[Expired] U.S. Bank $200 In-Branch Checking Bonus

Deal has expired, view the best current checking bonuses here.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $200
• Availability: In branch only [Branch locations | Map]. They have states in AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $1,000+ within 60 days
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Mixed data points
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $10.95-$12.95, waivable 
• Early account termination fee: None
• Household limit: None mentioned
• Expiration date: August 6, 2018

The Offer

No direct link, offered in-branch only

• U.S. Bank is offering a bonus of $200 when you open a new consumer checking account and receive direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 60 days of account opening.

The Fine Print

• Valid between June 11 and August 6, 2018
• $200 bonus will be deposited into your new checking account within 60 days of direct deposit verification as long as your account is opened
• Offer may not be combined with any other checking account bonus offers
• Offer is not valid if you have an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. bank checking account account in the last twelve months or received other U.S. Bank bonus offers within the past twelve months
• Offer is not available to accounts opened through usbank.com or 24 hour banking
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

U.S bank has three checking products which qualify for this promotion:

• Silver Checking Account
• Gold Checking Account
• Platinum Checking account

Probably the easiest way to keep this fee free is to open the Gold Checking account: if you have a U.S Bank credit card then the monthly fees on this account are waived. Many of us have a U.S. Bank personal credit card like Altitude, Flexperks, or Cash+ which would work to keep the account fee-free. Having a personal loan gets the fee waived as well.

If you don’t have a U.S Bank credit card and aren’t planning on getting one, your best bet is to open the Silver checking account which has of $8.95 ($6.95 if you enroll in paperless statements). Fee is waived if you do these three things: 1) Go paperless, 2) Open a Package Money Market Savings account (no fee), 3) Do one of these two things: have combined direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more, OR maintain an average monthly balance of $1,500. Another option is to get the Gold account and get the fee waived if you have a good credit score and join the Because You’ve Earned It program. 

Our Verdict

Big thanks to reader Sarah for checking this promotion out for us and getting hold of the flyer. From what she was told, there’s no promo code for this offer, and it seems like an offer any branch has upon request. Let us know if it worked in your local branch. (Not sure it’ll work in grocery/store branches.)

We have seen a higher bonus of $300 in select areas in the past, but $200 is the standard bonus. U.S. Bank sometimes offer the $200 bonus online as well, but this one is branch only.  $300 checking bonus from U.S. bank for those who live in DC, parts of VA, MD, WV, PA that can also be done online. U.S. Bank usually offers this $200 checking bonus once a year, once in Feb-March and once in June-August. They are sometimes targeted and sometimes public. You do need to wait 6 12 months from closing before doing the deal again.

U.S. Bank bonuses are fairly popular: they’re pretty easy to do, they can be churned, and having the deposit account is useful for getting approved for the Altitude. We’ll add this to our list of the best checking bonuses if it turns out to widely available (as we expect it to be).

Hat tip again to reader Sarah

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