Western State Bank – $100-$250 – AZ, ND, MN – In Branch Only

Update 2/28/26: Bonus is now $100 for free checking (previously no bonus) and $250 for VIP or VIP Plus Checking. Hat tip to ShawntheShawn

Update 4/7/25: Available in MN according to this link.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: $100
• Availability: Valid in branch only; must be within 60 miles of their locations in: Devils Lake, Towner, Fargo, West Fargo, North Dakota or Chandler, Casa Grande, Scottsdale, Arizona [AZ, ND only]
• Direct deposit required: Yes, no minimum specified
• Additional requirements: eStatements & cash & check card
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
• ChexSystems: Unknown
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $10, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: Unknown
• Household limit: None listed
• Expiration date: None listed

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• Western State Bank is offering a bonus of $250 when you open a new VIP or VIP Plus personal checking account and complete the following requirements:
  • Sign up for direct deposit
  • Enroll in eStatements
  • Open a Cash & Check Card
• Can get a $100 bonus when you open a free checking account and complete the following requirements: 
  • Enroll in direct deposit
  • Enroll in digital statements
  • Get a Western Debit Card

The Fine Print

• Valid on new personal checking accounts only. The following criteria must be met to receive $100: Open a VIP or VIP Plus personal checking account, enroll in direct deposit, enroll in eStatements, open a Cash & Check Card.
• Reward will be credited to your new checking account within 60 days after direct deposit is received assuming account is open.
• Limit one offer per person
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Free checking has no monthly fee. 

VIP Checking $10 Monthly Fee

It’s possible to avoid this monthly fee if you have a minimum balance of $500 or maintain $5,000 balance in Loans + Deposits

VIP Checking Plus $10 Monthly Fee

This account requires you to have a combined balance of $10,000 in deposit accounts or maintain $25,000 in Loan & Deposit balances

Early Account Termination Fee

I wasn’t able to find a fee schedule so I’m unsure if there is any early account termination fee or not.

Our Verdict

They did offer a $200 bonus before, that had more requirements but was still better than this bonus. Western State Bank has been getting more attention recently due to the 2.5% APY nationwide account they offer, but this deal will only be available in branch in AZ & ND unfortunately. Because the $200 bonus was from way back in 2014 I don’t think we will see a better bonus than this in at least the short to medium term so I’ll add this towards the bottom of the best checking bonuses.

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