Update 7/5/26: Increased to $250
Increased to $225
Update 2/16/25: Deal is now $200
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $150
- Availability: MN
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Mixed datapoints
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Up to $250
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: Bonus forfeit, six months
- Household limit: Unknown
- Expiration date: 3.31.24
The Offer
- Blaze Credit Union is offering a $150 checking bonus when you open a free checking account and complete the following requirements:
- set up an Automatic Payment or Direct Deposit
- Make a total of six Blaze debit card transactions (not including ATM transactions) within 60 calendar days from the date the account was opened
The Fine Print
- Offer valid to persons with no prior checking relationship with SPIRE, Hiway or Blaze Credit Union in the last 12 months. $100 minimum deposit required to open Blaze Free, Rox, Saints, Wild or Pathfinder Checking account.
- To qualify for $150 offer, account holder must set up an Automatic Payment or Direct Deposit and make a total of 6 Blaze debit card transactions (not including ATM transactions) within 60 calendar days from the date the account was opened.
- Account must remain open for six months.
- $150 will be deposited to the checking account upon account opening.
- If all requirements of offer are not met, Blaze reserves the right to reclaim the $150.
- Account holder responsible for any applicable taxes. L
- imited time offer valid 1.01.24 – 3.31.24. Subject to termination at any time. Other conditions and restrictions may apply.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has no monthly fees
Early Account Termination Fee
Account needs to be kept open for six months or bonus will be forfeit.
Our Verdict
Blaze is a combination of HiWay & SPIRE credit union, we have covered them in the past. You won’t be eligible if you’ve had an account with either in the past 12 months. Bonus seems pretty good as a direct deposit isn’t required. It is a hard pull but we will add it to the best bank account 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
Dear Michael, Thank you for applying to be a Blaze Credit Union member. Your membership request has been declined due to recent excessive credit or ChexSystems inquiries. Sincerely, April
Thank you for submitting your application Michael. A Blaze Representative will contact you once your application has been reviewed.
Denied OOS from CA. Chex 1/1, 3/2, 3/3, 5/6, 14/12, 16/24, 16/36. No hard pulls on any of the 3 credit bureaus. I’ll update if anything changes. As others have mentioned, I received the standard email: “…Based on this review, we were unable to verify certain information needed to proceed with your application. As a result, we are unable to approve your request at this time. You are welcome to apply in person at a Blaze branch location…” I called a rep and she said that even though I was able to apply OOS, I would need to come in because the verification methods would not verify me and they can’t override with phone or video verification. Of course she also made a point to mention my Chex is high and is frowned upon, so I think Chex is the real reason.
Thank you, Jeff , Private , JayFid 🔗👈 . Still mixed DPs.
Thanks, added here: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/banks-credit-unions-chexsystems-inquiry-sensitive/
Denied, with hard pull.
Applied OOS, pending, received email to unfreeze Chex, unfroze, spoke with Manager on phone, denied due to Chex. Asked why I had so many inquiries… Stats: 1/1, 4/3. 4/6.
Not able to identify, so not ‘approved’ or ‘not approved’. Nothing on EQ TU shows under “Account Review Inquiries”: BLAZE CREDIT UNION D via BLAZE CREDIT UNION07/06/2026
Approved with no hard pull
3/6 679
For those who applied, did you get a hard pull? There were mixed DPs, so recent DPs will help. Thanks.
What is your Chex status and/or score? Jeff
Dara point: I was approved today and live in Nebraska.
I was not going to do anything about $10 donation. I was just wondering. Since not many (or nobody) in OOS have been approved, I will not apply.
Got similar messaging as I also applied Chex frozen: Thank you for applying to be a Blaze Credit Union member. To proceed with your application, you will need to unfreeze your ChexSystems report. Please contact us with any questions.
Oh I’m in the footprint. But I gave them an ID that doesn’t have my address on it. But they should have seen that from TU? I dunno. Not sure if it’s worth following up if I have to go in
I got the same message. Thinking they’re not taking OOS at all.
They sent me a secure message email. I however cannot view it as it requires a pin code and when I click to receive this code its not sent to me email. Played phone games this morning with them and they finally told me over the phone I was declined. I will assume this is from Chex.
Thank you for applying to be a Blaze Credit Union member. Your membership request has been declined due to recent excessive credit or ChexSystems inquiries. Sincerely, April
applied with both chex and transunion thawed. > Thank you for considering BLAZE for your account, unfortunately at this time we could not approve your application through the online process. The reason is we were unable to fully complete the required identification and verification process. This is required for our online applications. The online application process does require additional verifications, however you may apply in person at one of our offices.
You can report the donation withdrawal as fraud to the bank where the donation was debited from if your goal is to have it refunded and they are not doing so themselves. It technically is fraud since you are donating as a condition of being admitted as a member.
Applied with Chex frozen and received the following: Thank you for considering BLAZE for your account. We have received your application however need some additional information to proceed. We need to access your report with ChexSystems as part of the underwriting process. ChexSystems is reporting that there is a freeze on your report. Please remove that freeze and let us know when we may proceed. Once we are able to access your report we will be able to continue to process your application. Thank you. If they are sensitive, I will hold and unfreezing and moving forward.
Not this bank, but another bank I did an OOS donation and was denied and did not receive a refund. I would not expect a refund.
I don’t remember my Chex at that time, but I’m out of state (OOS)
Sounds like, being Chex sensitive, they will have a surge of donations coming their way. They should be grateful of DoC for all the donations this website is bringing to them.
I would not expect the donation to be refunded. It is a cost in churning and a contribution to a cause as well.
My question is… If a person donates $10 to apply for the checking account as OOS but the application gets denied, will the $10 be refunded?
Well it might be a bit difficult to get in. P2 applied with Chex of 4/3 and 7/6. Was rejected. Hope the best for all!
Applied OOS with us bank credit card, application is pending. Chex is lol/24 OOS is allowed, fine print states: “If you don’t meet any of the four options, you can make a one-time donation of $10 to the Blaze Foundation for membership”
Thank you for submitting your application [Name]. A Blaze Representative will contact you once your application has been reviewed. For reference, your application number is #####. Not sure what that means.