Received My $50 HSBC Checking Bonus
I got my $50 bonus from HSBC for opening up a Smart Package Checking with them yesterday:
It looks like the offer has been extended to April 12th, according to this postcard I received recently (detailed scan). If you have an HSBC Direct account, why not open a checking to make it more versatile? I have simply kept $3,000 in my HSBC Direct account, and have had no surprise fees. Alternatively, you’d could link the checking account to ING or something and simulate a direct deposit by transferring money into the account and avoid fees that way.
Remember, to be safe, the Smart Package includes the Checking Account, Debit MasterCard, and Premium Money Market savings account. Be sure to check all those boxes. You can open both the checking account and money market account with only $1 (I did).
Overall, I’ve been happy with HSBC service up until now. Their CSRs are about as equally clueless as other banks, but I have gotten all my bonuses on time, and their support lines are open 24/7 unlike most banks. Also, my longest hold time has been about 5 minutes, and I was calling at about 2 am at night.
By Jonathan Ping | Deals & Offers | 3/21/06, 9:30am
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March 21st, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Just to finally clarify, as long as I have $3000 in my online savings I won’t have to pay any checking fees?
March 21st, 2006 at 12:59 pm
When did you open your HSBC checking account? I see you posted on Jan. 21 about it, but didn’t think you had opened it by then.
March 21st, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Max – Yes, details here.
JPK – Let’s see, I made my initial deposit on 2/2/06. But notice that the fine print says “$50 will be deposited in your new checking account within 35 days of opening your Debit MasterCard account.” I had to call in to request mine as they didn’t automatically send one to me. Then I had to wait to get it and activate it, so that was at least 3 weeks after my initial opening. So I think they were technically on time with the bonus, though the card wasn’t sent to me very promptly.
March 21st, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Just checked my account and saw the $50 bonus credited on 3/20 to my account but I didn’t make my first deposit until 3/3. I found it strange that they sent me a debit card and ATM card automatically without any follow up calls.
March 21st, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Jonathan – Yes mine was paid today too, I opened my account on 1/30/06. I had called HSBC last week and they said I wasn’t eligible because I never opened the money market that was required for the smart package (I didn’t read the small print well enough). To my surprise it showed up today. Interesting that it was named “Misc. Credit” where the $25 bonus depost for my online savings was named “CASH BONUS EFFECTIVE AS OF 01/17/06″. I thought this was their CS being nice to me after I yelled at them last week, but it appears it is showing up like this for everyone.
March 21st, 2006 at 4:44 pm
“Alternatively, you’d could link the checking account to ING or something and simulate a direct deposit by transferring money into the account and avoid fees that way.”
Does anyone know for sure that this works? I’d like to take advantage of this offer, but don’t have $3000 sitting around (hell, I got all excited when my HSBCDirect interest was over $1 last month
March 21st, 2006 at 6:19 pm
My lifes goal recently has been to find a bank that a) dosnt charge a fee for non-bank ATM useage and b)reimburses me for ATM owner fees
can anyone help me, any of these banks i.e. HSBC, ING or Emigrants do such a thing?
Thanks
March 21st, 2006 at 6:52 pm
For a completely free bank account with reimbursements, sign up for a Digital Federal Credit Union account (http://www.dcu.org) – I had to first join the “New England Chapter of the Penn Railroad Society” for $12 to be eligible.
March 21st, 2006 at 7:03 pm
Patrick,
Commerce Bank’s free checking has no minimum balance and will reimburse any ATM fees incurred if you keep a balance of $2500 (not an average of $2500, meaning, if your balance falls below that amount, they will not reimburse you even if your average balance for the month is above the $2500). So, in a sense, it’s not a pure no minimum account with regards to the ATM fee reimbursements (but again, even if you fall below the $2500, there is no fee).
March 21st, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Patrick,
First Internet Bank of Indiana’s (https://www.firstib.com/) Interest Checking, Regular Savings, and Money Market Savings accounts meet both of your requirements.
All of those accounts require a minimum average daily balance (the lowest being $500 for the Interest Checking) to avoid a monthly maintenance fee.
A benefit to the ATM fee reimbursement [1] for this bank is that it’s automatic at the end of your statement cycle unlike some banks that require you to mail in ATM receipts.
link
I’m a customer of the bank. If you decide you want to open one of those types of accounts and Jonathan says it’s okay, I can post my e-mail address for anyone to request a referral form for a $10 bonus. Not much, but it’s something.
March 22nd, 2006 at 12:46 pm
is the opening 25 dollar bonus for savings still available
March 28th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
etrade bank offers UNLIMITED ATM fee refunds if you have a min of $5000 in banking deposits. CSR confirmed that this includes CD’s .
April 3rd, 2006 at 12:41 pm
The fine print on the $50 bonus link for the HSBC Checking Account states:
Offer expires April 23, 2006.
Since this is turning into a forum on good checking accounts, for over 4 years I have been very happy with pcbanker.com, which offers Unlimited billPay checking with 3.15% and automatic ATM rebates up to $6/month, no service fee with $1000 avg daily balance. I have had excellent support from their CSRs. I can send anyone interested a referral link to get $20 bonus for signing up.