This bonus is now over, you can view more checking promos here.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Availability: InStore branches only, not at all locations. [Branch locator]
- Direct deposit required: Yes, up to $1,000.
- Additional requirements: Yes, see below.
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- Credit card funding: Up to $1,000 (although there have been reports of cash advances and issues with CC funding)
- Monthly fees: $7, waivable with direct deposit of $100 or more or minimum daily balance of $500 or more
- Early account termination fee: $25 if closed within 6 months
- Expiration date: February 27th, 2015
Contents
The Offer
There is no direct link to this offer, but you can view a screenshot here.
- Receive a sign up bonus of $150 when you open a new SunTrust checking account using the promo code 150ISoffer15 at a participating branch and:
- Set up direct deposit and complete $1,000 in qualifying direct deposits during March Or April, 2015
- Make one payment via SunTrust Online Bill Pay in March or April, 2015
The Fine Print
- Qualifying accounts are Everyday, Solid Choice, Signature Advantage or Signature Advantage Brokerage
- Participating branches can be found Publix, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Bi-Lo, Safeway, Harris Teeter retail stores, and inside the Orlando Airport
- Valid until February 27th, 2015
- Direct Deposit is a Direct Deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income electronically deposited into your account by your employer or an outside agency (this has not been enforced in the past)
- Bonus will be deposited within 8 weeks of meeting the requirements
- Valid for new customers only, you’re considered a new customer if you don’t currently have a checking account with SunTrust open and haven’t had one open in the last 180 days
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
The full fee schedule can be viewed by clicking here.
Everyday Checking $7 Monthly Fee
You can avoid the $7 monthly fee by having a minimum daily balance of $500 or more, or receiving a payroll direct deposit of $100 or more.
Early Account Termination Fee
If you cancel your account within six months, they will charge an early account termination fee of $25
Our Verdict
SunTrust regularly has checking promotions, in fact at the moment they have a $200 checking promo. The only difference is that offer requires a $2,000 direct deposit and this one requires a $1,000 direct deposit (the other offer can also be done online). In the past they’ve also had a $300 bonus when you open In Store, but that required having it open for at least one full year.
I’d recommend the $200 bonus unless you cannot get $2,000 in direct deposits within a month, in which case this offer is better than the $100 you’d receive by doing the other one. This bonus has been added to our complete listing of bank bonuses which can be viewed here, it hasn’t be added to our best bonus list because the $200 bonus is better.
Hat tip to infin8007 from Slickdeals
