Citizens Equity First Credit Union Bonuses: $25, $175, $225 Checking, Referral Promotions (CA, IL)

Here are the latest Citizens Equity First Credit Union bonuses, promotions, and offers.

Update 1/17/25: The $175 and $225 checking offers have been extended through 6/30/25.

Citizens Equity First Credit Union Bonuses Review

As a financial cooperative, CEFCU borrowers and savers help each other enjoy a better value. Since their start in 1937, they’ve believed in an open, honest approach to helping you handle your money. Additionally, there are some great account perks that you’ll be able to benefit from as well.

I’ll go over the Citizens Equity First Credit Union offers below.

Citizens Equity First Credit Union $225 Checking Bonus

To earn this great bonus offer, just open a new account and meet all of their requirements.

• What you’ll get: $225 Bonus
• Eligible account: Checking Account
• Availability: CA, IL (Bank Locator)
• Credit Inquiry: Soft Pull
• Direct Deposit Required: No
• Monthly Fee: $0-$6; waivable
• How to earn it:
  • Open a qualifying new, first-time Checking account.
  • Complete the bonus reward requirements:
    • For Checking accounts only, you will receive a $200 Savings credit as a bonus if you open a new, first-time Checking account between 1/1/25 and 6/30/25 and reside in California. To receive the bonus, you must:
      • (i) qualify for a Checking account;
      • (ii) open a new, first-time Checking account with a deposit of $25 or more;
      • (iii) satisfy one or more of the following account requirements within the first full calendar month after account opening:
        • have a minimum individual balance of $5,000 or minimum household balance of $10,000,
        • make 5 or more purchases of at least $15 with your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account, or
        • have direct deposits totaling $500 or more on this Checking account or associated Savings account;
      • (iv) agree to receive your CEFCU Savings account statements electronically, via CEFCU eStatements,
      • (v) maintain your open Checking account in good standing as of the bonus fulfillment date, and
      • (vi) have a valid Social Security or Tax Identification number.
    • Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the first full calendar month after account opening if you satisfied one or more of account requirements (item iii) and agreed to receive your CEFCU account statements electronically (item iv) before the end of that first full calendar month.
  • For new, first-time Checking accounts only, you will receive a $25 Savings credit as a bonus when you use your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account for 5 or more purchases of at least $15 each month, for the first three full calendar months following account opening.
    • Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the third full calendar month following account opening.

(Offer expires 06/30/2025)

Fine Print

• Must be at least 13 years old to qualify for the bonus.
• The bonuses are not available on transfers of existing CEFCU Checking accounts, nor for members who have previously had a Checking account with CEFCU. All bonuses are not available on Health Savings Accounts, Rep Payee accounts, Uniform Transfer to Minor Accounts, Basic Business Checking accounts, Dividend Business Checking accounts, or Business Checking accounts. Offer subject to change. There is a limit of a combined total of $225 for personal Checking account-related bonuses per member. The value of the bonuses are considered a taxable dividend to you and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. You must have a valid SSN/ITIN to qualify.
• For Checking accounts only, you will receive a $200 Savings credit as a bonus if you open a new, first-time Checking account between 1/1/25 and 6/30/25 and reside in California. To receive the bonus, you must: (i) qualify for a Checking account; (ii) open a new, first-time Checking account with a deposit of $25 or more; (iii) satisfy one or more of the following account requirements within the first full calendar month after account opening: have a minimum individual balance of $5,000 or minimum household balance of $10,000, make 5 or more purchases of at least $15 with your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account, or have direct deposits totaling $500 or more on this Checking account or associated Savings account; (iv) agree to receive your CEFCU Savings account statements electronically, via CEFCU eStatements, (v) maintain your open Checking account in good standing as of the bonus fulfillment date, and (vi) have a valid Social Security or Tax Identification number. Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the first full calendar month after account opening if you satisfied one or more of account requirements (item iii) and agreed to receive your CEFCU account statements electronically (item iv) before the end of that first full calendar month.
• For new, first-time Checking accounts only, you will receive a $25 Savings credit as a bonus when you use your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account for 5 or more purchases of at least $15 each month, for the first three full calendar months following account opening. Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the third full calendar month following account opening.

Citizens Equity First Credit Union $175 Checking Savings Bonus

When you open a checking account and meet all the requirements, you can earn up to a $175 bonus.

• What you’ll get: $175 Bonus
• Eligible account: Checking, Savings
• Availability: CA, IL
• Credit Inquiry: Soft Pull
• Direct Deposit Required: No
• Monthly Fee: $0-$6; waivable
• How to earn it:
  • Open a qualifying new, first-time Checking account.
  • For Checking accounts only, you will receive a $150 Savings credit as a bonus if you open a new, first-time Checking account between 1/1/25 and 6/30/25.
    • To receive the bonus, you must:
    • (i) qualify for a Checking account;
    • (ii) open a new, first-time Checking account with a deposit of $25 or more;
    • (iii) satisfy one or more of the following account requirements within the first full calendar month after account opening:
      • have a minimum individual balance of $5,000 or minimum household balance of $10,000,
      • make 5 or more purchases of at least $15 with your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account, or
      • have direct deposits totaling $500 or more on this Checking account or associated Savings account;
    • (iv) agree to receive your CEFCU Savings account statements electronically, via CEFCU eStatements,
    • (v) maintain your open Checking account in good standing as of the bonus fulfillment date, and
    • (vi) have a valid Social Security or Tax Identification number.
    • Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the first full calendar month after account opening if you satisfied one or more of account requirements (item iii) and agreed to receive your CEFCU account statements electronically (item iv) before the end of that first full calendar month.
  • For new, first-time Checking accounts only, you will receive a $25 Savings credit as a bonus when you use your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account for 5 or more purchases of at least $15 each month, for the first three full calendar months following account opening.
    • Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the third full calendar month following account opening.

(Offer expires 06/30/2025)

Fine Print

• Must be at least 13 years old to qualify for the bonus.
• The bonuses are not available on transfers of existing CEFCU Checking accounts, nor for members who have previously had a Checking account with CEFCU. All bonuses are not available on Health Savings Accounts, Rep Payee accounts, Uniform Transfer to Minor Accounts, Basic Business Checking accounts, Dividend Business Checking accounts, or Business Checking accounts. Offer subject to change. There is a limit of a combined total of $175 for personal Checking account-related bonuses per member. The value of the bonuses are considered a taxable dividend to you and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. You must have a valid SSN/ITIN to qualify.
• For Checking accounts only, you will receive a $150 Savings credit as a bonus if you open a new, first-time Checking account between 1/1/25 and 6/30/25. To receive the bonus, you must: (i) qualify for a Checking account; (ii) open a new, first-time Checking account with a deposit of $25 or more; (iii) satisfy one or more of the following account requirements within the first full calendar month after account opening: have a minimum individual balance of $5,000 or minimum household balance of $10,000, make 5 or more purchases of at least $15 with your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account, or have direct deposits totaling $500 or more on this Checking account or associated Savings account; (iv) agree to receive your CEFCU Savings account statements electronically, via CEFCU eStatements, (v) maintain your open Checking account in good standing as of the bonus fulfillment date, and (vi) have a valid Social Security or Tax Identification number. Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the first full calendar month after account opening if you satisfied one or more of account requirements (item iii) and agreed to receive your CEFCU account statements electronically (item iv) before the end of that first full calendar month.
• For new, first-time Checking accounts only, you will receive a $25 Savings credit as a bonus when you use your CEFCU Debit Mastercard linked to this new Checking account for 5 or more purchases of at least $15 each month, for the first three full calendar months following account opening. Your bonus will be deposited to the CEFCU Savings account associated with your new Checking account within 4 to 6 weeks of the end of the third full calendar month following account opening.

Citizens Equity First Credit Union $25 Referral Bonuses

When you refer friends to open an account with CEFCU, you can earn a $25 bonus.

• What you’ll get: $25 Bonus
• Eligible account: Checking
• Availability: CA, IL
• Credit Inquiry: Soft Pull
• Direct Deposit Required: No
• Monthly Fee: $0-$6; waivable
• How to earn it:
  • Earn $25 Referral Bonus
    • Fill out the Official Referral Certificate web form with the required information.
    • Click Submit.
    • That’s it! You and your friend could both receive up to $25 via automatic deposit to your Savings account within 4–6 weeks.
  • Earn $50 Business Referral Bonus
    • To receive the $50, you must be a CEFCU member in good standing and refer a non-member who must open a new CEFCU Savings account and a new CEFCU Business Checking account, Business Loan, or Business Credit Card.
    • Just fill out the Referred By section of the Official Referral Certificate*. Then simply give the certificate to a friend or member of your network.
      We’ll help your friend fill out the rest at account opening.
    • Once the qualifying accounts have been opened, CEFCU will deposit $50 to your Savings account within 6-8 weeks.

(Offer expires 06/30/2024)

Editor’s Note: You can also earn a $50 bonus when you refer someone to open a new business checking account.

Fine Print

• For a limited time, any current CEFCU member in good standing (“Member”) and non-member Friend (“Friend”) can both receive up to $25 (“Referral Bonus”) via direct deposit to their CEFCU Savings account when the Member refers the Friend to CEFCU, where the Friend opens a qualifying new CEFCU account and submits an Official Referral Certificate , or completes the Official Referral Certificate web form within five business days of account opening.
• To refer a Friend, simply fill out the Official Referral Certificate web form, or complete the “Referred By” section of the Official Referral Certificate and provide it to your Friend.
• For you both to receive the Referral Bonus, your Friend must (i) qualify for CEFCU membership; (ii) open a regular Savings account with a minimum deposit of $5 on or before 6/30/24; (iii) open a qualifying CEFCU account at the time of the Savings account opening; and (iv) submit a completed Official Referral Certificate web form, or an Official Referral Certificate at the time of account opening or mail it to CEFCU, attn.: Marketing/Referral, P.O. Box 1715, Peoria, IL 61656-1715 within five days of account opening.
• Qualifying new accounts to receive a $25 Referral Bonus to the Member and the Friend may be any of the following: Checking, Vehicle Loan, or Credit Card account. Qualifying new accounts to receive a $10 Referral Bonus to the Member and the Friend may be any of the following: Personal Loan, Health Savings Account, or (where the primary member, Friend, is age 12 or younger) the Savings account referenced at (ii) above.
• Qualifying accounts do not include Insured Money Market Accounts, Club Accounts, Hybrid HELOCs, Home Loans, Uniform Transfer to Minor Accounts, Rep Payee Accounts, or Certificates.
• Referral Bonuses will be deposited four to six weeks following the Friend’s account opening.
• There is a limit of 3 Referral Bonuses paid to a Member, or $75, whichever is greater, per calendar year.
• Only one Referral Bonus may be redeemed per new Member.
• Offer subject to change and void where prohibited or restricted by law.
• Employees and volunteers of CEFCU, their immediate families, and any person living in the household of these individuals, whether related or not, are not eligible to receive a Referral Bonus.
• All accounts are subject to qualification.
• The value of the bonus is considered a taxable dividend to you and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.

How To Waive Monthly Fees

• Checking: None
• Dividend Checking: $6.00 fee for each statement period that the average daily account balance drops below the minimum $2,500 level.
• Basic Business Checking: If you keep a $2,500 average daily balance, there’s no monthly service fee.
• Dividend Business Checking: $6.00 fee for each statement period that the average daily account balance drops below the minimum $2,500 level.

Conclusion

Overall, Citizens Equity First Credit Union promotions, allows you to earn a bonus by skipping the hassle of switching direct deposits to this new account. Additionally, once you join, you can start referring new members and earn bonuses.

I would check out a list of our Savings, Money Market, and CD Rates to find other generous promotions you can utilize.

• Best Savings/Money Market rates
• Best CD Account rates

However, if you are not eligible for these promotions, use our bank bonuses page to find other offers. Some popular bank offers include Chase Bank, Discover Bank, TD Bank, Huntington Bank, HSBC Bank and many more.

Lastly, check back often for more Citizens Equity First Credit Union Bonuses, Promotions, or Offers!