Many moons ago, you could buy Presidential $1 dollar coins from the Mint using your credit card. This was a great way for card holder to basically get cash back or reward points for “free.” The only cost to you was that you’d have all these dollar coins that you’d have to spend or otherwise deposit back into your bank. Banks hated this. I purchased a batch so we could use them at our local bagel shop, farmer’s market, and other places where you could use credit. After doing this once, I realized how much of a pain it was and so when you couldn’t buy the coins anymore, I wasn’t that disappointed.

Well, it turns out there’s another way to spend without really spending – American Express gift cards. The downside to this strategy is that buying the cards comes with a fee. Normally that fee is $3.95 so you have to wait until there is some kind of promotion.

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It’s been a while since I wrote about a nice bank deal but if you’re in the market for a brick and mortar bank, BB&T is offering a $125 checking account bonus for new account holders if you meet their criteria by May 31st, 2013. I tend not to write as often about similarly incentivized credit card offers because credit card applications have a negative impact on your credit score. Bank offers, however, don’t impact your credit score at all. However, since most require direct deposits, you might draw the ire of your favorite person in human resources.

To qualify, you need to open a checking account between now and May 31st, 2013 and:

• Use their online bill payment service to initiate 3 payments (minimum $25) from your checking account within 90 days, or,
• Enroll and receive 2 direct deposits (minimum $100) within 90 days of account opening.

According to a service representative I talked to, there is one geographic requirement (Erica). You need to live within the BB&T “service area” which includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Official Terms & Conditions:
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If you’re looking for a referral to ING Direct (now known as CapitalOne 360) to earn the $25 referral bonus, you are at the right place!

Welcome to the self-service $25 ING Direct/CapitalOne 360 signup promotion center at Bargaineering. I’ve written on numerous occasions about how ING Direct/CapitalOne 360 will give you a $25 bonus for opening either a checking or savings account through a referral and depositing $250, so I’ve set up this page to allow readers to help themselves to the referrals (each will get $10 for each referral).

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Do you have $10,000 lying around burning a hole in your pocket?

If you answered yes, you can take advantage of a Sharebuilder promotional offer that will put an extra $200 in your pocket. Readers on Fatwallet are reporting that they received a targeted email offering a $200 promotional bonus if you deposit $10,000 into a new account.

Ten grand is pretty steep but $200 is nothing to sneeze at either. That’s a 2% bonus, better than a savings account right now.

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This promotion has expired.

If you’re in the mood to jump through a few small hoops to get a $10 gift card from American Express, you’re in luck. For July, American Express is running a promotion where you can get a $10 gift card from American Express when you get a new AMEX prepaid card and load it with $50. The promotion is that simple – order an American Express prepaid card, load it with $50 at the time you order it, and then wait six weeks to get your $10 gift card. Promotion ends July 31st, 2012.

There don’t appear to be any fees on the prepaid card to load or activate the card. You are permitted one free ATM withdrawal per month, then it’s $2 for each withdrawal after the first one. Also, shipping is free via USPS First Class mail. As for the impact on your credit, American Express doesn’t report any information to the credit bureaus so it will not hurt or help your history (faq).

Here are the terms & conditions of the offer:
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American Express has really made a huge push for small business with a variety of statement credits for using your American Express card at small businesses. The latest one I knew about, and took advantage of, involved Foursquare and syncing an AMEX card. This time, visitors to Boston, Chicago, or Philadelphia get the chance, through the Shop Small Now program, to get a $10 statement credit for shopping at small businesses before July 4th, 2012. You need to spend at least $10 in a single purchase with a registered American Express card.

You’ll need to register for each city separately:
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This promotion has ended early.

Chase is offering new checking account customers, specifically the Chase Total Checking Account, a $125 cash bonus if they satisfy certain simple conditions. The conditions are simpler than the PNC Bank promotion I wrote about earlier this week (for Chase you don’t need to use their debit card) and it offers a little more money. If you’re looking for a new checking account, this is a healthy bonus to entice you to consider Chase.

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One of the first bank accounts I had, after the credit union I joined because my parents had an account there, was at a PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, PA. PNC Bank traces it’s roots back to Pittsburgh, as it’s the product of a merger in 1983 between Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation, both of which can use PNC as an acronym! Anyway, enough with the history, the promotion I’m writing about today involves their checking account.

PNC Bank is offering a $100 promotion if satisfy a few conditions associated with opening up a checking account (promo code appears to be PS008):

• You must open a new personal checking account before the end of the promotion (3/31/12).
• You must be issued a PNC Bank Visa Check Card.
• You must make a qualifying Direct Deposit of at least $750,
• And you must make 10+ purchases with your check card within 60 days (they must post within 60 days) of account opening.

Once you satisfy those terms, you’ll get a deposit of $100 labeled “Cash Trans Promo Reward” and likely issued a 1099 next year, which is customary. You can open an account online or you can have them email you a coupon. You can then take that coupon with you to the bank to open an account and still get the bonus.

The promotion ends March 31st, 2012.

Here is the fine print:
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