Extended until 11/15/26. There is now a $400 bonus available as well as the $200.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Availability: ME, VT & NH
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $250+
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Yes
- Credit card funding: Unknown
- Monthly fees: None/avoidable
- Early account termination fee: $10 if closed within one year
- Household limit: One
- Expiration date:
February 28th, 2019 June 30th, 2020 August 31st, 2020February 28, 2021 April 30, 2021June 30, 2021
The Offer
- Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is offering a personal checking bonus of up to $400.
- Earn $200
- Open a new Simple Checking Account by 8/31/26
- Set up and receive a direct deposit of $250 or more by 10/31/26
- Get a $200 cash bonus on or about 11/15/26
- Earn $400
- Open a new Relationship Rewards Checking5 Account by 8/31/26
- Set up and receive a direct deposit of $500 or more by 10/31/26
- Get a $400 cash bonus on or about 11/15/26
- Earn $200
The Fine Print
- Offer cannot be transferred.
- Only one offer per household.
- In order to be eligible to receive $100 you must present the original coupon or mailer you received at account opening, no photocopies are allowed.
- Open a new E-Choice Checking or Simple Checking account by 2/28/19 ($25 minimum opening deposit for either account) or another Bar Harbor Bank & Trust consumer checking account and have at least one direct deposit of $250 or more deposited into the account before 4/30/19 to receive the bonus.
- Eligible direct deposits include deposits made by your employer, corporations, federal/state government agencies, or a retirement benefits administrator. It does not include deposits that are made to your account by an individual using online banking or an internet payment provider such as PayPal. Deposits made with a teller or ATM are not considered direct deposit.
- Bonuses will be credited to eligible accounts on or about 5/15/19, accounts need to be open and in good standing on that date in order to receive the bonus.
- The bonus is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on form 1099-INT.
- Offer is not available to current or former Bar Harbor Bank & Trust checking customers who have had a Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Checking account between 1/1/18 and 12/31/18.
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
- Simply Checking has no monthly fee to worry about. ($200 bonus)
- Relationship Rewards Checking has a $15 monthly fee, this is waived with a combined Minimum Daily Balance of $7,500 or more in your personal checking, savings, and money market accounts
Early Account Termination Fee
There is a $10 fee if closed within one year according to the fee schedule.
Our Verdict
Bonus is significantly better now with the $400 tier, when we first posted this was only for $100 and needed to be opened in branch. There is also a $400 business checking bonus as well. Will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses here.
Big thanks to reader, Jonathan H 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
Post history:
- Update 3/19/2021: Extended until April 30, 2021
- Update 1/2/2021: Extended until February 28, 2021
- Update 11/3/20: Extended until December 31, 2020
- Update 5/25/20: Deal is back and valid until June 30th, 2020 and can also be opened online now
- Update 1/31/20: Deal is back and valid until February 29, 2020. Hat tip to Michael S
Referral is back on this – both parties can earn $100.
Post history: Extended to 4/30/26 Extended to 2/28/26 There might be $400/$500 offers available as well, but slightly targeted language . Extended to December 31, 2025 Extended to August 31, 2025 Extended to June 30, 2025 Extended to April 30, 2025 Update 1/16/25: Extended until February 28, 2025 Update 9/5/24: Extended until January 15, 2025 Update 7/2/24: Extended until August 31, 2024. Update 5/16/24: Extended until June 30, 2024 Update 1/14/24: Extended until May 15, 2024. Update 9/11/23: Extended until December 31, 2023. Update 7/4/23: Extended until August 31, 2023. Update 5/8/23: Extended until 6/30/23. Update 3/1/23: Extended until April 30, 2023. Update 1/8/23: Extended until February 28, 2023 Update 11/2/22: Extended until December 31, 2022 Update 9/11/22: Extended until October 31, 2022. Update 7/4/22: Extended until August 31, 2022. Update 5/12/22: Extended until June 30, 2022. Update 4/2/22: Extended until April 30, 2022. Update 1/5/22: Extended through February 28, 2022. Update 11/8/21/: Extended through 12/31/21. Update 9/6/21: Extended until October 31, 2021.
Any data points on downgrading from Relationship Reward Checking (bigger bonus but large required minimum and a monthly fee) to a free account?
Added a note
Agreed. It’s actually not the exact same language, it’s slightly different: $200: “visit http://www.barharbor.bank/cashbonus to get an offer code and enter that offer code when opening account online“ vs $500: “ or visit http://www.barharbor.bank/rrbonus2 to open your account online and enter the unique offer code that appears on this letter during online account opening” but it GIVES the offer code, and the $200 one has DPs of the bonus posting, so. Lurking from MA Peek?
I’m really not so sure this wouldn’t work for anyone in the footprint: “ or visit http://www.barharbor.bank/rrbonus to open your account online and enter the unique offer code that appears on this letter during online account opening.” I guess they could still true this up with the letters they mailed though.
There are also $400 and $500 bonuses for the Relationship Rewards Checking accounts. I can’t see any difference between them. Same targeted language, also both expire 12/31 (if they’re not extended, but I’m sure $500 would get a lot more attention) $400 https://www.barharbor.bank/rrbonus $500 https://www.barharbor.bank/rrbonus2 William Charles
Rejected. I am at lol/12 but I also moved acouple months ago and wonder if that may effect things, got rejected by more banks recently after the move. They said they’d send a letter so maybe there will be more info there
Here is my timeline 6/26 account opened 8/1 real DD posted as PAYROLL XXX(employer) PPD 9/13 $200 bonus posted as “Promotion Bonus”
Yes. Received in 2021 and 2024.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust pulls the ChexSystems report. Applied on 03/19/24 and was denied on 03/20/24 based on unique DDA inquiry activity. I was told a manager might override this in a branch.
Has anyone ever got a second bonus after closing out your account and coming back after a year or more
Looks targeted to me
New $400 bonus in addition to the $200, may be targeted? https://www.barharbor.bank/rrbonus
Has anyone successfully completed this one more than once? I am wondering if I should close the account for future bonuses.
Did a WF biz push for $250, 2x. Bonus did not post. Had to call the branch, thankfully they went through the account manually and said the deposits did qualify, it just did not register automatically in their system. So they went ahead and deposited the bonus manually.
Applied and was rejected for failure to verify identity. They requested I go in-person to a branch but I don’t think I’ll be able to do so before the deadline of 8/31 since the closest is 30 minutes away. Bummer.
The referral program for this bank is $100/$100 now. It seems like the referrer registers the referee by sending them an email, so it may stack. https://www.barharbor.bank/refer William Charles
Correction: I was actually denied but don’t know why yet. They said they’re sending a letter.
Correction: I applied for it, was denied but not sure why yet.
Does P2 live at the same address? It says offer can only be used once per household, wondering if that may be why. For what it’s worth I was approved with multiple new bank and credit accounts in the past 6 months/year.
I opened this account. Credit card funding is not an option, in case that’s helpful to know.
It looks like it’s $100 for each. The $200 offer page includes in the fine print “ This offer cannot be combined with any other offers.” so guessing can’t be stacked.
Now extended to 6/30/23.
Got my bonus but only after I had to call CS asking where the rest was. DPs: 23 Sep- opened in branch, EZ Choice Account 30 Sep- $251 DD 13 Jan- Promo deposits of $10 and $50 17 Jan- Called asked where rest was 18 Jan- Promo deposit of $140
Extended until 2/28 William Charles Chuck Link: https://www.barharbor.bank/cashbonus
They now have a 50/50 refer program, hopefully it can stack. https://refer.barharbor.bank/
Deal has been extended William Charles Chuck Link: https://www.barharbor.bank/cashbonus
William Charles Deal has been extended. Open your account online by October 31, 2021, and have a $250 direct deposit into the account by December 31, 2021*.
how are they about out of state people trying to open in-branch?