Wells Fargo $325 Checking Bonus – Available Online

Update 8/22/23: Extended through October 10th

Update 7/5/23: Offer is back through August 21, 2023; Update 5/23/23: Extended through July 3, 2023. Update 4/11/23: Extended through May 22, 2023. Update 2/28/23: Deal is back/extended through 4/10/23 (ht 14lopeza and Dan) Update 2/27/23: Today is the final day for the $325 deal. There’s a new $300 link valid through March 28, 2023. (ht ReedMuller) Update 1/17/23: Deal is back and valid until February 27, 2023. 

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $325
• Availability: Nationwide
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $1,000+
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Mixed reports, likely doesn’t pull
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $10, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: None, don’t close account straight away please
• Household limit: None
• Expiration date: January 6, 2023 February 27, 2023 April 10, 2023 August 21, 2023 October 10, 2023

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Wells Fargo is offering a $325 bonus when you open a new Everyday Checking account and complete the following requirements:
  • Receive a total of $1,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the new checking account within 90 calendar days from account opening (the qualification period)

The Fine Print

Eligibility Requirements:

• This offer is for new checking customers only. All Wells Fargo consumer checking accounts are eligible for this offer with the exception of checking accounts offered by Wells Fargo Private Bank.
• You must use your bonus offer code at account opening when you apply for a new eligible Wells Fargo checking account.
• You are not eligible for this offer if:
  • You are a current owner of a Wells Fargo consumer checking account
  • You have received a bonus for opening a Wells Fargo consumer checking account within the past 12 months
  • You are a Wells Fargo employee

Bonus Requirements:

1. Open a new Wells Fargo consumer checking account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 by January 6, 2023. All account applications are subject to approval.
2. Within 90 calendar days of account opening (the “qualification period”), receive a total of $1,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your new checking account.
   • A qualifying direct deposit is an ACH (Automated Clearing House) automatic electronic deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular income into your bank account. Confirm with your employer or the agency or company making these payments that they use the ACH network.
   • Transfers from one account to another, mobile deposits, or deposits made at a branch, or ATM don’t qualify as a direct deposit.
   • A direct deposit made available early with Early Pay Day does not count toward the bonus requirements until it posts to your account and is no longer pending (e.g. the pay date scheduled by your payor).

Bonus Payment:

• Once the 90-day qualification period has elapsed, we will determine if you have met the offer requirements, and will deposit any earned bonus into your new checking account within 30 days.
• The new checking account must remain open throughout the 90-day qualification period and at the time we attempt to deposit any earned bonus payment. Please note that an account with a zero balance may be closed by us without prior notice, as further described in the Deposit Account Agreement.
• You are responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes due on the bonus and we will report as income to the tax authorities if required by applicable law. Consult your tax advisor.

Additional Terms and Conditions:

• Offer expires January 6, 2023. However, offer may be discontinued or changed at any time prior to the expiration date without notice.
• Offer cannot be:
  • Paid without a valid U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (Form W-9 for U.S. persons including a resident alien). Non-resident aliens, signing Form W-8 are not eligible for the offer.
  • Combined with any other consumer deposit offer (limit one bonus per customer/account).
  • Reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded.
• The actions required to earn this bonus are separate and distinct from the options available to you to avoid any applicable monthly service fee for the checking account you opened.Talk with a banker or see the “Consumer Account Fee and Information Schedule and Deposit Account Agreement” for complete checking account details, including the applicable monthly service fee and options to avoid it.

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

The Everyday Checking account comes with a $10 monthly fee. Get the fee waived with one of the following:

• Direct deposits totaling $500 or more each statement cycle, OR
• Maintain a $500 minimum daily balance, OR
• Link checking account to a Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card

If you have a Wells mortgage, you might be able to get a higher-level account with no fees.

Early Account Termination Fee

There is no early account termination fee.

Our Verdict

This isn’t as good as the $400 bonus we last saw in 2020, but it is better than the $300 bonuses we have recently seen. I don’t think that $400 bonus will come back any time soon, but some might prefer to wait for it. I will add this to our best bank account bonuses.

Hat tip to reader Paul K

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