Deal has expired, view more checking bonuses by clicking here
Update 2/14/20: Deal is back and valid until 3/31/20. Remember the $1,000 bonus also available again Hat tip to reader Z
Update 4/14/19: Deal is back, just keep in mind most people will be better off with the $1,000 bonus. Hat tip to reader Steve
Update 1/14/19: Deal is back again and valid until March 29th, 2019. Keep in mind there has been $500 and $1,000 business checking bonuses recently. I’d recommend waiting for one of those to return. Hat tip to reader Sanjay
 September 9, 2018: Deal is back. (HT: throwthisaway_101010 on r/churning) This time Simple Business Checking is an option as well. They also added Rhode Island to the excluded states. Updated all below including the link.
[History: January 4th, 2018: Deal is back, now requires a deposit of $1,000 instead of $500. Also now requires at least 5 transactions. Hat tip to reader Jason. December 31st, 2017: Deal has died. November 21st, 2017: Reposting again as the old link stopped working. Reader TomT found a new working link. This could be a sign that Wells Fargo plans to end this promotion sooner than expected. If you’re interested I would do this ASAP. Reposting as the bonuses are posting quite quickly. If you’re interested in doing this bonus I’d recommend doing it sooner rather than later.]
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount:Â $300
- Availability: In branch only [Branch locator]
- Direct deposit required:Â No
- Additional requirements:Â Deposit $1,000 for 60 days
- Hard/soft pull:Â Soft
- ChexSystems: Mixed reports
- Credit card funding:Â None available in branch
- Monthly fees:Â $10-40, waivable
- Early account termination fee:Â None
- Household limit:Â None listed
- Expiration date:
ÂDecember 31st, 2017March 30, 2018 December 31, 2018 March 29th, 2019June 29th, 2019
Contents
The Offer
- Wells Fargo is offering a bonus of $300 when you open a new Simple Business, Business Choice, or Platinum Business checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Get bonus code and visit a branch to open your account ($25 minimum opening deposit)
- Deposit a cumulative total of $1,000 into the new business checking account within 10 days of account opening and leave it there at the 60-day mark
- Make 5 or more qualifying transactions within the first 60 days, including:
- Debit card purchases
- Â ACH (credits and debits)
- Checks Paid
- Mobile Deposits
- Wires (credits and debits)
- WF Bill Pay or Direct Pay
The Fine Print
- Offer valid from through December 31, 2018
- Offer excluded in the following states: Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, Rhode Island
- You cannot be:
- A current owner on a business checking account
- A Wells Fargo team member
- The recipient of a business checking bonus in the past 12 months (Limit one bonus per customer)
- Open a new, Business Choice or Platinum Business Checking Account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 in a branch by March 30, 2018.
- Deposit $1,000 or more into the new business checking account by Day 10, and
- Have a $1,000 minimum balance in your account on Day 60, and
- Make 5 or more qualifying transactions by Day 60:
- Debit card purchases
- Â ACH (credits and debits)
- Checks Paid
- Mobile Deposits
- Wires (credits and debits)
- WF Bill Pay or Direct Pay
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Simple Business Checking $10 Monthly Fee
This account has a monthly fee of $10 which is waived if you maintain a $500 average monthly balance.
Business Choice Checking $14 Monthly Fee
This account has a monthly fee of $14 which is waived if you do any one of the following:
- Maintain a $7,500 average ledger balance
- $10,000 in combined balances (business checking, savings, CDs, and credit)
- 10 or more posted business debit card purchases/payments. This includes posted debit card purchases or posted debit card payments of bills from this checking account. This does not include transactions at an ATM
- Linked to a Direct Pay service through Wells Fargo Business Online Banking
- Qualifying transactions from a linked Wells Fargo Merchant Services account
- Qualifying transactions from a linked Wells Fargo Business Payroll Services account
You’re also not charged the monthly fees for the first 60 days/two statement cycles.
Early Account Termination Fee
There is no early account termination fee.
Our Verdict
Update:Â Keep in mind there has been $500 and $1,000 business checking bonuses recently. I’d recommend waiting for one of those to return. Hat tip to reader Sanjay
Pretty incredible deal considering you only need to deposit $1,000. With the Simple Business checking, you’re account will be fee-free with $500 balance. The Business Choice also has an easy fee waiver with 10 business debit card transactions per month.
This is definitely getting added to our best business checking bonuses page. Please make sure you share your datapoints on what types of business documents they require (Wells Fargo lists what is required here) and the process involved in signing up. I wouldn’t leave this one long as I can’t see it lasting until the end of the year, but that’s really more of a guess than anything else.
Big thanks to reader, JASON who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.
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
Did anyone sign up for the recent $200 bonus after closing their other WF account? I did that late last year and did the same thing this year, but haven’t received my bonus. They normally pay fairly quickly. Did you get the bonus yet?
What happened to the most recent$200 bonus page? It was available the other day. “404 error: Page not found” https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wells-fargo-200-checking-bonus-available-online/ William Charles
Will be live again soon
Already got my bonus
Ben P when did you hit your 60 day mark?
I opened the account on March 6th, and got my bonus 60 days from that point which is may 6th
Yikes. I called local branch today and the guy said it should take another 90 days after the 60 days requirements are met. Huh? I sent a SM after this.
Has anyone been able to get a promo code as of March 7th? It just goes straight to the landing page. The offer link isn’t working. I’ve tried a bazillion zip codes and even in a few states. Maybe the link is broken or now the promo is discontinued?
You need to go in branch. Alternatively, call your local branch and ask about any current promotions.
Yeah, I ended up doing that. Called around and the second branch said today had the $300 offer. I was “conditionally” pre-approved for the biz credit card as well. Let’s hope it works.
BTW was offered $500 sign up bonus for $5k spend on the biz card, pre-approved today. I was told, didn’t have to ask for the offer. I did have to ask for the biz checking bonus however.
This is not nationwide. I’m outside the excluded states, but the website jumps straight to the main page. I called a branch and they don’t have the offer either.
I’m getting the same thing.
So if it was 2018, I’m likely not going to continue waiting around longer for the $500 bonus. Is that recommended? I know we can’t predict what WF will offer and when, but just looking for a more veteran suggestion.
Can anyone comment on when the last time the $500 bonus was offered? Just gauging how frequently that comes around, or if I should just go ahead and jump on this $300 offer now while it’s live.
Looks like it was 2018, yes?
Is there a restriction how recently your past account was opened ?
The exclusions in the post say 12 months.
The recipient of a business checking bonus in the past 12 months (Limit one bonus per customer)
Just want to confirm for 2/2020- you can deposit the $1k, then pull after day 10, and redeposit by day 60, and still be good for it? Would just leave the $ in there but I kinda need it elsewhere working for me.
Just read the terms and follow them exactly.