Updated with 2025 promo details. Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) has a $300 new checking account bonus. That is also my referral link as I successfully did a similar $300 deal previously. PSECU is a digital-first credit union with a very open membership. If you don’t satisfy the available free options, anyone can join with $10:
Don’t meet any of the criteria above? No problem! You can still become eligible for PSECU membership by joining the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS).
PRPS is a statewide association providing education, advocacy, and resources for those working and volunteering to manage Pennsylvania’s 6,000+ local parks. Park and recreation departments provide safe and affordable recreation opportunities, creating stronger and more inclusive communities.
PRPS membership dues are $20, but we cover $10 when you select to join PRPS during our application process.
There may also be a required $5 initial deposit into a share savings account. I also experienced a hard credit check on Experian when I joined over a year ago, but more recent reports are that they have switched to a soft pull. Here are the details on the bonus requirements:
$300 Checking Bonus Requirements
- Become a PSECU member using promo link and promo code 300REFER (should be automatically applied) and be approved for at least one savings and one checking account with debit card.
- Sign up and log into digital banking (online or mobile).
- Set up and receive 2 Qualifying Payroll Direct Deposit(s), each of $500 or more, into either the new savings or checking accounts.
- Above must be completed within 100 days of establishing your membership.
My application process went smoothly and similar to other credit unions. I did have to upload a scan of the front and back of my driver’s license to help verify my identity (which is a good thing in my opinion) as well as answer some identity verification questions based on my credit report. The application took a couple days to process but I was able to get my account information and online access without any phone call or paperwork required. I did have to call them briefly to get my checking account number (didn’t want to wait on the free checks to arrive) in order to set up my direct deposit. My bonus arrived without issue and as promised.
One bonus per tax ID, so a couple could each open their own PSECU accounts and get $300 each even if they live in the same household.
Greenlight perk. Another useful perk of PSECU for those with kids and teens is they include a free Greenlight subscription, which is a popular reloadable debit card service for kids. This is usually $5 a month ($60 a year). Here’s my Greenlight Kids Debit Card review.
More fine print:
$300 New Member Bonus Terms and Conditions
From 1.1.25 to 12.31.25, PSECU is running a new member incentive bonus. To receive $300, new members must sign up with promotional code 300REFER and satisfy each of the requirements listed below. After the first 100 days from establishing membership, your status to receive the bonus will be assessed and processed, which can take up to 45 days. This means, if all requirements are met, you can expect your bonus to be deposited into your Regular savings share within 145 days from establishing membership. Promotion open to U.S. Residents who are 18 years of age or older at the time membership is established. Limit one (1) new member $300 New Member Bonus per tax identification number used to open a new PSECU account. Joint owners listed on accounts are not eligible to be rewarded for this bonus unless they open their own account. You will not be eligible for the $300 New Member Bonus if you are a current PSECU member, have closed an account within the past 12 months, or have received any new member incentive bonus within the past 12 months.
Qualifying Payroll Direct Deposits are defined as paychecks, Social Security payments, and pension payment.
The following are not Qualifying Direct Deposits: person to person transfers (P2P), demand deposit account to demand deposit account transfers (for example, from a checking account to another checking account), and deposits or ACH transfers not from an employer or the government (for example, online transfers or bank transfers).
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Exactly, you should receive $200 or more for suffering hard pull which Chase, and several others, does not like to see when considering applicants for larger bonuses. You will probably be denied by many for 5 hard pulls in 2 years! (They then put their ding for the unsuccessful attempt onto you for others to see, of course.)
Nice little bonus.
Thanks for the warning of the hard credit check – This takes away an option for some…especially those applying & going for a Chase Bank credit card offer/bonus due to the Chase 5/24 rule.
The Chase 5/24 rule is not about hard credit pulls, but opened personal credit card lines (any issuer) in the last 24 months. An open credit card is not the same as a hard credit check. Five credit checks in only 24 months is quite restrictive!
Personally, in our household I have my wife basically do only the Chase cards because she doesn’t like dealing with credit cards anyhow. It’s quite easy to have 5 Chase cards alone in 24 months But I have much more than 5 credit checks in a rolling 24 month period. Otherwise, you are giving up all the American Express, Barclays, Bank of America, and other cards. Plus credit union bonuses and so on.
Thanks to Jonathan for writing this. We used your link to apply yesterday and got approved today.
The funding is only via CC max $100. Not sure it’s cash advance or purchase thou.
We are retirees and credit hard pull is not a concern (or should we?).
The member # and checking account # shows no similarity seems odd for setting us DD.
PSECU said they only have one member number for both the share savings and checking account, so they give you a separate checking account number to guarantee it goes into the checking. They seemed to suggest if you did a transfer using the member number as account number the money might still end up there, but I didn’t want to risk it.
after 2 day account opening, the account was locked on late Friday. No communication (call or email
Called on Saturday and was told Security DOES NOT WORK ON WEEKENDS (that is obsurd
Today (Monday) called in and was told to upload SS and Utility bill. Security rep says they pick account random to lock and ask for more info.
this is so ridiculous IMHO as Security is 1) Abuse Power, 2) Not have any care for Customer (not knowing why lock up and no access to account for 3 days – hard to imagine if someone has it as a main account and only time to access is on weekends due to work (not my case thou)
Hope PSECU higher up can review its Security policy and have more passion to customers, and when a need to lock account should attempt to communicate …
After a hard credit pull, PSECU notified me that they were unable to open my account without me visiting a branch in person. I’m 1000 miles away from the nearest branch, so even they acknowledged this was unlikely.
I am a chaser of these bonuses and rates, and I’m noticing this is increasingly the case. Even if a bank or credit union says they allow out of state members, they increasingly deny us.
I don’t begrudge banks their verification processes and rules, but I don’t appreciate that hard credit pulls occur so early in the process.
I am filling out this application now, and they offer to cover half of the $20 friend membership dues.
Thanks for the update.