On Tap Credit Union - $150 referral offer - My experience

3/5/24: Applied online via a referral link.

3/7/24: Approved No Chex inquiry, no hard credit pull, and unlikely EWS. They soft-pulled Experian.

My advice:  Keep an eye on your email inbox after you apply.

Even if you use an On Tap Credit Union direct referral link, you still need to enter the referral code (JEFFREYSCH88) on the last page of the application. Highly recommend taking a screenshot before hitting the "I Agree" button on that page. Note: You should only open the Free Checking and Share Savings so you can add another deposit account like the Peak Tiered Savings from online banking and double-dip the credit card funding at a later date. Since there is no Chex hit, there is no rush.

When filling out the application, for eligibility, select "None of the Above".  Then you can select "I am willing to join the Consumers United Association at a $5 fee to join On Tap Credit Union." and select "Yes".  (This is now known as the GoWest Foundation)

This is a NATIONWIDE offer by paying $5 to become a GoWest Friends of the Foundation member. (the rep will ask you to email in the receipt) The email from the rep I had received was not very clear about what needed to be done. This foundation membership might be useful for other credit unions down the road.

Both the Free Checking and mandatory Share Savings accounts are fee-free. $1,000 in CC funding available per application (not per account) - my Citi Double Cash shows it pending as a purchase. This was done shortly after I emailed my foundation receipt.

I received two DocuSign email links next... one for the application, and another to get my account number. To determine your member number just drop the 8-digit prefix (18000000), and 1-digit suffix to get a 5-digit member number. You need the member number to sign up for online banking.

Stacking possibility: I believe stacking is unlikely because referral terms state offers cannot be combined. However, if you're feeling lucky, you could use the $150 bonus offer for maintaining a Direct Deposit for six months, and then be sure to use my referral code (JEFFREYSCH88)  on the final page of the application.

Churning: Upgrade Rewards Checking - $200 + SB/MP $125

My experience churning the Upgrade Rewards Checking Account:

09/22/23 Called to close my Upgrade Card and Upgrade Rewards Checking. (opened in 2021 as part of the Credit Karma Upgrade LOC Card offer)

09/22/23 Email received, Subj: “Your Rewards Checking debit card was closed”

10/23/23 Email received from Zendesk support, Subj:  “Account Closure Confirmation”

12/07/23 Applied for Rewards Checking Plus online by stacking a referral link and a 12K SB Swagbucks link at around 5 PM EST.  (See details below on how to do a proper stack.)  As soon as you have access to the Upgrade Checking account, you will see the $100 bonus tracker.

12/07/23 Did a $100 Opening Deposit via a Debit Card

Swagbucks: Went Gold Coin pending within hours and showed up on the pending activity tab at around midnight (PST).

Activity shows as “12/08/23 0:10AM Shop Upgrade Rewards Checking (Credits in 45 days) 12000 SB”

12/08/23 Trial Deposits to link Fidelity CMA “Bank Transfer NATL FIN SVC LLC ACCTVERIFY ACH PPD” (Tracker shows trials as a DD)

12/16/23 “Bank Transfer FID BKG SVC LLC MONEYLINE ACH PPD” $1,001 (Fidelity CMA ACH push) The tracker shows “bonus on the way” the next day.

12/19/23 $150 “Bonus Refer a Friend reward” (showed up as pending on 12/18)  The person who referred me received the $50 as well at the same time.

No Chex, no EWS, no hard credit pull. IME, they pull LexisNexis and soft-pull Transunion. You will be forced to use your old email login information if you had an account before, but it still tracks as a new account. It does take a full month for the checking account to close AFTER calling.

UPDATE 01/09/2024:  My Swagbucks stacking bonus was posted today.

Activity Log:  1/9/2024 7:25 AM Upgrade Rewards Checking 12/08/2023 + 12000 SB

How to stack the Upgrade Swagbucks/MyPoints and referral bonus:

For those wanting to stack the Upgrade Rewards Checking offer and the SB/MP offer, do the following steps:

1. Open Swagbucks or Mypoints via a web browser, and log in.

2. Use the search bar to search for UPGRADE to find the Upgrade Checking offer, click on the offer, and then the “CONTINUE” button.

3. Once you are at the Upgrade.com website, click on nothing. In the same tab, paste my referral link into the address bar in place of the current page URL from Swagbucks/Mypoints, and hit Enter.  My referral link is https://upgrade.com/r/VeDLf0iMN3

4. Sign up.   If you have had an Upgrade account in the past, just use all the same info as before.  It will ask you to log in - do so.

OnPath Federal Credit Union - $50 + $40 or $50 stack

OnPath FCU $50 ReferLive offer – Register your information via this link before opening an account. 

OOS Eligibility: This is nationwide by making a $5 donation to the OnPath Foundation, an eligibility option on the 1st page of the application.

To earn the $50 Visa® Reward Card, the new customer must register via a ReferLive link (see above), open a new OnPath FCU personal or business checking account, and complete the following within 60 days of account opening:

•     Make ten (10) or more debit card transactions (excluding ATM transactions), AND

•     Have one (1) or more direct deposits totaling at least $250

Perks:  This credit union also offers two rewards checking accounts: a 7% APY High Yield Checking account for balances up to $10K, and a 5% Cash Back Checking account for up to $200 spending ($10 free money) per month.  There are monthly requirements to earn that higher interest rate or cashback:  Log into online or mobile banking at least once,  be enrolled in and receive e-statements, and have at least 15 debit card purchases post and settle.

In my experience, the credit unions that offer these types of accounts accept Cash App loads and Amazon reloads as debit spending, and any number of bank/brokerage ACH transactions into the checking account as a Direct Deposit.  However, DP’s are not currently available for Direct Deposit, but Cash App loads work as a debit.

When registering for the referral & applying for this credit union, it’s advisable to use an email address that you have not used with a prior ReferLive bank/credit union.  This is to ensure you can create a ReferLive login for their portal to track your referrals.  If you do not care about that ability, you can ignore this suggestion.  If you are unsure if you used the email in the past, you can go to ReferLive.com and select "Forgot Password?" and submit your email address.  If you haven't used the email address before, the error will state "Email address is invalid. Please reenter."

OnPath FCU did pull ChexSystems, no hard credit pull, & soft-pulls Experian.  Unlikely for EWS.  Not Chex-inquiry sensitive.  There is $1,000 in CC funding available.  The application lists a maximum of $2,500 credit card funding, but in practice only accepts up to $100.  Once the credit union calls you to complete the application, you can request $1,000. Citi Double Cash MC CC posts as purchase.   The rewards checking accounts do not have a monthly fee, and no ETF is listed on the fee schedule.

One downside, it is a small credit union and might take a couple of days to process applications – YMMV, but I had next-day approval when I uploaded the expected documents to their application portal immediately after submitting my application.  The required documents are:  the DL/ID, SS Card, and a selfie holding your valid DL/ID.  Do expect to receive a non-invasive phone call from OnPath to complete the online application explaining that you must pay $5 to join the credit union if OOS, and to discuss the funding.   Don't forget to ask to have it changed to a larger amount.

My personal experience is that the OnPath debit cards only took 7-8 days to arrive.  The PIN is set over the phone.  No hold was placed on the CC funding, even from day one of account access.  I used my debit card online for USAA insurance payments, Verizon Fios payments, and Amazon 50-cent reloads, and all posted to online banking as "DEBIT CARD DEBIT" with the name of the biller and an authorization number.

Mint integration:  Does link to Mint.  Will show as ASI Federal Credit Union.

On my first full monthly statement, the interest was not automatically credited.  I did have to contact them and they manually credited the interest.  They confirmed they had a glitch with their estatements not showing as registered, and stated it will not be an issue (for me) going forward.  I would recommend calling to get ahead of this issue.

Once you are an existing customer of OnPath FCU, you can register to get your own referral link to give to others here:  https://www.referlive.com/beonpath

UPDATE 01/05/2024:  STACKING MyPoints or SwagBucks for an additional $40-$50!

There is a potential stacking opportunity here with SB or MP. Unfortunately, Swagbucks doesn’t show the terms, but MyPoints does:

Things you need to know

1. Award will pend for 32 days.

2. Must be a new member to OnPath Federal Credit Union and deposit $25 or more.

3. Must enter valid sign up information to earn.

Offer Details
Choose your path to financial greatness with OnPath Federal Credit Union. Open a high-yield checking account online in minutes. Plus earn 7,500 Points after making your first deposit of $25 or more!

Important Terms & Disclaimers

• Must be a new OnPath Federal Credit Union member and make your first deposit of $25 or more to earn Points.

• Points are distributed by MyPoints, not by OnPath.

• Must keep your account open for more than 60 days.

• Must enter valid sign-up information to earn.

• Please allow up to 32 days from account opening for Points to appear in your MyPoints account.

• Offer may only be redeemed once (1) per user.

Because ReferLive and SB/MP are two entirely different systems, I feel confident a stack would work. Just be sure to register with ReferLive before applying for OnPath.  There is always a small risk that only one of the two offers pays out, but I would think that is remotely small.

So, the proper order of events:

1.  Register with ReferLive using the $50 referral link here. 

2.  Open SwagBucks (~$40) or MyPoints (~$50), log in, and search for "OnPath".

3.  Click the offer and fill out the application.  Be sure to select the OnPath FCU Rewards High Yield checking account, and NOT the OnPath FCU Rewards Cash Back checking. The Primary Share Account (Savings) account will be mandatory.  Fund with at least $25.

Don't forget the ReferLive offer still requires a $250+ DD and ten (10) or more debit card transactions.

BluPeak Credit Union - $75 Referral

Please note, the $75 referral bonus WILL NOT stack with the $300 promotion.  You can only use one promo code on the application.

BluPeak Credit Union Highlights:  Offers a $75 referral bonus, a 5.33% APY Max Money Market Account for new members (no cap on the balance, no minimum, or silly transaction requirements), plus you can fund additional accounts with $1,500 in credit card funding.

This is a NATIONWIDE offer because BluPeak CU will now cover the donation of $5.00 to KPBS on your behalf, which is the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) member television station in San Diego.

With the new referral program, you must use the promo code received by email (ReferAFriend) to open a Free Checking with eStatements account AND one other deposit account (either a Savings, Money Market or Certificate).  Then, receive at least TWO direct deposits to the new checking account that total of at least $500 within 90 days of account opening.  You just need to maintain the new account in good standing for at least 90 days. The $75 deposit account bonus will be credited after all requirements are met, and the new accounts have been open for 90 days.

If you would like to get a referral, please email me.  I will just need the email address you will use to open the account and your first/last name BEFORE opening your BluPeak CU account.  You will get an email confirming referral registration with the subject: "(My name) Referred you to Join BluPeak!"  Please check your SPAM folder if you requested a referral.

BluPeak pulls Chex, no hard credit pull, & soft-pulls Experian.  Not inquiry-sensitive.  Unlikely EWS.  $1,500 CC funding per application.  CC funding is not instantly available and takes two business days to appear in online banking.  Once the funds were visible, no hold was placed on the funds and I moved all of it (except $25, to keep the checking account "funded") to the Max Money Market Account.  Citi Double Cash MC CC charge did post as a purchase, listed as USE CREDIT UNION 866-8734968 CA, Spend Category of Mortgage Companies - Financial Institution.  BluPeak does allow existing customers additional applications for additional round(s) of CC funding.  I did two same-day applications to ensure I would not get an additional Chex inquiry, so I am unsure if they will pull Chex again if attempted on a different day.  Per one comment, they do pull Chex again when opening more accounts on another day, but I am not sure if they applied for those accounts from within online banking as I recommended.

The BluPeak account application asks if you want to use your phone number to pre-fill your application, with the option to skip it.  I chose to use my cell phone number and surprisingly it was able to prefill much of the application.  I figured anything that could help verify my information would be beneficial for the application to be approved.  Because of my superb results, I recommend the phone number verification method.

My first account application (Free Checking with eStatements) was “Instant Approved”.  I made sure the promo code was entered at the very end of the application, and it's a good idea to take a screenshot of the final page showing that code was used before hitting "I Agree".  Instant account approval allowed for immediate setup of online banking.  Then, I used the link inside online banking to add an additional account.  See Main Menu > Additional Services > Open Another Account.

Inside online banking, you can see your account number for the checking account under the account details.  Your member number is listed as "ACH number", and your checking account number is listed as "MICR".  It’s my belief the credit union prefers you use the MICR number for Direct Deposit, although either number likely works.  If you click "Check Reorder" under Additional Services, you will see the checking account number there as well, which is the MICR with three leading zeros.

My second account application (Preferred Savings, now called Max Money Market) went to a status of “Referred”.  That application had next-day approval, and the account shows an interest rate of 5.190% in online banking.  Hours after applying, I was notified via email that “We’re delighted to report that since you are already a BluPeak member, the account has been opened and the funds were transferred as you specified.“ The $1,500 additional CC funding went pending to the credit card that day. 

My household member applied at 11 AM Eastern on Friday, 10/20/23, was instantly approved as well, and then immediately applied for the Preferred Savings via online banking.  In about 4 hours, I received an email about the Savings account being approved.  BofA Premium Rewards Visa funding was posted as a purchase two days later. 

To check the status of your BluPeak CU account application(s), click here. 

Mint integration:  BluPeak does link to Mint.  Will show as USE Credit Union.  

Other helpful info:  Remember to sign into online banking and request e-statements.  Even though the name of the account mentions estatements, you still have to enable them.  The BluPeak Debit card, although not required for the bonus, took exactly one week to arrive.  Bill Pay enrollment was available once the account is funded.  External Transfers is not enabled/available in online banking when first opened.  On the 8th day, External Transfers & Zelle options were now available in online banking.  I recommend exercising caution with using those for outbound transfers on a new account though.

Fee Schedule = ETF is $15 if closed within 90 days.  Additionally, this credit union does charge $5 to join.

Securityplus Federal CU - $50

Securityplus Federal Credit Union Highlights:  Offers a $50 Amazon gift card referral bonus for both parties, has occasional high-yield Certificate of Deposit deals, plus you can fund each deposit account with $2,000 in credit card funding.  Hint - Hint = Credit Card funding is awesome!

What makes this a winner:  Not Chex-inquiry sensitive, no Direct Deposit or Debit/bill pay transactions are required for the bonus, no minimum balance or monthly fees, plus the ability to earn cash back on "debit" spending, and no ETF.  What's not to love?

Not good enough?  They periodically have CD specials where you get another round of $2,000 in CC Funding.

This is a NATIONWIDE offer because Securityplus FCU accepts members of the American Consumer Council (ACC) as eligible for credit union membership.

Super-simple bonus requirements:  

1) Meet the membership requirements to join Securityplus FCU & be 18 years or older .

2) Open a checking account online (requires a $50.00 minimum deposit at account opening).

3) Maintain the checking account & membership in good standing for 30 days .

If you would like a referral, please use my link to register yourself for the referral.  Once you do that, you can open your account from the Securityplus application page.  

Optionally, you can email me to get a referral invitation.  All I need is your email address BEFORE opening your Securityplus FCU account.  If you request this from me, you will get an email invitation with the subject: "Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card reward".  Please check your SPAM folder if you requested an invitation to be sent.  Once you have the aforementioned email, YOU MUST register for the referral using the link in the body of that email.

My account opening experience:

Securityplus pulls Chex, no hard credit pull, & no soft-pulls.  Not inquiry-sensitive.  Unlikely EWS.  There is $2,000 CC funding per application, and they allow credit or debit cards using Visa®, MasterCard®, Discover®, or American Express®.   (I have heard American Express does not work though) CC funding availability speed: Two business days after approval, credit card funding was available and no holds were placed.  BofA Unlimited Cash Rewards MC CC & Citi Double Cash MC charge did post as a purchase & was coded as Online Shopping at BofA.  The minimum funding amount is $50 & the other funding option is ACH via PLAID-style linking.

Be sure to add a checking account to your initial application, otherwise, you may have to submit an additional application at a later date, likely incurring another Chex inquiry.  I believe Securityplus FCU does allow existing customers additional applications for additional round(s) of CC funding, such as a CD.  As an existing customer, I was able to successfully open an additional account with my Chex frozen.  I recommend the Cash Back Checking, earning 0.5% of free money for debit spending, which is $25 per month (with $5,000 spend).  I personally confirmed Cash App "spending" (loading) counts as a purchase, but I would do so sparingly on a brand new account.

Do be sure to sign-up for estatements, as it a requirement to (optionally) earn cash back with the debit card.  BY DEFAULT, PAPER statements were selected.  To change the setting, go to the main menu > Accounts > eDocuments > Overview tab, click Subscription Settings > Click the ⚙️ gear icon on the Statements line > On the Statements pop-up window, fill the "Online" radio button and hit the "Continue" button.

The Securityplus account application asks if you want to use your phone number to pre-fill your application.  I chose to use my cell phone number and surprisingly it was able to prefill much of the application.  I figured anything that could help verify my information would be beneficial for the application to be approved.  Because of my superb results, I recommend the phone number verification method.

The application did request an upload of a secondary identification document.  I opted to upload my SS Card, but a utility bill and several other options were listed.  Once I submitted the application, the final screen stated to upload both primary and secondary ID, but they had no way to do the upload.

There is promo code block but no promo code to enter because your bonus hinges on the fact you registered your information with a valid referral link prior to your application.  My credit union account application DID NOT have instant approval.  

Two business days after applying for my account, I received two emails with the exact same timestamp.

1.  Subj:  Welcome to Securityplus!  (This email said I have three weeks to provide a copy of my Driver's License and the signed Signature Agreement.)

2.  Subj: Signature Required  (This email was the link to the DocuSign account application, a.k.a. Signature Agreement.)

I chose to submit the Driver's License via the Message Center Secure Messaging within online banking instead of replying to the email.  There is an option for"Application Status" subject on the message pulldown menu.  They did respond that the document was received via SM later the same day.  Interestingly, my ACC membership certificate was not requested at any point.  Unlike some other credit unions, no phone calls were required for me to get the account approved/opened.

The DocuSign PDF you sign online will have your member number, and the two account numbers (savings & checking).  You will need your member number to sign up for online banking, so it's a good idea to screenshot or download the PDF.  Once you have online banking access, you can easily see your account numbers for the checking & savings accounts as well. 

To check the status of your Securityplus FCU account application(s), click here. 

Mint integration:  Securityplus does link to Mint.

The debit card, although not required for the bonus, took almost two weeks from checking account approval to arrive.  Bill Pay enrollment and External Transfers were enabled/available in online banking instantly, even before the account was funded.  Recommend exercising caution using those functions right away with a new account though.  To get the bonus, you (and the credit union) need to keep the account open.

Fee Schedule = No ETF listed.  This credit union does charge $5 to join.

My Chex numbers at the time of the application submission, not counting Securityplus (inquiries/months):

4/1,  6/2, 6/3, 8/6, 17/12, 40/24.  HH Member Chex numbers were slightly less.

Per the application, they allow non-resident aliens to apply online who have completed a form W-8BEN.  I have no experience.

My household member applied for Securityplus and entered my name as "Securityplus employee" on the eligibility dropdown menu, and had INSTANT APPROVAL. (member was not listed as an option)

First published here on 11/15/2023.

Ally Bank: Up to $125 Savings Bonus

$125 Referral Link - You must ENROLL from this page before opening the new Savings account.

The basics:

• Enroll and use the same information to open a new Ally Bank Savings Account by 3/1/2024.

• Deposit new money from another financial institution to your newly opened Savings Account by 3/25/2024. 

• Keep your money parked through 7/15/2024 to earn your cash bonus.

• You will receive a 0.50% cash bonus, up to $125, on the new money you deposit into your Savings Account

You will be excluded from earning a reward if you already have, or have had, any type of deposit account (primary or joint owner) at Ally Bank since January 1, 2023.  Complete Terms & Conditions

Why this is an okay deal:  Ally Savings earns 4.35% APY currently.  Your hold period is nearly 4 months (about 1/3 of a year).  Assuming you have a 5.35% APY HYSA somewhere else, you would earn about $40 less over those 4 months leaving it there.  Assuming interest rates stay the same,  about $362.50 in regular interest, plus $125 bonus, would be earned at Ally on $25K for those 4 months.  That's about $487.50, effectively about a 5.9% APY interest rate.

Ally is a great hub account to have for moving funds to different banks.  They allow 20 linked accounts.   They allow 10 outbound transfers per statement month.

Upgrade.com Premier Savings

Upgrade Premier Savings Account Bonus:  Earn 5.21% APY plus a Cash Bonus of $50-$200 depending on your deposit level.  You have the first 30 days to build up your funds and must maintain that level for the 60 days after that to earn the bonus.  

My referral link: https://upgrade.com/r/AxtafK5nAF

Deposit/Bonus levels: 

$15K = $50

$30K = $100

$50K = $200

What makes this a winner? No Chex or EWS inquiry, and no hard credit pull.  The account shows a bonus tracker immediately after sign-up, so no guessing if you are enrolled or have completed the requirements.  This Premier Savings account bonus CAN be earned even if you have collected the Upgrade Checking Referral or Upgrade Card bonuses.  Per terms, the bonus payout occurs 30 days after completion of requirements.  The simple sign-up process took a couple of minutes.  Expires 05/31/2024, or sooner if they close out the offer.  The minimum balance to earn 5.21% APY is $1K.  No fees, no ETF.  See Complete Terms.  If you have a freeze on Transunion, you will need to lift it, as they need it for a soft pull.  DO NOT USE A GOOGLE VOICE PHONE NUMBER WITH UPGRADE, otherwise, you will be asked for tax returns and a crazy amount of paperwork!  Based on the account APY + bonus reward, the highest percentage earning level is the $50K sweet spot.  However, as long as you are beating your other highest APY high-yield account after factoring in the bonus and short holding period, you are coming out ahead at any level, so the $100K level should be considered.

FitnessBank - $75

FitnessBank Referral Program Highlights:  $75 bonus with simple requirements.  

You MUST USE A FitnessBank Promo code:  BonusJeffreySchwartz

This is a NATIONWIDE offer.

Requirements:

$50 Checking Bonus:  Open a Referral Elite Checking Account, keep a $5,000 balance during your 90th day statement, and the prior statement, & do 15 debit card transactions that post in the monthly statement that ends on or after your 90th day.  FitnessBank statement periods end on the 10th of each month.  However, if the 10th is a weekend or holiday, it will end on the preceding banking day.   So, for those just now signing up after November 10th, 2023, the debits will need to be on the statement period that STARTS Feb 10th.   My recommendation: Just remember to show your FitnessBank debit card some love on Valentine's Day 💘 to remind yourself to do your debits!

$25 Savings Bonus: Open a Referral Fitness Savings, and maintain the $100.00 minimum balance for 90 days.

My account opening experience:

No hard or soft pull of credit, does pull Chex, but not inquiry-sensitive.  Unknown for EWS.  Although FitnessBank tends to give instant approval and account numbers, they do the ChexSystems inquiry at a later time.  They give instant online banking access, but the accounts will show as "Pending" above the account name.  The next business day, a Chex inquiry took place from Affinity Bank (parent bank of FitnessBank), and then received an email from an actual rep (not automated), Subj: Welcome to FitnessBank.  Most of the email is about fitness features, but the highlights are direct quotes:

"Thank you for becoming a FitnessBank Athlete! After the account is open for 90 days, you will receive the bonus."

"To add additional funds to the account, you can originate an external transfer from either our online banking or from your other institution. Additionally, we have no incoming wire fees and will reimburse the fees charged by your bank to originate a wire. We are happy to send our wiring instructions upon request."

"The debit card has been ordered and should arrive in 7-10 business days."

Do be sure to add the promo code  (BonusJeffreySchwartz).  The entry block is shown twice on the application.  I added it at both spots, but never appears on the bank documents, unfortunately. 

When selecting which accounts to open on the application, select "Referral Elite Checking" & "Referral Fitness Savings", not the plain (non-referral) versions.

There is an entry block in the middle of the application to ask questions or leave comments, and says they will address any questions in the account opening email.  I left a thank you.

My HH member's Chex numbers at the time of approval (inquiries/months), not counting this bank: 

3/1, 5/2, 6/3, 8/6, 13/12, 35/24.  My Chex numbers:  3/1, 6/2, 6/3, 9/6, 18/12, 40/24.

No option to do CC funding.  ACH funding is pre-set at $100 per account.  I specifically chose to use an EWS bank (Cap One 360), as I know sometimes banks can verify the external account has a balance there.  Although I am not sure if they are an EWS bank or have that ability, I think it's good in practice.  No Plaid option for linking, so you must use ACH RTN & Account Number, and I do not believe they will do any trial deposits, so nothing to verify later.

Fees:  No ETF.

Elite Checking: Must maintain a $10 minimum average balance; otherwise, a $10 fee.

Fitness Savings:  Must maintain a $100 minimum average daily balance; otherwise, a $10 fee.

Mint integration:  FitnessBank does link to Mint without issue.

I did confirm via email with the account opening rep that BOTH the Savings & Checking are enrolled in the promo, both bonuses can be collected, and it's not one bonus or the other ($100 & $25, not $100 or $25).

Unfortunately, there is no way for me to track the referral progress or the count, so if you want, it would be appreciated if you let me know which code you used via email.  Thank you!

First published here on 11/16/2023. 

Bank Accounts - Credit Unions - Fintech

Banks & Credit Unions (Brick & Mortar)

A $650 Checking Bonus!  Associated Bank ReferLive $50 Referral Promo  You get $50 to open a checking account, fund with $100+, Direct Deposit of $500+ in 90 days, and have a total average daily balance greater than $1,000 after 90 days.  The referral offer stacks with their checking promotions when available here and here; just be sure to sign up for the referral before opening the checking account.  Footprint states are IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, OH, and WI, or past customers.  They do accept out-of-state customers in a branch for their checking account promotions!

Sweet $300 NATIONWIDE Bonus!!!  KeyPoint Credit Union is offering a $300 bonus to open a "Free Checking" account with $25+, and within 60 days, establish a minimum $1,000 recurring monthly direct deposit and maintain the DD for 6 months.  (Offer details here.)  As part of the account application, you can join the Financial Fitness Association (for free) to enable opening the credit union membership from out-of-state (OOS).  $500 in credit card funding is available, too!  To get a referral, just send me an email (gadget@bankbonusgeek.com) with your first & last name and the email address you will use to open the account.  Be sure to use the "RAFDD" promotion code mentioned in the referral email I will send to you.  No hard pull of your credit, but does pull ChexSystems, and soft pulls Experian.

PSECU $300 Checking Offer  (Promo code: RIGHTNOTEREFER) Nationwide if you join the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) for free, which is offered on the credit union application.  PSECU is offering a $300 bonus with a few requirements such as monthly recurring direct deposits of $500+.  Schwab brokerage ACH works for a direct deposit.  Be sure to use promo code RIGHTNOTEREFER on the application.  They do Hard Pull Experian, however, if you freeze that report, they will pull Transunion instead.  Pulls Chex, but not inquiry sensitive.

Associated Bank $300 Business Checking Bonus  (You register for the referral online, but you must open the business checking account in a branch.)   Get a $300 bonus when you register, open a new Associated Bank Business Core Checking® or Business Advanced Checking account, OR Get a $100 bonus when you register, open a new Associated Business Foundation Checking® account, AND complete the following within 60 days of account opening: 

• Enroll in Associated Connect® or Associated Bank Digital Banking, AND

• Complete five (5) or more customer-initiated transactions (Debit card transactions excluded)

NEW INCREASED OFFER:  SECU Maryland is offering a $250 bonus that is stackable with the $50 referral bonus.  To get a referral, just send me an email (gadget@bankbonusgeek.com) with your first & last name and the email address you will use to open the account.  The referral offer is a Nationwide offer by (optionally) joining the SECU MD Foundation.  Pulls Chex, but not inquiry-sensitive.  No hard pull or EWS pull.  Offer valid 7/17/23 – 3/31/24.  However, they recently added the following terms:  Offer is only available to residents of  MD, DC, DE, PA, VA, WV, as well as University of Maryland College Park students. 

Sweet Deal! 👍  Fairwinds Credit Union Checking $175 Bonus  You get $175 to open a Preferred or Signature checking account with $25+ & do a qualifying Direct Deposit of $1,000+ within 60 calendar days of opening.  This is a Nationwide offer!  The Preferred Checking would be the easiest to keep fee-free with monthly $1K DD's.  Once the bonus is earned, I would change the account type to the fee-free Spending account, or close it, as there is no ETF listed.  My account is active and in good standing.  Based on my past experience, does pull Chex, but is not inquiry-sensitive.  No hard-pull, no EWS.  Likely not to be churnable, unfortunately, as it says you must not have had a past Fairwinds Checking or Spending account.  Offer expires 06/01/2024.  Wise or Novo or Treasury Direct?? ACH transfer works as a Direct Deposit!

Great River Federal Credit Union is offering $100 with a new checking account by using promo code OWLREFER100.  This is a nationwide offer using the American Consumer Council (ACC), which is part of the credit union application.  You can earn the $100 referral bonus by entering my name (JEFFREY SCHWARTZ) near the end of the online application.  No special referral link is required - just my name on the application suffices.

The new Great River FCU member must enroll in online banking and eStatements and accomplish any ONE of the following within 60 days of account opening: 

1) Checking account with qualifying direct deposit of at least $200, or

2) Checking account with 10 or more debit card transactions (transactions must be over $10), or

3) Any type of approved loan or credit card. 

Per the phone rep that opened my account, "debit card" funding is limited to $1K.   Instead, I used a Citi Double Cash MC CC for funding and it posted as a purchase.  They do hard-pull Equifax and Chex but are not inquiry-sensitive.  Please email me if you have questions.  In my experience, the bonus is deposited around the 15th of the month which follows 60 days from account opening.

Tower Federal Credit Union is offering a $100 referral bonus when you open a new Tower checking account and complete one (1) or more qualifying direct deposits of $1,000 or more into the new checking account within 60 days of account opening.  Eligibility is primarily MD, but nationwide with a $35 donation to the TowerCares Foundation.  (They may or may not ask for proof)  Could be stackable with other checking bonuses, as this is a ReferLive offer.

Sweet! 💰  Affinity FCU Cash Back Debit $100 Bonus  Super simple requirements - Pulls Chex, but no EWS, and no hard pull.   This $100 bonus only requires a single $100+ Direct Deposit within 60 days.  $1,000 in credit card funding is available for new accounts (unfortunately, CC funding might be gone).  Depending on where you live, you may need to pay a $5 fee to join the credit union, but you will find the joining requirements seamlessly as part of the application.  The Affinity Cash Back Debit spending account earns 1% cash back on debit purchases, up to $10 per month with $1,000 in debit spending.  Online debit card loading like Cash App does work to trigger the monthly cashback bonus.  They also have a 3.5% APY SmartStart Savings account (up to $5,000 at that rate, and 1% thereafter).  None of these accounts have a monthly fee.   Alternatively, to get a referral, you can send me an email (gadget@bankbonusgeek.com) with your first & last name, and the email address you will use to open the account.

Desert Financial Credit Union $100 Checking Offer:  You get $100 to open a free checking account, do a direct deposit, and perform at least 30 posted transactions within 90 days.  Pulls Chex.  Per the account application fine print, they also soft-pull Experian and TransUnion.  $600 in CC funding is available per account.  To get your very own special referral link with the complete terms for your records, Email me at gadget@bankbonusgeek.com  and please provide the email address you will use to open the account.

Delta Community Credit Union  Use my link to register for a referral bonus.  Get $50 for opening a checking account, depositing $50, and doing 10 debits within 60 days.  No Direct Deposit is required.  No Hard Pull, pulls EWS, not Chex.  A few people have been able to meet eligibility requirements online out-of-state by donating to various charities such as Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (CDMA), however, it will be very YMMV.

GTE Financial Credit Union is offering a $50 bonus for opening a new membership and funding a checking account within 30 days.  They allow a fair amount of credit card funding available at $500 per account, and multiple savings accounts are allowed and can be funded either with the initial account application or later from online banking.  I believe they also offer $5K CC funding for their CDs.  The bad news: they do Hard Pull Equifax.   To get a referral, email me at gadget@bankbonusgeek.com  and please provide your first name and the email address you will use to open the account.  Complete terms are here.

Wings Financial Credit Union ReferLive $50 Referral Promo  (Nationwide if you join the Wings Foundation for $5 on your application)  Use my link to get $50 to open a checking account, set up eDocuments, and do either 5 debit card transactions of $5 or more each OR a Direct Deposit of $300+ in 60 days.  Stacks with their checking promotions, if/when available; just be sure to sign up for the referral BEFORE opening the checking account.  The bad news: they do Hard Pull Experian.

Interest Rate Bump:  Sign up for Marcus via my referral link and get 5.40% APY for the first three months on your savings account. 

Fintech "Neobanks" (online-only, usually provide a debit card, usually no check-writing, etc.)

💰  Upgrade Rewards Checking $200 Referral Bonus   Just open a new Rewards Checking Plus account and complete a $1,000 Direct Deposit within 45 days. No Chex, No EWS, and no hard pull in my experience. Offer expires 02/29/2024.  Beneficial in the long-term, the Upgrade debit card earns 2% cashback for everyday purchases in the following categories: convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants, and bars - including food deliveries - gas stations, utilities, and monthly subscriptions such as phone, cable, TV and other streaming services, and 1% on all other debit card purchases. 

For those wanting to try to stack the Upgrade Rewards Checking offer and the SB/MP offer, do the following:

1. Open Swagbucks or Mypoints via a web browser, and log in.

2. Use the search bar to search for UPGRADE to find the Upgrade Checking offer and click “View Offer”, and the “Get” SB/MP button.

3. Once you are at the Upgrade.com website, click on nothing. In the same tab, paste a referral link into the address bar in place of the one from Swagbucks/MyPoints, and hit Enter.  My referral link is https://upgrade.com/r/VeDLf0iMN3

4. Sign up.

Chime $100 referral link  Open an account, Direct Deposit $200+, and earn a $100 bonus.  In the past, almost any bank-to-bank external transfer worked as a Direct Deposit with Chime.  Just set up the transfer via your other bank's online banking and push the money into the Chime account.  Nationwide, there is no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding.

Plus, with Chime, a portal offer stack with a Chime $100 referral link is possible.  To do this, you start by clicking on a referral link but do not fill out the info, and just leave the tab open. Then in another tab on the same browser, log into the Swagbucks/MyPoints or whatever portal you choose, find the Chime offer link within the portal, and click-through and complete the application from there. Of course, then you need to do the necessary promotion requirements.

GO2Bank  Open a GO2Bank account and Direct Deposit $200+ within 45 days to earn $75.   Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding. 

Current  Open an account and Direct Deposit $200+ within 45 days to earn $50.   Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, no CC funding.  The highlight of this account is the three savings pods (accounts) allowing up to $2,000 in each at 4% APY.  Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding.  My Referral Code: JEFFREYS997  The $50 referral bonus should be stackable with other portal offers like Swagbucks (5,000 SB) and MyPoints as you can click through the portal link to open the Current account, then manually enter a referral code (JEFFREYS997) in the app.

Novo Business Checking $40 Referral Bonus  Feature set seems good, and very easy requirements for the bonus.  Just open an account and fund with $100 within 30 days, and keep the balance at $100+ for 30 more days.  Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding.  Bonus stacks with Revenue Universe on Swagbucks/MyPoints, etc. by using my Referral Code of JeffreySchwartz1 during the signup process.  Simple signup, but do expect to have to provide Novo with a 120-character minimum description of what your business does, who its customers are, and how it makes money as part of the application.  Sole Proprietors using SSN as EIN, doing business as first & last name, are accepted.  No document uploads were requested other than ID.  May be quite useful for simulating Direct Deposit at other banks for bank bonuses, sending ACH transfers marked as "Payroll".

PrizePool Savings  A savings account where you earn tickets, which puts you into a lottery for prizes.  Stack with Swagbucks/Mypoints by using my referral code:  ZNWVV  Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding.

Yotta Savings  Not your normal savings bank, as the promised interest rate is not high, but you have chances to win cash prizes.  We'll both get 100 tickets to win up to $10,000,000 when you download Yotta Savings! Just sign up with code JEFFREY27.  Nationwide, no Chex/EWS or Hard pull, but no CC funding.

Various Money Tools

P2P & Money Transfer Apps

Wise   You get a free transfer of up to $600 by using my link (fee waiver must be used on the first transfer).  Formerly known as TransferWise, this account is useful for simulating Direct Deposits.  If you set up a USD account within Wise, you can transfer money into Wise for free using another bank,  by using your Wise ACH routing number and account number.  Then, the transfer out of Wise only costs 39 cents.   If you don't set up the USD account, the transfer is significantly more expensive, but less hassle.  I am just learning how to use it myself, but on the first try, it worked to earn a $100 bank bonus at Juno for a total cost of less than $1.  No EWS, no Chex, no hard pull.

Cash App  Great P2P payment app with a debit card and spending bonuses.  Sign up with my link to earn a $5 bonus for sending $5+ after linking a debit card.  Transferring funds back to your bank may work to trigger bank bonuses that require Direct Deposit, and loading your account with your debit card can count as debit spending.  Another use is for P1 - P2 money transfer situations without having a joint account.  If you don't have someone you can send money to, send me $5 and I will send it back.  User: $JeffJS  (If you do not do a $5 send transaction within 14 days, they revoke the referral bonus.)  

Also, for existing Cash App users, if you did not use a referral code when you signed up for Cash App, you can add it after the fact.  Once you click on the profile icon 👤 in the upper right corner, scroll down, and just above Sign Out it will have a link to enter a Referral Code.  My code is: MFJZLDP

PayPal $10 Bonus  Worth $10 for each of us.  New PayPal customers only.  Join and spend $5 using PayPal and we both earn $10.

Venmo $10 Bonus  Join Venmo and earn $10 for signing up after you make a bank- or card-funded payment of at least $5 within 14 days.

Sign up for Google Pay, send someone a $1, and earn $5.  Super easy and super fast payout!  You can refer up to three people for up to $15 each.  Open the link from your mobile device to install the Google Pay App.  Use https://g.co/payinvite/bq7v768 

Money Management Tools

Similar to Mint.com, Empower (formerly known as Personal Capital) is a money management tool that focuses on investment advice.  Sign up, link an investment account that has a minimum balance of $1,000, and earn a $20 Amazon Gift Card.  After signing up, they occasionally offer a targeted bonus of $100 or $200 via postal mail or pop-up ads in your online login.  To earn that cash bonus you have to sit through a short introduction where they screen you to see if you are a viable candidate, and then an hour-long phone-con & PowerPoint presentation sales pitch at a later date & time of your choice.  If you want to get targeted for that promo, I recommend linking at least $250K of investments and/or liquid funds, as that is the minimum amount they want to take control of to earn "x number of free months" of investment management.

Prepaid Cards

Netspend Prepaid: Netspend Earn a $20 bonus after loading at least $40. Then you can open the savings account and earn 5% APY on the savings balance, capped at $1,000.  You can have up to at least 5 different Netspend cards without issue, useful for the 5% APY savings accounts, but you will likely only collect one $40 bonus.  Other Netspend Variants: Western Union, & ACE Elite have the same deal as well.

Crypto - Digital Currency - Wallets

OKCoin  Open an account, complete identity verification level 2, and receive $50 worth of BTC when you buy $100 crypto or more.  Stablecoins like USDC count for the purchase.  Your BTC posts within a few days of your crypto purchase.

eToro  Get $30 for funding with $100 and doing $100 in crypto trades.  Also, you can earn $30 for each referral, up to 10.

Coinbase  Open an account, and if you buy or sell $100 or more of crypto within 180 days of opening, you'll receive $10 worth of free bitcoin.

Money Saving Apps - Portals - Sites

PASSIVE EARNINGS APPS - Link your existing credit or debit cards and/or banks, and watch the points accrue.  Optionally, they also have offers inside the app that require using their link.

Dosh App  Referral Code: JEFFRES58

Drop App  Referral Code: a2pak

Payce App Earn up to 35% cash back both online and in-store on your everyday purchases!  Visa & MasterCard Only - No Amex - No Discover.

ACTIVE EARNINGS APPS - Requires you to select coupons or offers, upload receipts, use their portal, etc. to get money back on purchases.

Ibotta App  Referral Code: pdlhgpr  Many offers for grocery items, mainly, but also works as a shopping portal.

PORTALS TO GET CASHBACK - Once you signup, login to their site or app, use their links to shop online, and you earn cashback on ELIGIBLE purchases at 3rd party sites.  Offers vary quite often on these so please read all terms.

RebatesMe  Get a $30 bonus with your first $10 of earnings.

TopCashback

Rakuten (Ebates)  Get a $30 bonus when you spend $30.

Mr. Rebates

BeFrugal  Get a $10 bonus with your first $10 of earnings.

MaxRebates   Get an up-to-$50 bonus when you spend at least $25.

Price. com  Get $5 when you make your first purchase.

FREE REWARDS PROGRAMS -  Membership is free, but some optional offers are not free and require a purchase.

Inbox Dollars  Get $5 for using my link.  Yet another cashback site ran by Protégé.  Seems to focus more on grocery offers & surveys, but it is another tool to churn offers like Varo, etc.

Steady  Earn cashback with money-making offers called Boosters.  Also lists some job listings, as well as gig opportunities.

Swagbucks  Besides the cashback portal, frequently offers money-making opportunities, usually when subscribing to services. 

MyPoints  Almost identical to Swagbucks, and owned by the same company, but occasionally has a better offer or different selection than Swagbucks.

Upromise  Use my link and link your 529 savings account for a $30 bonus.  Also has many of the same offers as Swagbucks, MyPoints, and Inbox Dollars.

OTHER MONEYSAVERS/MONEYMAKERS/MANUFACTURED SPENDING

Pepper Rewards App:  My Referral Code is 584441. You must enter the referral code on the first page where it asks for a PROMO CODE!  You earn $20 once you spend at least $100 on gift cards.  Android App Download Link   iOS App Download Link  USE PROMO CODE 584441.

Fluz App  Great app for saving a few dollars on instant gift cards & good for some couch manufactured spending.  Some Fluz retailers sell $200 digital Visa or MasterCard gift cards with no fee.  Depending on how you choose to pay, you can earn 3% cashback via ACH, or if you use a credit card, it will be counted as a purchase on your credit card and/or help you meet minimum spending on a new credit card.

PFS Buyers Club  Opt into select private deals, buy the item, and once it arrives at your address, you mail it to PFS and they pay you over the original cost.  How much more depends on the terms you agreed to.  It's YMMV as the items you have to buy are usually extremely limited stock, like U.S. Mint coins.  Deals are not constant/continuous and are very specific.  You get an additional $20 for using a referral link, provided you actually perform the purchase and follow through with the sale. 

Raise.com  Use my link to get $5 off already discounted gift cards from a wide variety of merchants and restaurants.  They frequently offer potentially stackable promo codes to further discount your desired gift card(s) as well.  For sellers, not exactly a money saver, but if you find yourself with unused gift cards, and a desire to sell them at least a 15% loss, it is a viable option.

Sam's Club  Join now and get $36 off a Club membership. That's only $14! Limited time offer which ends 4/30/2024  Might be able to be stacked with other Sam's membership promotions, however, YMMV. 

Phone - Wireless - Utilities - Services

Arcadia  Get $10 off your power bill when you use my link, and your first month is free, but $5/mo. thereafter.  If you want to be "greener", Arcadia finds ways to lower your power bill and connect you to clean energy like wind and solar power.  Whether you rent or own your home, Arcadia can help you power it with 100% clean energy for just $5/month (first month free) — no installations, long-term commitments, or changes to your current electricity provider.  Plus, when you enter your zip code and utility company, Arcadia can check your eligibility for additional clean energy options; if there is a community solar farm near you, you can connect to it for no extra cost and receive guaranteed monthly savings on your power bill.  I like Arcadia because I pay my electric power bill via credit card and that avoids my local power company CC fee.  Also, it still counts as the utilities 5% category for the U. S.  Bank Cash+ rewards credit card.

NordVPN  Arguably the world's best VPN provider with the largest selection of servers worldwide.  Get 3 free months if you choose the 1- or 2-year plans, or get 1 free month if you choose the monthly plan.

US Mobile MVNO Phone Service  As a light-moderate data user, US Mobile is a great value at 10GB/month for $180/year.  Use my referral link to get a free 30 Day Trial and up to $500 in prepaid cards, depending on the plan you choose.  Unlike Visible, US Mobile uses Verizon or T-Mobile, so you have a choice.

Visible Mobile Phone Service  If you're a heavy data user, you can get unlimited data at a decent price with Visible.  Some of my family is using the $25 plan and loving not having to treat data like it's a precious limited resource.  My referral link has all the info you need to know about joining Visible. When you use my friend code, 3S8VHS9, you’ll get your first month of service for $20 off!