Update 5/30/26: The deal is back, this time a $300 check and $400 savings bonus. Hat tip to the reader the sun with
Update 6/23/24: Now there’s also a $400 savings bonus.
Update 3/16/24: The bonus is back and $400 this time.
Update 9/23/23: The deal is back and $300 this time.
Update 9/19/20: The bonus is back, but the bonus was reduced to $200 (from $250). Hat tip to the reader Mariet
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: 300 dollars
- Availability: Must live or work in the state of New Jersey
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $1000
- Additional requirements: 10 debit card purchases
- Hard/soft pull: Gentle pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card financing: Up to $1,000
- Monthly fees: $10, avoidable
- Early account closure fee: The account must be opened at the time the bonus is posted
- Family boundary: None listed
- Expiration date: ANY
Offers
- Open a new Columbia Advantage Plus check and receive a $700 bonus when you meet the following requirements:
- Earn $400: when you add $25,000 in new money within 15 days of account opening
- Earn $300: When you open an Advantage Plus checking account and receive $2,000 in direct deposits
Fine Press
- You are only allowed to receive one of each of these bonuses, regardless of the number or type of checking accounts you open.
- To receive any of the aforementioned bonuses, the account must still be open at the time we are ready to credit the funds (within 60 days of qualification) and at all times the account must be in good standing.
- If you have ever received a new account opening bonus in the past, you are not eligible for any of the cash bonuses even if you open a new Advantage Plus checking account.
If you received a cash and/or subscription bonus associated with a Yield Plus and/or Advantage Plus checking account within 365 days prior to opening this new checking account, you are not eligible for any of these cash bonuses.. It doesn’t seem like that’s there yet, and readers report being able to get bonuses more often than that.- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you must pay tax on them
Avoidance of fees
$10 monthly fee
Avoid a $10 monthly maintenance service fee by making 10 POS debit card transactions or receiving $1,000 or more in direct deposits per statement cycle. For customers 22 and under, this fee does not apply
Early account termination fee
The account must be open at the time the bonus is posted
Our verdict
The best bonus they have offered in the past has been $500 so this isn’t as good as that. It may still be worth doing for those who missed out on that bigger deal. Due to these factors, this happens our best list of checking promotions.
Useful posts about bank bonuses:
Post History:
- Update 1/4/20: The bonus has been extended and you can now fund with a credit card up to $1000.
- Update 8/26/19: Bonus is back but reduced to $250 (down from $300)
- Update 1/26/19: The deal is back. Hat tip to the reader I fly.
- The bonus has been improved and now you get $200 for a direct deposit. Still not as good as $500 bonus they have offered before.
