Update 5/3/26: Join the site now it says:
- If you don’t meet one of the requirements above, you or your business can join through a free membership to the American Consumer Council
Think it’s new from 2026. Although it looks like someone did it in 2021? YMMV if they will pay bonus though. They are also susceptible to ChexSystems.
Update: There is a $400 bonus, but only for the Temecula branch. More details were discussed here. Also available at the Covina branch now.
Update 4/12/25: The bonus is now $250.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: 100 dollars
- Availability: You must live or work in San Diego, Riverside or Orange County, CA
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $500+ per month for at least three months
- Additional requirements: Digital banking
- Hard/soft pull: Gentle pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown, sensitive
- Credit card financing: Up to $500
- Monthly fees: None with eStatements
- Early account closure fee: ANY
- Family boundary: ANY
- Expiration date: None listed
Offers
- California Credit Union offers a $100 bonus when you open a new eChecking account and meet the following requirements:
- Must be enrolled in digital banking
- Must establish a recurring direct deposit of a minimum of $400 per month (requires 3 recurring months)
Fine Press
- Restrictions apply.
- The $100 offer applies to NEW eChecking accounts only for NEW members who enroll in Digital Banking and create a recurring Direct Deposit with a minimum of $500 per month.
- The recurring direct deposit must be a direct deposit or payroll deposit.
- Limit one (1) bonus per member.
- Direct Deposit must be established within 120 days of membership opening to qualify for the bonus.
- Three (3) months of recurring Direct Deposits must be credited to the account before you are eligible for the bonus.
- The bonus will be added to the checking account within 8-12 weeks of the qualification date and will be reported as income.
- Refer to the current fee sheet for regular dividends to be paid on eligible balances.
- The bonus is not included in the calculations of regular dividends and is not recurring.
- The bonus will be forfeited by the member if the account does not remain open for at least 6 months.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you must pay tax on them
Avoidance of fees
Monthly fees
There is no monthly fee as long as you opt for eStatements
Early account termination fee
I could find no mention of an early account termination fee at fee schedule.
Our verdict
Relatively small bonus, but it’s an easy withdrawal and you can fund with a credit card, so I think it’s worth doing if you’ve already made the bigger bonuses available to you. I will add this to our list of the best checking account bonuses.
Hat tip to the reader SpicyPadThai
Useful posts about bank bonuses:
