Wells Fargo is offering a $400 bonus for opening up a checking account and set up a direct deposit for 3 months. This is one of the best bank bonuses that can be done over and over again. We recommend you do this whenever you become eligible.
For more current bank offers, see our bank bonuses page. The most popular offers are from Chase Bank, SoFi, and Fifth Third Bank.
Ninja Update: Offer has expired. For current Wells Fargo offers, see our Wells Fargo promotions page.
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Wells Fargo $400 Checking Bonus
You can get a $400 welcome bonus when you open a new Wells Fargo checking account!
To earn the $400 bonus, you’ll need to complete the following three requirements:
- Open an Account: Open an Everyday Checking account online
- Deposit $25: Fund your account with a minimum initial deposit of at least $25
- Receive Direct Deposits: Within 150 days of opening your account, receive three consecutive monthly direct deposits of $3,000 each month
The $400 bonus will be deposited into your account as soon as you complete all three requirements.
Where do I enroll?
You can enroll directly at the promotion page Wells Fargo set up for this special offer:
Related:
- $600 Citizens Bank Checking and Savings Bonus
- $600 Chase Checking and Savings Account Bonus
- $300 U.S. Bank Checking Account Bonus
Who qualifies for the bonus?
You’re eligible once every 12 months unless:
- You are a current owner of a Wells Fargo consumer checking account
- You are a current employee of Wells Fargo
What are the offer details?
Availability: Nationwide
Expiration: 12/31/2019 03/31/2022
Household Limit: None (everyone in your family can get the bonus!)
Direct Deposit Required: Yes (see what counts as a direct deposit)
Early Account Termination Fee: None
You can either apply directly online, or enter your email address and Wells Fargo will send you a coupon which you bring with you to redeem at a Wells Fargo branch.
When will I receive the bonus?
Wells Fargo usually pays the bonus as soon as you complete the requirements. For this promotion, my bonus came right after I met the terms and conditions on the third month:
Avoiding Fees
The checking account has a monthly fee of $10, which can be waived if you do ONE of the following:
- Have direct deposits totaling $500 each month
- Keep a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or more
- Make 10 debit card purchases and/or payments during each monthly statement cycle
- Link your checking account to a Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card
If you have a mortgage with Wells Fargo, you can also call them and possibly have them give you a higher level account with no fees.
The Bottom Line
This is the best promotion Wells Fargo has offered to the public. The monthly direct deposits of $3,000 is higher than their normal promotion, but the additional bonus is worth it if you can swing it.
For direct deposits, be sure to check out other ways that count as a direct deposit. If you’re going to do it the traditional way (paycheck deposits), remember you don’t have to deposit the $3,000 monthly requirement all at once.
One strategy if you get paid b-weekly is to transfer $1,500 per pay period. You don’t have to keep the money in your Wells Fargo account either! Once it comes into your Well Fargo checking account, you can just withdraw it back out to you regular bank account wherever it may be. It will still count for that month!
I’ve done this for 3 years now, and between 4 family members, this is an easy $1,600 in free money every year!
YO QUIERO EL BONUS $400 de WELLS FARGO. Need help to get the code to bring a branch, I don’t know too much how to navigate in computers.
Is this offer only can applied online? I went to a nearby local branch, the person I talked to doesn’t seems to know of this offer and asks for the coupon as a special invitation to apply. Knowing nothing about also Pushing as a direct deposit either.
Click on the offer link in this post and on the Wells Fargo screen select the “Open In-Branch” in order to print a coupon code to bring to your local bank branch.
They won’t know anything about a “push” direct deposit either because although it works, it’s not technically considered a direct deposit.
Hello!
Thanks for this info. About to try my first “Bonus Hacking.” Just to be clear, despite this being on Wells Fargo’s website:
“A qualifying direct deposit is a direct deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income, electronically deposited through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network by your employer or an outside agency.
Transfers from one account to another, mobile deposits, deposits made at a banking location, or ATM do not qualify.”
This is not necessarily true, right? I can “push transfer” using one of these methods?
PayPal
PNC Bank
Robinhood
Santander Bank
USAA
Venmo transfers
Thank you!
Hi MSA – so exciting in getting in the bank bonus hacking game!
Correct on what you asked. Banks usually have a standard disclaimer that only wage and other regular income transfers count, but in reality, “push transfers” from other banks do.
For Wells Fargo, those methods you listed work. PayPal had a few reports of it not working, but by and large it has for most people. I haven’t heard problems from the other financial institutions. I used Fidelity’s Cash Management myself to push to Wells Fargo.
E*Trade, HSBC, and SoFi Money are also working now too.
Lastly, some people like to deposit from two sources just to be 100% safe. You can withdraw it right after as the requirements doesn’t state that you need to keep them in the account.
Good luck! Let me know if you need more help.
Thank you for the response Money Ninja! The link is no longer working. Do you know if there is a new link for this bonus. I have an email copy of the bonus so can go into a branch if I need to.
You’re very welcome.
It looks like Wells Fargo pulled the offer early so no new online link. I’ll update it again once it become available – sometimes it takes a couple of weeks, sometimes a couple of months.
If you have the email copy, that will work in branch so I would do that.
I got the bonus for the second time with Wells Fargo. Waiting to be considered a “new customer” again.
Bonus confirmed. I did my deposit by pushing Fidelity into Wells.
How do you do it yearly if you have to have your account opened for 6 months? Do you close it right at the 6 month mark? Also, what’s the age minimum to open an account as you said all your family members do this? My kids don’t make money yet 😂
Where do you see that you have to keep the account open for 6 months? TMN says you’ll get the bonus in 3 months and there’s no early account closing fee. Close the account the month after you get the bonus and wait 12 months to sign up again.
Thank you! I love these bank bonuses! We used to open bank accounts for convenience or smaller gifts. I think Santander gave us a BBQ set one summer.
I signed up for a credit card once for a free t-shirt ::face palm::
This was in college though so I have an excuse. At least you got a BBQ set!