[Expired][YMMV] Wells Fargo $100 Checking Bonus

Offer at a glance

  • Maximum bonus amount: $100
  • Availability: Nationwide, but must have been targeted.
  • Direct deposit required: Optional, must be $500+ if chosen
  • Additional requirements: 10 debit card transactions or direct deposit
  • Hard/soft pull: Soft
  • Credit card funding: Up to $500
  • Monthly fees: $10-$13, waiveable
  • Early account termination fee: $25 if closed within six months
  • Expiration date: April 17th, 2015

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Open a Wells Fargo checking account and receive a bonus of $100 when you complete either of the following:
    • 10 debit card purchases or
    • Set up a qualifying direct deposit of $500 or more

The Fine Print

  • This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer (Customer must be the recipient of the direct mail piece, and/or email, and/or banner ad)
  • Valid until April 17th, 2015
  • Only available to new consumer checking customers
  • All Wells Fargo consumer checking accounts are eligible for this offer (except the Teen Checking account)
  • Bonus requirements must be completed within 60 days of account opening
  • Qualifying direct deposits are as follows: customer’s salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income of an accumulated $500 or more, electronically deposited to his/her new
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Everyday Checking $10 Monthly

This is the easiest account to keep fee free.

  • 10 debit card purchases and/or payments each statement cycle from this checking account,OR
  • Qualifying direct deposits4 totaling $500 or more each statement cycle, OR
  • Maintain a $1,500 minimum daily balance, OR
  • Linked to a Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card

Early Account Termination Fee

There is an early account termination fee of $25 if you close your account within six months of opening.

Our Verdict

You should be able to get this offer even if you didn’t receive the direct communication, but you should contact Wells Fargo first to confirm this and make sure you get a reference number in case they decide not to honor the bonus (even better go into a branch). It looks like they’ve sent out this offer by a lot of different means (banner ads, direct to consumer mail outs and even e-mail blasts) so I doubt they have each offer tied to an individual or household (although they could be tied by region).

That being said, Wells Fargo have offered other bonuses in the past. The highest of which was a $250 bonus last year, but this required having one of the premium checking accounts open to keep it fee free which didn’t make it a good option. The best bonus they ever offered was the $200 secret bonus that was available last year. I actually completed a $100 public bonus last year, although I wish I had waited for the $200 bonus.

People that aren’t usually interested in bank bonuses are often interested in bank bonuses offered by Wells Fargo and that’s because Wells Fargo doesn’t like approving consumers for credit cards when they don’t also have a banking relationship. Wells Fargo offers a number of good credit cards:

My recommendation:

This is not a bad bonus, as long as you can confirm it’s available to everybody I’d probably go for it. That being said, there is a chance they’ll bring back a $200 or even $250 offer so it might be worth waiting. Also, make sure you’ve signed up to all of the other higher bonuses first as $100 is a pretty average offer.

Direct link to offer | Screenshot of offer

Hat tip to reader JP

 
    William Charles
  • On March 19, 2015, 11:30

View Comments (7)

  • Don't see any current WF offers on your site, so I assume you're not aware of any offers? If not, guess it's worth trying this link (still alive but past the expiration date). I'd kind of like to get an account a while before applying for a WF credit card, to establish a relationship and history. Do you know if ACH's count for DD at WF? If not, I guess the $1500 is the easiest way to avoid fees.

    Of course, as soon as I apply a big bonus will appear! :)

  • Data point information:
    After opening this account, I was offered a $25 promotion to open a "Way2Save" savings account. It has no monthly fees if requirements are met (move money from checking to this account monthly using automatic reoccuring deposit or keep a $300 daily balance), and the $25 promotion occurs after the following (see below):

    The main data point here is that this creates another $500 credit card deposit/funding option. Once the other checking account is in place this account is started with just a couple of clicks.

    This allows $1,000 credit card funding between the two accounts and $125.00 promotion with no need for direct deposit.

    Not the greatest, but if you are currently trying to find good MS opportunities this one is pretty simple/straightforward.

    Fine Print for Promotion:

    1. Qualifications to receive the $25 bonus:

    Offer available only to new consumer savings customers for accounts opened online at wellsfargo.com using the link above. Account owners, including joint owners, on a current Wells Fargo consumer savings account are ineligible for this bonus offer.
    Customers must have a certified U.S. taxpayer identification number (W-9) on file with Wells Fargo (signed and dated) to avoid possible tax withholding on the bonus or interest-earning accounts.
    Customers will receive a consumer account application in the mail three business days after opening the account. The consumer account application, including the substitute W-9 taxpayer identification certification, should be signed, dated, and returned.
    Customer must open a new Way2Save Savings account online by April 10, 2015, with a minimum $25 opening deposit (not including the bonus).
    Within 60 days of opening the Way2Save Savings account, customer must set up a monthly recurring automatic transfer of at least $25 from their Wells Fargo consumer checking account.
    Offer may not be:
    Transferred
    Combined with any other offer (limit one bonus per customer)
    Given to customers who have received any cash or cash equivalent bonus from Wells Fargo in the past 12 months.
    Given to Wells Fargo team members
    The bonus will be deposited into the new consumer savings account within 45 days after all the bonus offer qualifications have been met.
    The value of the bonus will be reported as income 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.
    2.
    Automatic Transfers Options:

    Save As You Go® Transfers — We’ll transfer $1 of your funds from your linked Wells Fargo consumer checking account to your Way2Save Savings account every time you make a debit card purchase, pay bills online with Wells Fargo Online® Bill Pay, or make automatic payments from your linked checking account.
    Daily or monthly transfers — Set up recurring automatic transfers from your Wells Fargo consumer checking account to your Way2Save Savings account.

  • Use a credit card to fund the initial deposit and you just earned yourself a few more points. You can fund up to $500 via a credit card.

  • Wellsfargo never honors any of their bonuses. I did get their targeted apple pay email, but it never honored it.

    • You can always make a complaint with the CFPB if they don't honor a deal they should have.

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