*The terms state that this offer expired on December 31, 2020. The referral link still shows up, but there’s no guarantee that you will get the bonus given that the terms say the offer is only valid through December 31, 2020. I’ll update this post again if it comes back.
If you’re looking for more easy bank account bonuses you can earn, check out some of the guides I’ve written below:
- Chime Bank Referral Bonus – Step By Step Guide
- SoFi Money Referral Bonus – Step By Step Guide
- Lili Referral Bonus – Step By Step Guide
- M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide
- Brex Card $250 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Guide
First Tech Federal Credit Union is currently offering a $100 signup bonus if you open a free checking account using a referral link. To earn the $100 bonus, you need to do the following:
- Open a First Tech Federal Credit Union checking account using a referral link (here’s my referral link).
- Deposit at least $250 into the account within 30 days of opening.
- Maintain at least a $250 balance for 30 days from initial deposit.
The terms state that the bonus will post within 30 days after meeting the requirements. Thus, in practical terms, you can expect the bonus to post 60 days from when you fund the account with $250 or more.
This is a particularly easy bank bonus to earn for several reasons. Those reasons include:
- No Direct Deposit Required. Most banks require a direct deposit in order to trigger the bonus. This often acts as a barrier, since it’s possible you won’t be able to meet this requirement. What makes this bonus so good is that it doesn’t require a direct deposit. Instead, all you have to do is fund the account with $250 or more and leave it there for 30 days.
- No Fees. All of the First Tech Federal Credit Union checking accounts have no fees, so you don’t have to worry about managing the account. Simply open your account, meet the terms, and if you want, close the account later.
- You Can Refer People With Your Own Referral Link. This bonus can be particularly lucrative because you’ll get your own referral link after you open an account. That means you can then refer people using your own referral link. They’ll get $100 for using your link and you’ll get $100 as well. Note that the terms state you are only eligible to refer people after you’ve had the account for 30 days, so be sure to wait 30 days before referring anyone.
First Tech Federal Credit Union $100 Referral Bonus: Step-By-Step Directions
Follow these step-by-step directions to earn your $100 referral bonus:
1. Open Your First Tech Federal Credit Union Checking Account Using A Referral Link. To earn your $100 referral bonus, you’ll first need to open a checking account using a referral link. Here’s my referral link. When you use that link, you’ll get the following pop-up.
2. Open the Carefree Checking Account. After using the referral link, you’ll then want to open the Carefree Checking Account. This is the one I opened. It’s completely free and has no minimum balance requirements. Follow the directions in the application. In the application, you’ll see a section to enter a promo code. You can leave that field blank.
3. For Eligibility, Select Financial Fitness Association. Since this is a credit union, you’ll have to select what makes you eligible to join. You can join the credit union if you’re a member of the Financial Fitness Association. First Tech Federal Credit Union will pay for your membership, so this won’t cost you anything out of pocket. Under the section on eligibility, select Other, then select Financial Fitness Association.
4. Fund The Account With $250 Or More. You’ll have to fund the account when you open it, so your best bet is to fund it with $250 or more immediately. I funded my account with $251 because I prefer being slightly over the requirement just to be safe. You can fund the account by linking a bank account, either through Plaid or via routing number/account number.
5. Keep $250 Or More In The Account For 30 Days. You’ll need to keep $250 or more in the account for at least 30 days. I’d personally just leave the money in there until your bonus posts, but if you don’t want to do that, you can set up a reminder to move your $250 back to your bank account at 31 days.
6. Your Bonus Should Post Within 30 Days After Meeting Requirements. After you’ve kept the $250 in your account for 30 days, the bonus should post within 30 days after that. All told, you should get your $100 within 60 days of when you fund your account.
7. Sign Up For Online Access. In order to sign up for online access, you need to have an online banking pin. This is weirdly difficult to find. You’ll get it in an email that is sent from “postmaster.” That email contains a secure message that includes your pin. You’ll click the link to create a password and then you’ll be able to access a message that contains your online banking pin. Once you have that info, you can create an account for online banking. If you miss this email, search for “postmaster” in your email messages to find it. If you can’t find this email, you can also call to get your online banking pin.
How To Get Your Own Referral Link
To get your own referral link, go to the First Tech Refer-A-Friend page and find your referral link. You may have to log into your account in order to get your referral link.
Once you have this link, you can refer your friends and family. They’ll get $100 once they meet the requirements and you’ll get $100 for referring them. This works especially well if you have a spouse or partner that you can refer. Simply use my link and get your $100. Then use your referral link and refer your spouse or partner. If you do this, you’ll end up with $300 total ($100 for using my referral link, $100 for referring your spouse or partner, and $100 for your spouse or partner).
Note that the referral terms do state that your First Tech Federal Credit Union account has to be open for at least 30 days before you’re eligible to refer people. You can get your referral link earlier, but I’d recommend waiting the full 30 days before referring anyone, just in case.
Final Thoughts
First Tech Federal Credit Union is an easy bank account bonus that is worth taking advantage of because of how easy it is to complete. It doesn’t require a direct deposit. Nor does it require you to use your debit card. Instead, all you have to do is fund the account with $250 or more and leave it there for 30 days. And since the checking account has no fees, you don’t have to worry about managing the account to avoid fees.
You can open your First Tech Federal Credit Union account and earn your bonus using my First Tech Federal Credit Union referral link.
If you’re interested in learning more about bank account bonuses, check out my post, The Ultimate Guide To Bank Account Bonuses. I go into a lot of detail in that post about how bank account bonuses work and how you can earn them.