Update 6/10/23: Deal is back and also available in RI & NH.
Update 10/16/22: Deal is now $325 for customer appreciation week.
Update 9/27/22: Checking bonus will be $325 for customer appreciation week (10/15-10/22).
Update 1/19/21: Same deal also available at sister bank for CT & other parts of MA. Hat tip to reader G
Update 4/4/19: Deal is back again. Hat tip to reader ellisder
Update 01/24/18: Only available in MA now unfortunately. No longer available in CT, RI (it will show the MA only restriction on second page of sign up). Hat tip to reader Sarah.
Maximum bonus amount: $200
Availability: MA (Hampden, Hampshire or Franklin County), CT, RI
Direct deposit required: Optional
Additional requirements: See below
Hard/soft pull: Soft
ChexSystems: No
Credit card funding: Can fund up to $1,000 with a credit card, Visa, MasterCard or Discover are all accepted
Monthly fees: None
Early account termination fee: Need to keep account open for 365 days to get full bonus, $10 early account termination fee if closed within 6 months
Expiration date: None listed
The Offer
Direct link to offer: MA | CT & MA, RI & NH
Open a new checking account with bankESB and receive a bonus of up to $200. Bonus is broken down as follwos:
Open account with a debit card and either activate online banking and make 5 debit card transactions or direct deposit (minimum of $25) and receive $100
Make 5 bill pays & Activate eStatements and receive $50
After 1 year activate checking account anniversary receive $50
The Fine Print
$100.00 promotional offer is for opening a personal checking account and activating direct deposit (of at least $25.00) or signing up for online banking and conducting 5 debit card transactions using your debit card within the first 60 days of account opening ($100.00 will be credited to the account by the last day of the statement cycle following the 60th day the account has been open).
$50.00 promotional offer is for making 5 bill payments using online banking and enrolling in eStatements within 60 days of account opening ($50.00 will be credited to the account by the last day of the statement cycle following the 60th day the account has been open).
Minors (anyone under the age of 18) are not eligible for Online Bill Pay.
$50.00 loyalty bonus will be paid after the account has been open for 12 months ($50.00 will be credited to the account by the last day of the statement cycle following the 365th day the account has been open).
All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
The basic checking account doesn’t have any monthly fees, it makes sense to just keep this account open for at least a year so you get the $50 anniversary bonus as well. There is a $10 early account termination fee if the account is closed within six months.
Our Verdict
This is a great bonus, it’s a soft pull and you can fund with a credit card and there is no direct deposit requirement. Only downside is that you have to wait 365 days to get the last $50, but not really a big deal because there is no monthly fee on the basic checking account. We’ve added this to our list of the best bank account bonuses because of how good it is.
They’ve previously had a similar $200 deal, but it required referring somebody so this is a lot less hassle for people.
Big thanks to reader, Dave who let us know. Please consider sharing bank bonuses with this site so we can make it even better.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
Introduction To ChexSystems
Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull ChexSystems?
How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank