Update 5/26/26: Offer extended until 7/19
Update 5/17/26: Deal is now $300. Valid until June 30, 2026. Looks like it can be opened online now too. Hat tip to reader Super Pirate formerly SP
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $250
- Availability: NJ &, NY PA [Branch locations]
- Direct deposit required: Yes, two wthin 60 days of at least $500 each
- Additional requirements: Deposit $50 at account opening
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: Up to $2,500. Visa or Mastercard only. Likely cash advance in branch/not possible to fund with a credit card
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: $15, six months
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: October 12th, 2019
The Offer
- Provident Bank is offering a bonus of $300 when you open a new free $mart checking account in person and complete the following requirements:
- Deposit $50 or more at account opening
- Make 2 separate direct deposits of at least $500 each within 60 days of opening the account.
The Fine Print
- Open a new Provident FREE $mart Checking account in person at any Provident branch; deposit $50 or more at account opening; have your direct deposit or one ACH automatic debit made to this account within 60 days of account opening.
- After you have completed all the above requirements, including keeping your account in good standing and not overdrawing your account, we’ll deposit the cash bonus in your new account within 75 days of the last day of the promotion, which is Saturday October 12th.
- Please note Teacher’s Village (Newark) and Metropark (Iselin) are closed on Saturday, October 12, 2019.
- Current personal checking customers are not eligible for this offer.
- 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 to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
According to this comment there is an early account termination fee of $15 if closed within 6 months.
Our Verdict
Biggest bonus we’ve seen previously was $200 and that was targeted. This is an extra $50 and publicly accessible. It’s a nice offer as well as you don’t need a direct deposit, an automated debit will work as well as per the terms. I’ll repost this offer and add it to the best checking promotions page once the offer goes live on October 7th.
Hat tip to reader YS
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
https://imgur.com/a/lBEfYR5
Give me your email and I’ll send it to you.
As an update，I receive my bonus today (9/15), opened on 9/15
I sent them a secure email from online banking, but did not see any reply so far.
I sent a secure message, and they responded apologizing for the delay and saying it would be deposited by the end of this week. I’ll post an update when I receive it.
Good news! Mine still not yet.
$300 Bonus (INTEREST CREDIT BASIC CHECKING ACCOUNT BONUS) posted today — September 11. I’ll sleep good tonight. I hope.
Check the app…my bonus hit today pending $300 bonus
We’re getting pretty close to the 120-day deadline that I calculated based on the 5/12 account opening date. One week away. Call it a sixth sense, but I don’t have a good feeling about this bank at all. It’s the exception that a bank waits until the ‘last minute’ to pay out. Most pay promotional bonuses before — in some cases well before — they are legally required to do so based on the terms of the promotion. To add to the uncertainty, Provident is undergoing a major revamp of its banking platform over Labor Day weekend, and, according to the Bank, things won’t be back to normal until September 8. Who knows what effect this will have on the timing of bonus payouts. Ugh.
If its any consolation, you’re not alone. I opened the exact same day — 5/12. I have noted in my spreadsheet, based on the T&C, that the bonus payout is expected by 9/9/26. Looks like they’re milking our deposits for as long as they can and paying out as late as they can. Hope I’m wrong.
I opened 5/12 and still waiting.
Shoreman Thanks! Would you mind sending to eoanders@proton.me ? Thanks!
NO…you should NOT CALL! (That should already be pretty apparent to you if you’ve been hanging around this site for any length of time). As far as the timing of your bonus is concerned, the T&C clearly states that the bonus will be paid within 120 days following the account opening date, assuming you’ve met the qualification requirements. So…you can do the math (hint: you’ve still got quite a bit of time to wait).
So when exactly do you get the bonus for this. I opened around June 16 and did Fidelity Someone Else. Should I call to see if I have a bonus coming my way?
I do.
Anyone have a screenshot of the terms of the recent promotion? Thanks
Yes, looks like. 🙁
I had not had a Chex pull in 2.5 months so decided to give this a shot. But app went to review and was denied today. Chex was 0/1, 2/3, 7/6, 16/12.
Got the 2-3 day pending email too, but denied after 3 business days. I assume Chex was pulled.
I also applied and went to manual review – later got a denial with Chex pulled, went to a local branch, and told me that bonus couldn’t be honored in the branch, it’s only for online opening. Should I try again?
only US citizen is allowed to apply this account?
sounds like the pending part is the online banking application. At least that’s how mine looked. Instantly approved and provided with the account number, then prompted me to apply to online banking which when finished, said allow 2-3 days to process application
Pending application screen shown for 2-3 business days, however, account open confirmation email arrived within a couple minutes after applying. No credit card funding option available. Has 6 month EATF as well, per the fee schedule.
Fidelity someone else codes as Direct Deposit. Might be patched since fraud department kept calling me. Fingers cross 🤞
LOL and more LOL
Online application approved instantly, NYC area (Queens). Chex unfrozen at time of application 0/1, 1/3, 2/6, 4/12 Going to try Fidelity CMA push DDs as mentioned by others in thread and report back.
No option for Green Card for Citizenship Residency. Is it US Citizens only now?
No credit card option.
No credit card funding option.
How did it code?