then and there) and buy 10 items in separate transactions to complete the bonus requirements.  I have my mortgage with Wells Fargo, so I automatically get the preferred checking account free, but even the Every Day account is fairly easy to avoid fees on. I would highly recommend this offer to anyone for who is looking for a very simple and easy to complete bonus, or to build a banking relationship with Wells Fargo.

For me personally, I couldn’t have received this checking offer at a better time.  You see, I am currently enjoying my 5% cash back on grocery, drugstore, and gas purchases that you get for the first 6 months after opening a Wells Fargo Visa Signature card. Once you have the ability to get 5% back in all those bonus categories it can be hard not to want to spend more than your credit limit. The frustrating thing about Wells Fargo is they hold your available credit hostage FOREVER after payment. Well maybe its more like a week, but it certainly feels like forever. The only way turn your available credit quicker, is to pay in branch with cash or transfer from a Wells Fargo checking account. Both of those methods will clear up available credit instantly. So every time I would pay in cash, the teller would tell me I should open a checking account, and I was about to do it just for the convenience factor. But I hate opening accounts without a bonus….So one day I was pulling a little cash out of my USAA account at a Wells Fargo ATM, to go pay down my credit card, and this great little offer came across the screen. I felt like I had won the lottery. And I kind of did, since I was getting paid $200 for something I was going to do anyway.