Update 5/7/26: $500 in branch offer returns from 5/29/26 and 6/6/26
Update 1/16/26: The $500 in branch offer is back here.
Update 1/2/26: The deal is now good through 3/31/26.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: 400 dollars
- Availability: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, DC, MD, FL
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Gentle pull as long as you opt for draft protection.
- ChexSystems: Mixed data points
- Credit card financing: ANY
- Monthly fees: $9.99, avoidable
- Early account closure fee: ANY
- Family boundary: ANY
- Expiration date:
November 26, 2020 10/28/21 4/14/2022 9/6/20221/20/23
Offers
- Citizens Bank offers a bonus of up to $400 when you open a new checking account. The bonus is divided as follows:
- Get $400 when you open your first new personal checking account and make a direct deposit of $1,000 or more within 60 days.
Earn $2 on every debit card purchase you make, up to $100 within the next 60 days.
Fine Press
- To earn a $300 bonus, open your first new personal checking account between 08/20/17 and 11/26/20 and have at least one direct deposit of $500 or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
- To earn up to $100: Get paid $2 per qualifying debit transaction (up to $100) you post and clear your new checking account within 60 days of account opening.
- Qualifications: The primary signatory on the new checking account may not be or have been a signatory on any personal Citizens Bank checking account within the previous six months.
- The new account must be open and in good standing on the payment date shown in the table below to qualify for this offer.
- Direct Deposit is periodic income deposited electronically into your Citizens Bank checking account and can include salary, pension and other regular income.
- Qualified debit card transactions include signature- and PIN-based debit transactions directly at a merchant location or on merchant apps or websites.
- Only one debit card per checking account eligible for bonus. Online bill payments, Zelle® transactions and ATM transactions do not qualify.
- Eligibility: The customer must open their first new checking account through Citizen Bank’s online account opening system accessed by clicking on one of the links on this page.
- The customer should print this screen for their records. The customer will only be paid a one-time bonus for this program.
- Offers may be withdrawn without notice and may not be combined with any other checkout offer.
- Payment: The bonus will be deposited into the new checking account by the date set out in the table below and will be labeled “Builder Balance Bonus”.
- The bonus will be reported to the IRS for income tax purposes.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you must pay tax on them
Avoidance of fees
You must register for online statements or there is a $3 fee.
Monthly fees
Citizens Bank One Deposit Checking Account $9.99 Monthly Fee
The One Deposit checking account comes with a monthly fee of $9.99. The fee is waived by making a deposit each statement period. (According to this comment they really count every deposit – even a transfer from another Citizens Bank account will trigger this.)
Early account termination fee
As far as we know there is no early termination fee.
Our verdict
We have seen a $600 bonus in the past, but this required a $15,000 deposit to get the full bonus. This is a better option for those who do not have extra money. We will add this to our list best bank account bonuses.
Hat tip to the reader slave
Useful posts about bank bonuses:
