[Expired] M&T Bank $200 Checking Bonus – Available Online [CT, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV]

This bonus has expired, you can view more M&T bonuses here or the best checking bonuses here.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $200
• Availability:  CT, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
• Direct deposit required: Yes, $100
• Additional requirements: None
• Hard/soft pull: Soft
• ChexSystems: Yes
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: Avoidable
• Early account termination fee: $50 180-days
• Expiration date: March 25th, 2017
• Household limit: None listed

The Offer

No direct link to offer (go to mtb.com/checking and enter promo code QK, but read our verdict first)

• Open a new M&T personal checking account by March 25th, 2017 with the promotional code QK and receive a sign up bonus of $200 when you do the following:
  • Set up a qualifying direct deposit of $100 or more within 90 days of account opening

The Fine Print

• Qualifying direct deposits include but are not limited to electronic deposits such as payroll or social security and do not include electronic money transfers or credits such as account-to-account transfers or those made through internet payment services
• Bonus will post to the account within 90 days of meeting the direct deposit requirement
• Limited to one bonus per customer
• Offer may vary by region and product
• Offer is nontransferable
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

The bonus is available on any personal checking account, including: EZChoice Checking, MyChoice Checking, MyChoice Plus Checking, MyChoice Premium Checking, Classic Checking, Basic Banking. Let’s look at the easiest options for keeping fee free.

[Note that M&T Bank is one of the few banks that doesn’t give you a grace period, the requirements mentioned below must be completed your first month to keep it fee-free.]

EZChoice Checking

This account has a monthly fee of $9.95, soon changing to $6.95.

• Monthly fee is waived by making just ONE transaction such as a deposit, withdrawal, or debit purchase.

MyChoice Checking

This account has a monthly fee of $6.95 that can be waived with any of the following methods:

• Receive direct deposits totaling $200 or more
• Make 10 or more monthly debit card purchases
• Keep an average daily balance of $500 (might be $1,500 depending on your area) or more 

Basic Banking

This account has a non-waivable $3 monthly fee.

Early Account Termination Fee

Update: Looks to be $50 now.

Our Verdict

In the past (here & here) people have successfully gotten the bonus without being targeted, but YMMV as always. They also have a $150 bonus with a landing page that some people may prefer. There are two great things about M&T bank:

• Their bonuses are extremely churnable
• Their bonuses post extremely quickly after meeting the requirements

We’ve added this to our best bonus page now that somebody has confirmed getting the bonus without being targeted.

Big thanks to reader, cloknem & Bagel_Fatigue on /r/churning who let us know. Please consider sharing bank bonuses with this site so we can make it even better.

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• 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
• Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications