Update: Looks to be targeted:
This offer is valid for the intended recipient only and is not transferable. Restrictions may apply. Promotion code may only be used once. Bonus will not be paid if promotion code is retrieved by unintended recipient or if promotion code is retrieved from a deals website
Marking this as expired.
Update 11/28/22: Deal is back and valid until Dec. 31, 2022. Hat tip to Gadget.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $500
- Availability: Nationwide (excludes NY & FL and any other state without a branch unless you have an existing relationship)
- Direct deposit required: Yes
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Mixed data points
- Credit card funding: Can fund up to $250 with a credit card
- Monthly fees: $6.95, avoidable
- Early account termination fee:
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: November 21, 2022
Contents
The Offer
- U.S. Bank is offering a checking bonus of up to $500 when you open a Smartly Checking account. You need to complete the following requirements:
- Enroll in online banking or the U.S. Bank Mobile App.
- Complete two or more direct deposits.
- The bonus you receive depends on the total of the direct deposits:
- Earn $300 when your direct deposits total $3,000 to $5,999.
- Earn $500 when your direct deposits total $6,000 or more
- Earn $300 when your direct deposits total $3,000 to $5,999.
The Fine Print
- A minimum deposit of $25 is required to open a U.S. Bank consumer checking account. Earn a $300 or $500 bonus by opening a new U.S. Bank Smartly™ Checking account (excluding Safe Debit Account) from October 11 through and including November 21, 2022.
- The checking account must be opened in a branch/online/over the phone. Additionally, you must enroll in online banking or the U.S. Bank Mobile App within 60 days of opening your account. You must also complete two or more direct deposits within 60 days of opening your account that total: $3,000 to $5,999 to earn the $300 bonus, or $6,000 or more to earn the $500 bonus. A direct deposit is an electronic deposit of your paycheck or government benefits, such as Social Security, from your employer or the government. Other electronic deposits or person-to-person payments are not considered a direct deposit. The checking bonus will be deposited into your new checking account within 60 days of direct deposit verification and verification of enrollment in online banking or the U.S. Bank Mobile App as long as your account is open and has a positive balance.
- Bonus will be reported as interest earned on IRS form 1099-INT and recipient is responsible for any applicable taxes.
- Offer may not be combined with any other checking account bonus offers.
- Offer is not valid if you or any signer on the account has an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. Bank consumer checking account in the last two year(s), or received other U.S. Bank bonus offers within the past two year(s).
- Offer is not valid if you or any signer on the account has an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. Bank consumer checking account in the last two year(s), or received other U.S. Bank bonus offers within the past two year(s).
- Limit one checking bonus per person
- 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 a $6.95 monthly fee, this is waived if you do any of the following:
- Have combined monthly direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more
- Keep a minimum average account balance of $1,500 or more
- Hold an eligible U.S. Bank credit card
- Qualify for one of the four Smart Rewards™ tiers (Primary, Plus, Premium or Pinnacle)
- Be a military member (requires self disclosure)
- Be under the age of 24 or over the age of 65
Early Account Termination Fee
There is no early account termination fee to worry about
Our Verdict
This is the best variation of this bonus, sometimes we see it for $400 or even $300 and I always recommend waiting for this bigger bonus to return. Unfortunately you’re not eligible if you’ve held the account in the last two years. This is very much worth doing and we will add it to the best bank bonuses.
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
Facing a very strange situation, For P2 – Opened a CD of $1000 to establish an existing relationship. After the CD, Opened a Checking account and did a transfer of $10K from Ally to the US bank Checking account. After that did a Bill pay of $10K as they do not allow more than $1500 of online ACH transfer. Now seeing a message as account disabled online. After calling customer care, got to know that they have put a hold on the account. Not sure what has caused this and how to overcome this? My funds have got stuck and waiting for them to act up on this.
Has anyone faced this situation?
Need help from the group members as to what has caused this and how to deal with US Bank so that I can get the account back to normal or can get my funds back.
Are my funds going to be secure and Will I get those back even if they do not enable the account back to normal?
Any updates?
Did you use US bank to push money out of the account at all?
I applied and met the requirements, but no bonus. I called several times and they were looking into it. So I used the chat feature on the app and they said it was only intended for specific people and I needed to take a picture of the flyer with my address. I used the code I found here, so obviously I didn’t have a flyer.
What a waste – there was no problem signing up and I thought it was a legit offer. This was a lesson learned for me to beware of US Bank bonuses.
US Bank is a scam bank, denies checking SUB promos.. here’s the letter they sent me.
https://imgur.com/lIae4Nj
I replied their email, nothing resolved yet!
Hi Customer Care,
That’s fine. However, as a customer, I deserve some transparency.
When I opened the checking account I confirmed the requirements with US Bank’s Menlo Park Branch. I did the required direct deposits (2 3k deposits from my employer), maintained balance.
Few months ago, the branch confirmed that I completed all requirements (qualifying activities). They told me to wait 60 days. Then, 3 months passed and I contacted customer care online. The agent confirmed I completed the requirements, told me to wait a bit more and that it will be credited. I wasn’t credited I contacted again, This time an agent named Karina opened a case (Ticket# 785937) and about two weeks passed since then. I got a paper mail that states that I don’t qualify. I feel very much unwelcome.
If somehow this was communicated to me earlier I would very much appreciate it. I feel like I had been treated poorly over this promotional credit and that quite some of my valuable time has been wasted by the bank’s agents, back office etc. My patience had been tested to its limits.
I extremely regret opening the account with your bank. Nobody, ever f’ing told me that the promo had fine prints like this that it has to be mailed to the customer while I visited the bank and when I talked to customer care. You guys cost me time. And, after 6 f’ing months you guys tell me that the promo had fineprints. What a scam bank!!!
I have attached the promotion flyer by the US Bank that I used to open the account for further verification.
Sincerely,
Deceived Customer (time wasted in vein)
Avoid this one guys. I followed the promo to the T and no bonus was ever provided and multiple chats with reps led me nowhere despite them promising to pay the bonus and that I qualified. Just not worth the hassle and the reps don’t know the promos to save their lives.
Closed account. J code. Despite initial encouraging interactions with customer service, no bonus and customer service became increasingly hostile (hold then hangup, hold then transfer without unholding, transfer circles between departments). Note to not rely on customer service statements saying you are eligible since they hold no clout in future interactions.
Closed via phone 2 months ago but still showing as open in my online login. Weird
If it’s still generating a monthly statement, then it’s still open.
Closed my account by calling in… chat option didn’t exist at this time for me in either the web portal OR the app.
Took a few minutes, and was reflected immediately in the portal.
Turns out I was even more careless than I thought in reading the fine print: First the chat rep told me I didn’t qualify for the bonus because I wasn’t targeted, which I wasn’t. Then the Promotions Department sent me a letter saying I didn’t qualify because I had an account with them in the past 2 years, which I did, by 3 weeks. So now I have to wait another 2 years to apply. Anybody care to kick me so I don’t have to do it myself?
No one ever bothered to call me back (they said 24-72 hrs someone would call me).
No notifications in the portal, no letters mailed, nothing.
I pulled my funds and closed..
No point trying to follow up w them based on everyone’s shared experiences here.
🦵🏼
This “intended recipient” excuse (same one I got after filing a CFPB and BBB complaint) is the biggest POS excuse I’ve ever heard. No definition on what that recipient is, so effectively its a cop-out to prevent them from having to pay out a cent.
I wouldn’t mind if they listed “geographic region” etc. I’m an existing customer (but wasn’t a checking account customer) so I could have been the intended recipient.
Seems like they caught on to this website and blacklisted folks who attempted to get the bonus more recently.
The JL12H74 code was targeted. It wasn’t a magical blacklist.
“This offer is valid for the intended recipient only and is not transferable.”
What would have been nice is if the bank verified that in the beginning, and not only when they know people would expect to be paid. But, it happens.
Took three chat reps over 3 weeks to pry an answer out of their Promotions dept, that answer being that I don’t qualify because I was not targeted. Guess I need to read the fine print more closely in future. 🙁
No, never, for all 3 accounts. US Bank is a total POS!
PS. The Business Checking accounts seemed to not have the same problem, so next time I’ll open that.