For many years, credit unions didn’t get as much attention as commercial banks. They are typically smaller, limited to a small regional footprint, and they tend to focus more on their existing members rather than trying to entice more people to join.
But as credit unions gain in popularity, we’re starting to see them increase their marketing budgets and, this point being more appropriate for you right now, their bonuses.
In fact, just a few years ago, I didn’t see that many credit unions offering a new account bonus.
Today, you can find several very popular bonuses from credit unions with very liberal membership policies.
Here are some of the best bonuses:
💵 U.S. Bank – up to $700
Earn up to $700 when you open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account and a Standard Savings account and complete qualifying activities. Subject to certain terms and limitations. Offer valid through June 27, 2024. Member FDIC.
Offer may not be available if you live outside of the U.S. Bank footprint or are not an existing client of U.S. Bank or State Farm.
Table of Contents
- About Credit Union Membership Rules
- First Tech Credit Union – $300
- ConneXus Credit Union – $200
- Service Credit Union – up to $500
- Chartway Credit Union – $800
- PSECU – $300
- SkyOne FCU – $50
- BluPeak Credit Union- up to $300
- KeyPoint Credit Union – $300
- Alliant Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account – $100
- Provident Credit Union – $300
- SECU – $250
- Expired Offers
- Elements Financial – $400 [EXPIRED]
- SkyOne FCU – up to $1,000 [EXPIRED]
- PenFed Credit Union – up to $750 [EXPIRED]
- Credit Human – $200 [EXPIRED]
- US Alliance Financial – $250 [EXPIRED]
- Credit Union 1 – $500 [EXPIRED]
- Wings Financial Credit Union – $300 [EXPIRED]
- BECU – $100 [EXPIRED]
- Alliant “FastPass” Promotion – up to $400 [EXPIRED]
🔃UPDATED: Updated the details and expiration dates of several offers on this page, including Elements Financial, Credit Human and US Alliance Financial offers expiring.
About Credit Union Membership Rules
With commercial banks, there are no “membership rules.” That’s a credit union rule. For an institution to be a credit union, they must (among other rules) restrict membership to a subset of the whole population. There’s no rule on how they restrict it – there just has to be a restriction.
With commercial banks, there are no such rules. When you see a bank only offer accounts in certain states, that’s simply because they are only allowed to operate in those states.
With a credit union, you have to gain membership eligibility through another organization. For example, PSECU is the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union and membership was originally restricted to Pennsylvania state employees. It has since expanded to include individuals who have joined the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) – and PSECU will even pay your membership dues.
PSECU still restricts its membership, thus keeping with the rules, but anyone can join because anyone can join the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society. Many credit unions do this, though few will also pay the membership due.
It’s a small price to pay to join a credit union, but a hoop you must jump through.
Now, onto the best credit union bonuses!
First Tech Credit Union – $300
First Tech FCU has a promotion where you can get $300 when you:
- Open a First Tech Rewards Checking account
- Set up a new payroll direct deposit of $1,000+ per month for a minimum of three months
- Collect $300
The account also offers a 5.00% APY on your first $15,000 saved if you a few conditions (biggest of which is 20 transactions with a minimum monthly spend of $500), but the bonus is for setting up a direct deposit.
As a credit union, you have to gain membership and that’s possible by joining the Financial Fitness Association and paying the $8 annual membership fee.
(Offer expires 6/30/2024)
ConneXus Credit Union – $200
ConnexUs is a credit union with locations in a few counties in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wisconsin. They will give you $200 when you open a new Xtraordinary Checking Account with the promo code CHECKING200 and:
- enroll in eStatements
- make 30 qualifying debit transactions in the first three months of account opening.
You can join if you live in their service area or if you join the Connexus Association and pay a one-time donation of $5.
👉 Learn more about the ConnexUs offer
(Offer expires 5/5/2024)
Service Credit Union – up to $500
Service Credit Union will give you a bonus of up to up to $500 when you open a new Everyday Checking account and add a direct deposit of $1,500 or more per month. If you don’t have that big of a direct deposit, you can still get $200 if you set up and receive a direct deposit of $500 or more each month.
This all must be done with 90 days of account opening and the bonus will be deposited into your account within 90 days of meeting the criteria.
Only available to members that do not or have not previously had a checking account with them in the past 12 months.
👉 Learn more about the Service Credit Union offer
(Offer expires 3/31/2024)
Chartway Credit Union – $800
Chartway Credit Union has a savings account bonus where you can get $150 for every $15,000 deposited into your new account and keep it there until July 31st, 2024. This is a bonus of up to $800 if you deposit more than $75,000 into your account.
The account only earns 2.50% APY but with the bonus, the rate does improve a little bit.
As a credit union, you have to meet membership eligible requirements and one way to become eligible is to make a $10 donation to the Chartway Promise Foundation.
👉 Learn more about the Chartway Credit Union offer
(Offer expires 3/31/2024)
PSECU – $300
The Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) $300 bonus promotion is really easy to get.
Stage 1 – Join PSECU by clicking this link to visit the site and joining them using the promo code RIGHTNOTE. Once you’ve joined, add a free checking account ($5 minimum deposit). Sign up and log into digital banking and set up a qualifying payroll direct deposit(s) that total at least $500 per calendar month.
Stage 2 – Within 120 of meeting Stage 1 requirements, continue the recurring direct deposits for 3 consecutive months AND complete a minimum of 10 eligible debit card purchases (at least $10 each) within 120 days.
See terms and conditions at go.psecu.com/rightnote. also see below*
👉 Learn more about the PSECU offer
(Offer expires 12/31/2024)
SkyOne FCU – $50
For months, SkyOne Federal Credit Union had a complicated offer that paid you up to $1,000 if you satisfied a laundry list of requirements (the promo code was EXTRA). It appears that offer has expired (but is explained below if you’re curious) and replaced with a simpler one.
Get a $50 gift card when you open an account online or in a branch, deposit at least $5, and remain a member in good standing for 30 days.
(Offer does not show an expiration date)
BluPeak Credit Union- up to $300
BluPeak Credit Union started as USECU in 1936 for the benefit of San Diego’s Division of Highway employees, but has since expanded to several categories of state employees, including students, alumni, staff, and faculty of the University of California. They changed their name from USECU to BluPeak in late 2022.
It does not have any affiliated organizations you can join but the eligibility criteria is quite large – if you are a resident of California you may qualify.
To get this tiered bonus:
- Open a new checking account (promo code NewMover) with eStatements – get $50
- Set up direct deposit of at least $250 within 90 days – get $50
- Keep your account open for 6 months – get $100
- Keep your account open for 1 year – get $100
If you complete all the requirements, that’s $300.
(Offer does not show an expiration date)
KeyPoint Credit Union – $300
KeyPoint Credit Union is a California-based credit union that got its started in 1979 as AEA Credit Union. It has now grown to 7 branches and over 63,000 members.
They have a $300 offer that is split up into a series of three bonuses:
- Open a new checking account with a $25 minimum deposit – get $50
- Gain eligibility when you join the Financial Fitness Association – KeyPoint will seamlessly arrange for your enrollment in the FFA and there is no cost to you,
- Set up a direct deposit of at least $1,000 within 50 days – get $200
- Make 40 or more purchase transactions within three months after account opening – get $50
(Offer does not show an expiration date)
Alliant Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account – $100
This is Alliant’s longest standing offer and it does not require a direct deposit, but it does require you to make transfers into the account.
Open an Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account by 12/31/2024 and make deposits of $100 a month for 12 months.
These aren’t direct deposits, they’re simple transfers. Once you’ve transferred $100 a month for 12 months, they deposit the $100 bonus. No maintenance fees if you opt for eStatements, so you’ll want to make sure you opt in.
👉 Learn more about about this offer
(Offer expires 12/31/2024)
Provident Credit Union – $300
Provident Credit Union is of the largest credit unions in California and was founded in 1950 to service the California Teachers Association. It now has over 133,000 members.
To get $300, you must:
- Open a new account with promo code 9772 and deposit a minimum of $25 within 60 days from account opening
- Gain eligibility by joining any number of several dozen organizations listed here
- Make purchases of $400 or more using a Provident debit and/or credit card for two consecutive months, starting the month following your checking account opening
- Have direct deposits or automatic credits of at least $500 for two consecutive months, starting the month following your checking account opening
- Enroll in online banking and e-Documents with valid e-mail address
(Offer does not show an expiration date)
SECU – $250
SECU is the Maryland State Employee Credit Union and there is a $100 bonus when you:
- Open a SECU Total™️ Checking & Rewards account with $10,
- Gain eligibility by joining the SECU MD Foundation with a one time donation (but do so through SECU),
- Must set up e-statements and have at least 2 qualifying payroll Direct Deposits that total $500+ per month within 90 days of opening the account.
- Must keep your account in good standing for at least 60 days.
To take advantage of this offer, you need to be a resident of Maryland. To open an account, you have to be a resident of Washington D.C., DE, MD, PA, VA, or WV but only those from Maryland can get this bonus.
(Offer expires 3/31/2024)
Expired Offers
Below, we’ve listed a few offers that have expired since we published them. We keep them around just in case the credit unions bring them back but also as a point of reference. Please let us know if you see any offers that have come back!
Elements Financial – $400 [EXPIRED]
Elements Financial Credit Union has a nationwide promotion where you can get $400 when you open a checking account with the promotion code CHECK400 and then receive a recurring direct deposit of at least $500 within 60 days of opening your account.
The basic checking account does not have a monthly fee if you use direct deposit, maintain a $10,000 balance or higher, are 50+, or younger than 25. Otherwise, it is a $5 monthly maintenance service charge.
(Offer does not show an expiration date)
SkyOne FCU – up to $1,000 [EXPIRED]
SkyOne Federal Credit Union is based out of California but anyone can join it with membership in one of their partner organizations, which they will also pay for.
The bonus is a multi-part bonus with promo code EXTRA:
- $100 – Open your new member Primary Savings account online using promo code EXTRA along with an Advantage Checking account with a combined total of $3,500 (new money).
- $200 – Open a Sky-High Savings account online and meet the minimum monthly deposit requirements (deposit $1,000 or more each month to this account for a minimum of 90 days).
- $100 – Set up online banking and mobile deposit and make 1 qualifying mobile deposit per month.
- $100 – Make at least 10 debit card point of sale purchases per month within 90 days.
- $100 – Set up a minimum monthly recurring direct deposit (ACH) to Advantage Checking Account.
- $100 – Sign up for a SkyOne credit card online with an initial minimum spend using your card.
- $200 – Open a Liquid Share Certificate online with a $10,000 minimum deposit.
- $100 – Close on a new personal SkyOne loan (includes auto, motorcycle, signature, RV, boat, airplane, HELOC or mortgage loans) with Auto Pay.
There are a lot of parts to this offer, some of which require you to deposit quite a bit ($10,000 into a CD) or open a loan. If you skip those, you can still make a few hundred dollars on the other parts.
The interest rate on both accounts is minimal but the bonus kind of makes up for it. If you want higher rates, SkyOne actually works with Raisin for higher rates, especially on their CDs. The bonus is not available through Raisin though.
(Offer expiration not shown)
PenFed Credit Union – up to $750 [EXPIRED]
PenFed Credit Union is offering a bonus to new customers who open a new PenFed Premium Online Savings and deposit at least $10,000 or more into the account. This offer does not require a direct deposit, which is nice if you don’t have to move over.
(membership is available to everyone)
The amount of the bonus is based on the amount of new money you deposit into your account before 3/31/2024. In this case, new money is defined as funds new to PenFed and not from another account at PenFed:
The bonus structure is:
| Deposit Amount | Bonus Amount |
|---|---|
| $10,000 – $19,999 | $150 |
| $20,000 – $29,999 | $300 |
| $30,000 – $39,999 | $450 |
| $40,000 – $49,999 | $600 |
| $50,000 or more | $750 |
Then, keep the cash in the account until 9/30/2024 to get your bonus.
👉 Learn more about the PenFed offer
(Offer expires 3/31/2024)
Credit Human – $200 [EXPIRED]
Credit Human is an oddly named credit union that was formerly known as SACU – San Antonio Credit Union (they changed names in 2016 but were founded in 1935). They offer membership through a variety methods including through your work, school, or military service (or you can join the American Consumer Council, and Credit Human will pay that fee for you).
The bonus is a nice one, $200, when you open a checking account, register for online banking, enroll in online statements, and then use your debit card 10 times.
That’s it!
(Offer expires 5/13/2023)
US Alliance Financial – $250 [EXPIRED]
US Alliance Financial is an NCUA insured credit union that is a cooperative, which expands its reach to across the nation. They have a $250 bonus on their MyLife Checking and MyLife Fresh Start Checking account that requires you to meet two requirements once you’ve opened an account with promocode 250CHECK23:
- Direct deposit(s) totaling a minimum of $2000 per month must be initiated within the first 60 days of account opening and is required for (3) three consecutive months after account opening.
Then, do one of the following:
- The qualifying account must maintain an average minimum monthly balance of at least $500. OR
- The account must make at least 25 debit card purchase transactions per month for (3) three consecutive months, beginning within 60 days of account opening.
The $250 is credited within 30 days of meeting the criteria.
Credit Union 1 – $500 [EXPIRED]
CreditUnion1 started in 1958 as a credit union for personnel from Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. It has since grown and expanded through a series of mergers.
To get this bonus:
- Open an account with CU1 online with code CHK500. (you can also call or visit a branch)
- Gain eligibility through the Credit Union 1 Educational Development Association. It’ll cost you $5 fee to join the CU1EDA plus a one time CU1 membership fee of $5. Ten bucks.
- Set up direct deposit of $1,000 per month for 3 months
- Get the $500 bonus after the three months, keep the account open for 12 months.
Word of warning – we’ve had readers report that this bonus was difficult to get AND there was a hard inquiry when they opened. Sometimes they were told to visit a branch after trying to open it online. That’s why we listed this one last, despite the high dollar amount.
(Offer expires 7/31/2023)
Wings Financial Credit Union – $300 [EXPIRED]
Wings Financial Credit Union has several offers going on at once and it appears you can do them all. The eligibility requirements are easy to meet, you can join the Wings Financial Foundation (and Wings will pay your $5 fee) and then do the following:
- Set up recurring direct deposit of $600 or more to your new checking account
- Sign up for eDocuments
- Shop with your Wings debit card – 5 debit transactions, each $25 or more
Finally, there’s a $50 Refer-a-friend checking bonus. I don’t have an account so you’ll have to find someone who does to get it (you can check our Facebook group). That one requires you to open a Share Savings Account and Checking account, enroll in eDocuments, complete a direct deposit of $300+ OR complete 5 debit card transactions of $5+.
I’ve read reports that Wings will initiate a hard inquiry when you open an account.
(Offer expires 5/31/2023)
BECU – $100 [EXPIRED]
BECU is the Boeing Employees’ Credit Union but you don’t have to work at Boeing to get $100 for opening a new account with them.
- Open a checking and savings account using the promo code CAREERPATH,
- Gain eligibility by joining KEXP with a one-time donation of $10,
- Then:
- Perform 5 or more qualifying actions from this list:
- Make a purchase using your BECU Debit Mastercard®
- Write a check or electronic check
- Make a payment using bill pay
- OR, Deposit $500 or more into your checking account.
- Perform 5 or more qualifying actions from this list:
The full details of the promotion are in this flyer but the link below takes you to the application page.
(Offer expired 12/31/2022)
Alliant “FastPass” Promotion – up to $400 [EXPIRED]
Alliant Credit Union’s best promotion is a four step “fast-pass” promotion that will net you up to $400 if you meet each of the conditions by March 31st, 2023.
Make sure to use the promo code FASTPASS:
- Open a savings account by March 31, 2023 plus have a minimum $1000 savings average daily balance on April 30, 2023 to earn a $100 bonus
- Open a checking account by March 31, 2023 plus have a minimum $100 checking average daily balance on April 30, 2023 to earn a $100 bonus
- Open a certificate by March 31, 2023 plus maintain a minimum $1000 certificate balance on April 30, 2023 to earn a $100 bonus
- Deposit a minimum of $10,000 total across any of these three accounts by March 31, 2023 and maintain this minimum balance until April 30, 2023 to earn a $100 bonus.
If you are an existing Alliant member, you can still earn up to $400 by doing steps 2 – 3.
(Offer expired 3/31/2023)
*Level Up – Up to $300 Bonus Terms and Conditions
From 1.1.24 to 12.31.24, PSECU is running a new member incentive bonus. To receive up to $300, new members must sign up with promotional code RIGHTNOTE and satisfy each of the requirements listed below. PSECU will deposit member incentive bonus into the Regular share within 45 days after the requirements are satisfied. Promotion open to U.S. Residents who are 18 years of age or older at the time the account is opened. Limit one (1) new member Hit the Right Note bonus per tax identification number used to open a new PSECU account. Joint owners listed on accounts are not eligible to be rewarded for this bonus unless they open their own account. You will not be eligible for the Hit the Right Note bonus if you are a current PSECU member, have closed an account within the past 12 months, or have received any new member incentive bonus within the past 12 months. Members who open accounts and/or loans by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information, are not eligible to participate in this bonus offer. PSECU may adjust the deposited bonus or remove the deposited bonus at any time if PSECU suspects accounts and/or loans were opened by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information. $5 is required to open and maintain a Regular share account. This $5 share deposit is also required to be eligible to receive the bonus, and the member must be in good standing as defined by PSECU’s Bylaws Article II, Section 1. A $5 minimum share purchase will be made on behalf of the new member by PSECU. If the member account is closed within the first year of membership, the initial $5 share will be retained by PSECU. The Annual Percentage Yield on PSECU’s Regular share account is 0.50%. This variable rate is current as of 12.1.23 and may change. Withdrawals and fees may reduce earnings on the account. The recipient of the bonus (up to $300) is solely responsible for payment of applicable taxes on that amount. If you have any questions, please seek the advice of a qualified tax professional. All decisions of PSECU regarding this promotion are final. PSECU may terminate or change the terms and conditions of this promotion without notice. Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
$100 Checking Bonus Requirements
You must be approved for savings and checking accounts, a PSECU debit card, and digital banking (online or mobile) account access and activate your debit card and log into digital banking within 30 days of establishing membership.
$100 Direct Deposit Set Up Bonus Requirements
You must meet the requirements of the $100 Checking Bonus and establish one or more qualifying payroll direct deposit(s) that together total $200 per calendar month, within 90 days of establishing membership. Qualifying payroll direct deposits are defined as paychecks, Social Security payments, and pension payments.
$100 Direct Deposit Bonus Requirements
You must meet the requirements of both the $100 Checking Bonus and $100 Direct Deposit Set Up Bonus and maintain the qualifying payroll direct deposit(s) for a minimum of 90 days after the first qualifying payroll direct deposit.
Mag says
CreditUnion1 the process is horrible. After completing the application properly I received an email telling me that they could not determine my identity that I needed to upload my passport, social security card. I complied. Next email said still needed more information that I needed to submit a W9 along with W2 from 2021 , I complied immediately. Than total silence . One week later I sent them an email inquiring and ……… they replied to say that they still could not very my identity that I needed to go to a branch. Go figure hog wash
I’ve heard similar stories, hence the red notice warning. 🙁