[Expired] BB&T $400 Checking Bonus [YMMV & AL, DC, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV]

Deal has expired, view more bank account bonuses by clicking here

Update 7/9/19: $400 bonus has returned, but you might be better off doing the $300 deal with no direct deposit requirement instead. Hat tip to reader @patrick_sears

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $400
• Availability: AL, DC, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
• Direct deposit required: Optional
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull It seems like they are very persistant about overdraft protection so make sure you don’t opt in for that
• ChexSystems: Yes
• Credit card funding: Up to $250 (says debit card only, but credit cards will work)
• Monthly fees: $30
• Early account termination fee: $25, 180 days
• Household limit: One
• Expiration date: March 29th, 2019 May 23rd, 2019 August 8th, 2019

The Offer

Direct link to offers: $400 bonus or $200 bonus, this link is probably better.

• BB&T is currently offering two bonuses:
  • Earn $400 when you open an elite gold checking account with promo code AXAGC
    • Complete one of the following activities within 75 days of account opening
      • Have an average daily balance of $10,000 or more
      • Receive direct deposits of $2,000 or more
  • Earn $200 when you open an bright checking account with promo code AVGFZ
    • Complete one of the following activities within 75 days of account opening
      • Receive two direct deposits of $100 each or more
      • Make 3 online bill pays of $25 each or more with U by BB&T

The Fine Print

• Offer is available for new BB&T clients who open a BB&T retail checking account.
• Normal minimum opening balance requirements apply.
• Offer is limited to one incentive per household and does not apply to second or multiple personal accounts.
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Elite Gold ($400 Bonus)

You can avoid the monthly fee on this account if you meet any of the following requirements:

• $25,000 combined deposit balance in checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, Money Rate Savings, Investor’s Deposit Account, or investments through BB&T Investment Services, Inc.
• $25,000 combined outstanding balance in retail loans and lines of credit3
• $150,000 BB&T personal mortgage loan balance

In PA & NJ the requirement is only $15,000 in combined deposit balances.

Bright Checking ($200 Bonus)

This account has a $12 monthly fee, this is waived if you do either of the following:

• Receive a direct deposit of $500 or more
• Have an average daily balance of $1,500 or more

Early Account Termination Fee

All accounts come with a $25 early account closure fee if you close them within 180 days of account opening. In addition accounts must be open at the time of bonus posting

Our Verdict

We’ve seen the $200 bonus before, previously the best bonus on the elite gold account was $300. With the $300 bonus the main issue  is keeping the account fee free. You basically need $25,000 in combined deposits, that’s also enough to trigger the bonus requirement so that’s a plus. You’d need to keep the $25,000 invested until the bonus posts and then pay the $25 early account termination fee. This 75-120 days, let’s say 120 days just to be safe. This account earns 0.01% APY, so basically nothing. If you put the $25,000 into a 2% account during that period you’d earn ~$165. When you add the $25 closing fee you’re looking at a bonus that is only really $200 or so. I’d probably recommend just doing the $200 bonus instead. I will be adding this to our list of the best checking account bonuses.

Big thanks to reader, Patrick S who let us know. Learn how to find bonuses and contribute to the site here.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

• A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
• Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
• 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
• Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
• Bank Bonus Posting Times