1st Advantage Federal Credit Union
1st Advantage Federal Credit Union Free Advantage, Preferred or Premier Checking $200 Bonus
1st Advantage pays $200 when you open a new Free Advantage, Preferred or Premier Checking account with promo code CHECKING200, sign up for eStatements, set up a recurring direct deposit (no minimum stated) and spend $200 on the debit Mastercard in the first 60 days. Keep the account open 90 days. Virginia and North Carolina membership area only.
- Bonus amount
- $200
- Expires
- Not listed
- Time to complete
- ~60 days
- Bonus deposited in
- ~150 days
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Requirements
Last verified: Oct 2, 2026
Join and open checking with promo code
Join 1st Advantage with a $5 savings deposit and open a new Free Advantage, Preferred or Premier Checking account using promo code CHECKING200 at account opening. You must not currently have a checking account with 1st Advantage.
Sign up for eStatements
Sign up for eStatements.
Recurring direct deposit
Have a recurring direct deposit into the new checking account. The page states no minimum amount.
Spend $200 on the debit card
Spend $200 or more using your 1st Advantage debit Mastercard within the first 60 days of opening.
Keep checking open 90 days
Keep the account open and in good standing for 90 days. Closing it within 90 days triggers a $15 early closing fee.
The $200 is credited to the checking account 60 to 90 days after opening, after a single account review in the 60-90 day window.
Account Details
- Free Advantage Checking has no monthly fee. Preferred Checking has a $7 monthly fee waived with a $250 average daily balance. Premier Checking has a $5 monthly fee.
The account must stay open and in good standing for 90 days. Closing it in the first 90 days triggers a $15 early closing fee.
Eligibility
You must not currently have a checking account with 1st Advantage.
- Credit union membership required with a $5 savings deposit. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg), Currituck or Gates County NC, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews or York County VA, and to immediate family members of current members.
Tips & Gotchas
- →Virginia and North Carolina only: you must live, work, worship or attend school in Hampton Roads, Currituck or Gates County NC, or Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews or York County VA, or be an immediate family member of a current member.
- →Use promo code CHECKING200 when you open the account, or the bonus will not track.
- →The page states no minimum for the recurring direct deposit, but a $15 early closing fee applies if you close the account within 90 days.
- →The bank may cancel the offer without notice and states no end date.
Can You Earn This Bonus Again?
Fine Print
To be eligible for the $200 cash bonus, you must not currently have a checking account with 1st Advantage, open a Premier, Preferred or Free Advantage Checking account, use promo code CHECKING200 at account opening, sign up for eStatements, have a recurring direct deposit and spend $200 or more with your 1st Advantage debit Mastercard within 60 days of account opening. The account must remain open and in good standing for 90 days. If the new account is closed within the first 90 days, there is a $15 early closing fee. The account will be reviewed once during a 60-90 day period to qualify. The incentive will be credited 60-90 days after opening. Verified on 1stadvantage.org 2026-10-02.
Taxable income · Reported on 1099-INT
Related Articles
What is a direct deposit?
An electronic payment sent directly into your bank account, usually from an employer or government.
Does Zelle Count as Direct Deposit for Bank Bonuses?
Usually no. At most banks a Zelle payment arrives coded as peer-to-peer and will not trigger the bonus. Citi is the clear exception. Its Enhanced Direct Deposit terms name Zelle as a qualifying deposit, and every Zelle report we have from Citi got paid.
What is a hold period?
The minimum time you must keep your balance in an account before the bonus is paid out.
Also see: this month's best bank bonuses and community DD data points.
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