NEW Promotion GET $50 for opening checking with HSBC Debit MasterCard® Card

Here you go my fellow FWers!!!

Open a new HSBC Smart Checking package and get
$50 with your new HSBC Debit MasterCard® Card!

Promotion Code is GET50

Website Link

Here is scan showing the expiration February 6, 2006


An HSBC Smart Checking package offers you all the extras to help you bank smarter. First, choose the checking account that works for you -- either a Smart Package which includes an Interest Checking account, or the Smart plus Package that includes our Interest Checking Plus checking account. And you'll also get the following:

Linked Premium Money Market Savings Account
HSBC Debit MasterCard® Card with PayPass™
Free Personal Internet Banking and Bill Pay
Free RecordCheck® service - we'll hold your posted checks!
Free 24/7 telephone banking
Once your Smart Package is opened, you'll get $50 with your new HSBC Debit MasterCard®.

There are three ways to apply for your Smart Checking Package and get your $50 bonus*:

Apply online today!
Visit any HSBC branch to apply.
Or call us at 1-800-975-HSBC (1-800-975-4722), option 2 then option 1 to apply by phone.
Your $50 bonus will be deposited into your new checking account when opened!

*Cash bonus is available to new customers opening a Debit MasterCard Card. If you qualify, $50 will be deposited in your new checking account within 35 days of opening your Debit MasterCard account. HSBC reserves the right to charge your checking account an amount equal to the bonus if your Debit MasterCard account does not remain active for at least 180 days. Limit one (1) cash bonus per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers. The $50 bonus will be deposited into the interest checking account you opened and will be treated as interest income on form 1099. Offer expires February 6, 2006.

If you open a Smart Package (with an Interest Checking account) and cease to have direct deposit, the minimum balance to avoid monthly maintenance fees shown on your Terms and Charges Disclosure will apply.

Note: The website stated that it expired on Dec 12, 2005 however the postcard I received said it is valid to Feb 6, 2006

Update: HSBC changed the expiration to Feb 6, 2006

Update2: My friend went to the branch in San Gabriel and was ready open a checking account with them but he realized that there is more to this offer. The banker Daniel L. said in order to qualify for the $50 promotion you must fund the account with $25000 to the Premium Money Market savings account. WTF is this guy talking about. I looked at the T&C and no where does it stated that you have to open a Premium Money Market savings account with 25K. Therefore, I would strongly advice not to bank with HSBC, just keep the OnlineSavings Account because their customer services are very unknowledgeable and not really helpful.

Please note if you really want to open an account with them to take advantage of the offer and then go ahead however it is a lot of work for such a small reward.

DaloSony said: Offer expires December 12, 2005..are u sure this is a new offer?

can u scan the postcard and host it at photobucket.com? the online terms say expired dec 2005 and ppl may need to have written confirmation

Will this also open the savings account that gives 4.25% apy?
I don't have a HSBC account yet. Just ING.

thanks

didYOUsearch said: can u scan the postcard and host it at photobucket.com? the online terms say expired dec 2005 and ppl may need to have written confirmation

Scan is posted

DaloSony said: kobun said: Will this also open the savings account that gives 4.25% apy?
I don't have a HSBC account yet. Just ING.

thanks

The checking is free w/ direct deposit. Great with the 4.25%APY savings account.

What are ways to get direct deposit? Would a $1 push from ING do the trick?

You might want to bold these:

HSBC reserves the right to charge your checking account an amount equal to the bonus if your Debit MasterCard account does not remain active for at least 180 days.

$50
will be treated as interest income on form 1099

I opened using this offer at a branch earlier this month, and my bonus was credited to me about a week after. I only opened up the checking account with debit mastercard which they linked with my OnlineSavings account. I declined the money market account, since I had no reason for it.

First, Thanks OP!

Second, here are some updates: I just called HSBC and

1) OnlineSavings balances *DO* count towards the $3,000 in combined balances to waive fees. So if you keep $3,000 there you won't even have to worry about direct deposit!

2) You can upgrade or downgrade your account at any time by calling them. So you could downgrade to the Free Checking after getting the bonus, theoretically. Of course I didn't ask that directly


edited to add: These are from the one CSR I spoke to. If someone else wants to confirm these facts, I think that would be helpful too.

jpsmoney said: First, Thanks OP!

Second, here are some updates: I just called HSBC and

1) OnlineSavings balances *DO* count towards the $3,000 in combined balances to waive fees. So if you keep $3,000 there you won't even have to worry about direct deposit!

2) You can upgrade or downgrade your account at any time by calling them. So you could downgrade to the Free Checking after getting the bonus, theoretically. Of course I didn't ask that directly


edited to add: These are from the one CSR I spoke to. If someone else wants to confirm these facts, I think that would be helpful too.

Called CSR. All above points confirmed. Can downgrade to the Free Checking AFTER 180 days. Any ACH DD O.K. (otherwise, monthly maintenance fees of $8).

DaloSony said: Open a new HSBC Smart Checking package and get
$50 with your new HSBC Debit MasterCard® Card!

...

*Cash bonus is available to new customers opening a Debit MasterCard Card.
Is this new checking package customers or new HSBC customers?

I already have their online saving account. Do I qualify for the bonus?

swraith said: Does HSBC do a hard pull for this checking account?

No. I am positive of this.

cawang said: It looks like the $50 is for ANY checking account with Debit MasterCard Card, as the fine print says:

*Cash bonus is available to new customers opening a Debit MasterCard Card. If you qualify, $50 will be deposited in your new checking account within 35 days of opening your Debit MasterCard Card account. HSBC reserves the right to charge your checking account an amount
equal to the bonus if your Debit MasterCard Card account does not remain active for at least 180 days.
Actually, it is pretty confusing! There seems to be no way of selecting such an option as 'Smart Checking' in the online opening process. There are radio buttons to select Interest Checking, Interest Checking Plus, etc., but none for Smart Checking. This is because 'Smart Checking' is an Interest Checking and MM combo.

Too much "fine print" and too many rules NOT to get the bonus.

Just called HSBC to make sure of the following:
1. As long as you don't currently have any HSBC checking account, you're qualified as a new customer (so if you have only an online savings account, you're ok).
2. The Smart Package refers to ANY interest-bearing checking (e.g. Interest Checking) PLUS the Premium Money Market savings account. Apply for a combo of the two accounts and you're qualified for the GET50 promotion.

I completed my application online no problem, though I'm not sure if they did a hard pull on me or not (forgot to ask). During the online application process it did ask me about a specific item on my credit report in order to verify my identity. Don't know if they got it from the credit report they have on file or they did pull a new one. It's likely that they did a new hard pull, I'm afraid.

So this is not the free checking account. I remember that HSBC requires paper transaction every 3 months or they would revert your free checking account to a basic checking with a monthly fee. Can you do bill paying using the money in your saving account?

jpsmoney said: AugustFour said:
When I called CSR, she told me I still qualified if I did not have an 'Interest Checking' account. This means if you have a 'Free Checking' account, then you qualify.

This conflicts with what my CSR said. She said it had to be interest checking or interest checking plus + premium money market. Just interest checking not enough for bonus. Free checking definitely not enough.

The inactivity thing is only for the Free Checking account, if I recall. The wording is "If the Free Checking account is inactive for three consecurive months, the account will be converted to Basic Banking and will be subject to the Basic Banking
Terms and Charges."

The question is what does "inactive" mean? OnlineSavings transfer? An ING ACH push? I would think that would count, considering they take it as a direct deposit.
According to the CSR I contacted, if you have a 'Free Checking,' you still qualify for the promotion IF you open an 'Interest Checking' & 'MM' combo. Free Checking with MM does NOT qualify.

You also must use your Debit Card at least once a month for at least 180 days. (HSBC reserves the right to charge your checking account an amount equal to the bonus if your Debit MasterCard account does not remain active for at least 180 days.)

I might call, I have online savings and want checking anyway for billpay. If I could actually figure out this offer, it might be worth doing it. Not if I have to use their debit card once a month for six months though. LOL, that's me at the gas pump, pumping $1 for discover, hanging up, pumping $1 for HSBC, hanging up, filling the tank with citibank dividend. I wouldn't really do it that way and it's not a big deal, just very annoying.

Edit: I called and they say you do NOT have to use the debit card. Still so much work for $50 it would be easier to panhandle $50 and I have NEVER panhandled.

How long it takes to open a checking account at HSBC? When I spoke to CSR was saying 4-5 weeks. Anyone have any idea?

jungle said: How long it takes to open a checking account at HSBC? When I spoke to CSR was saying 4-5 weeks. Anyone have any idea?
One CSR told the same. However, the second who took my application said about 7-10 days. Can someone call and reconfirm that an existing customer with a Free Checking still qualifies for the Smart Checking package by opening a new Interest Checking AND a new MM?

Be aware that Premium Money Market Savings Account is NOT Online Savings Account which has rate of 4.25%. Premium Money Market Savings Account's rate is only 0.60%. I guess you can add/link to Online Savings Account after checking account is opened.

I also got two $50 dollar bonus, one shortly after opening, and another on 5/22, which I think is the same day everyone got thier second bonuses.

Interesting thing is I have never used my debit card or billpay. The only activity on my HSBC checking account is moving the first $50 bonus into my HSBC Online Savings account.