Here’s an updated list of KeyBank promotions, bonuses, and offers.
Currently, KeyBank offers a $300 bonuses & promotions when you open a KeyBank Key Smart Checking® and meet all the requirements.
Update 11/14/24: KeyBank has an improved offer for the Key Smart Checking® – the checking bonus is now $300 (up from $200) after meeting the requirements.
About KeyBank Promotions
The Consumer Bank serves individuals and small businesses throughout their 15-state branch footprint and through their national Laurel Road® digital lending business targeted toward healthcare professionals by offering a variety of deposit and investment products, personal finance and financial wellness services, lending, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, credit card, treasury services, and business advisory services. In addition, wealth management and investment services are offered to assist nonprofit and high-net-worth clients with their banking, trust, portfolio management, charitable giving, and related needs.
The Commercial Bank includes their Institutional and Commercial operating segments. The Commercial operating segment is a full-service corporate bank focused principally on serving the needs of middle market clients in seven industry sectors: consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial, public sector, real estate, and technology. The Commercial operating segment is also a significant servicer of commercial mortgage loans and a significant special servicer of commercial-backed mortgage security. The Institutional operating segment delivers a broad suite of banking and capital markets products to its clients, including syndicated finance, debt and equity capital markets, commercial payments, equipment finance, commercial mortgage banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, financial advisory, and public finance.
I’ll review the current KeyBank promotions below.
KeyBank Key Smart Checking® $300 Checking Bonus
![]() |
- What you’ll get: $300 bonus
- Account Type: Key Smart Checking®
- Availability: AK, CO, CT, ID, IN, ME, MA, MI, NY, OH, OR, PA, UT, VT, WA (Bank Locator)
- Direct Deposit Requirement: Yes
- Credit Inquiry: Soft Pull
- Credit Card Funding: No
- Monthly Maintenance Fee: None
- Household Limit: None
(Expires 12/13/2024)
How To Earn Bonus
- Earn $300 after qualified activities until 12/13/24 with the no-monthly-maintenance-fee Key Smart Checking®.
- Make the minimum opening deposit of $10, plus one eligible direct deposit of at least $1,000 within the first 60 days of account opening.
- Your $300 cash bonus will be deposited into your account within 60 days of meeting requirements. Account must not be closed at the time of gift payment.
Fine Print
- Direct deposit transactions include, but are not limited to: payroll, Social Security, pension and government benefits.
- Accounts titled as Trust Accounts, Estate and No Access are excluded from eligibility.
- Employees of KeyBank, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible for this offer.
- One account opening gift per qualifying account. One account opening gift per individual.
- The value of your gift will be reported on Form 1099-INT and deposited into your account within 60 days of meeting requirements.
- Offer not available to individuals who have had a KeyBank checking account or a KeyBank Hassle-Free Account® in the last 12 months.
- Accounts overdrawn or closed at the time of gift payment are not eligible.
- Offer is subject to cancellation without notice.
- KeyBank is not responsible for, and will not honor, promotional offers that appear on non-KeyBank websites or that are not authorized by KeyBank.
- Geographic restrictions apply.
KeyBank Key Select Money Market Savings®
Relationship Benefits. Earn better interest rates on savings and money market accounts, more cash back, loan discounts and more with KeyBank’s Relationship Benefits.
- Early Pay. Get paid up to two days early with eligible direct deposits to a KeyBank account.
- Competitive Interest Rates. Their interest rates are compounded daily to give you the best possible returns.
- Waivable Monthly Maintenance Fee. To waive the monthly maintenance fee, you need to have either a KeyBank consumer relationship package checking account, or a minimum daily balance of $25,000.
- Check Writing and Transfers. Access your savings anytime with an unlimited number of withdrawals and transfers.
- Secure, Easy Online Banking. Check your balance, make deposits and manage your account anytime with KeyBank online and mobile banking.
- Overdraft Protection. Link a savings account to your checking account to automatically cover overdrafts without a transfer fee.
- FDIC insured
Learn more about Key Select Money Market Savings®
KeyBank Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
With certificates of deposit (CD), you choose the term and your rate is fixed, so you always know what you’ll earn and when you’ll earn it.
- Guaranteed Returns. CD interest rates are fixed, so you grow your money at the same rate for the entire length of the term you choose.
- Interest Payments. Choose to redeem your certificate of deposit at the end of the term or reinvest it to keep earning interest.
- FDIC Insured. Every KeyBank CD is insured.
- Online and Mobile Banking. Check in on your CD growth anytime in KeyBank online and mobile banking.
Certificate of Deposit Accounts at KeyBank
- Short-Term CDs. Short-term savings at a higher interest rate
- Terms from seven days to six months
- Earn more interest than with a traditional savings account
- $2,500 Minimum Opening Balance
- Interest Compounded Daily and Fixed For the Term
- Tiered Long-Term CDs. Get higher interest rates with several term options
- Get higher interest rates with several term options
- Terms from six months to 10 years
- $2,500 Minimum Opening Balance
- Interest Compounded Daily and Fixed For the Term
- High-Yield Jumbo CDs. Intended for balances of $100,000 and greater
- Intended for balances of $100,000 and greater
- Terms from seven days to 120 months
- $100,000 Minimum Opening Balance
- Interest Compounded Daily and Fixed For the Term
Learn more about KeyBank Certificate of Deposits
How To Avoid Monthly Fees
- Key Smart Checking®: No monthly maintenance fee
- Key Select Checking®: The $25 monthly maintenance fee for the Key Select Checking® Account can be waived by:
- Having direct deposits totaling at least $5,000 during each statement period. OR
- Being a Key@Work® program member and having at least $3,000 in cumulative direct deposits each statement period. OR
- Having a combined balance in any combination of KeyBank checking and savings deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement deposits, and Key Investment Services LLC accounts of $15,000 or more.
- Also, the fee is waived for the first three statement cycles.
- Key Select Money Market Savings®: $20 Waivable Monthly Maintenance Fee
- Waive the $20 monthly maintenance fee when you have either a KeyBank consumer relationship package checking account or a minimum daily balance of $25,000.
Bottom Line
While the promotions & bonuses at KeyBank sounds enticing, setting up a direct deposit is a big commitment. They offer many different accounts to qualify for this bonus, so you have several options for any that can best suit your needs.
Additionally, you may want to check out our full list of Bank Rates and CD Rates.
Compare KeyBank Promotions with other bank bonuses from banks like Citi, Huntington, Chase, TD, Discover Bank, Axos Bank, PNC Bank, BMO Harris, SoFi, Fifth Third Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S Bank., and more!
*Check back at this page for updated KeyBank promotions, bonuses, and offers.
About KeyCorp: For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.
My wife, Liliya and I moved here from Virginia three years ago and currently have a checking & savings acct with Huntington Bank. She is an RN working for Cleveland Clinic, and she is paid twice a month. I am Retired from the US Navy with a Monthly Pension, I also receive monthly VA Service Connected Disability Compensation and my monthly Social Security Income. We are thinking about switching to Banks for personal reasons. However, there are a few perks Huntington offers that we enjoy.
1) Our Pay posts into our account early. For instance, She received a text alert at 8:10PM last night informing her that her Cleveland Clinic Paycheck posted. Her Payday isn’t until the 15th! That is a Big Plus!!
2) We are still a little old fashion as we still enjoy writing checks for certain things. Handyman Services, Church Tithes, and Auto Repair & Services.
Does Key Bank offer these perks to their customers?
Keybank promo using RETK0323 is no longer a valid code.
Tried to open this offer and it also required a reservation code-without it you get no bonus. What looks like a slam dunk is really flop. As Bo says-if anyone has that code I’d love to know it too, as of now don’t waste your time.
I had a direct deposit of 500 Federal Reserve Notes from my pension. I received 200 Federal Reserve Notes from Key. Maybe you were required to do direct deposit.
Key bank intentionally makes it difficult to get this promotion. I went to a bank, in person, with the red ‘promotional brochure’ I receive in mail on 8/17/2021 and opened an account and deposited $1000 as required, and left the funds there untouched. Till today (11/18/2021), three months later, I have seen no ‘promotion’ added to my balance. – it’s still $1000. I called the representative who opened my account at least a dozen times, texted them 20+ times, and even talked to a branch manager. They keep telling various excuses, like wrong code was entered, there was a system error, they misplaced my paperwork, they are contacting their Operations Lead, etc. etc. I am not sure what to do at this point. I am so tempted to withdraw my initial deposit, close my account, and just forget the whole deal. But after spending so much energy, effort, and time on this, I feel stupid to take that approach.
Any advice from anyone is highly appreciated.
Anthony,
Key bank offer is not limited to one per household.
None of these are working — besides the offer code, you have to have a reservation code which probably means it’s targeted which would be nice to know before we go in and apply — the Key phone reps are clueless..
Key Bank is asking for a “reservation code” when trying to apply the promo code RETK1120. Any idea where to obtain a reservation code?
I have had similar problems with KEY bank in the Seattle area about 3 years ago. Their people seldom are told of marketing promos so I have no idea how this bank functions with that attitude that irritates the heck out of many clients.
I now live in Dallas but will be in WA again for Thanksgiving, and hope to be allowed to try opening one of their many great offers so we’ll see and report back if it works or not.
EE
Key Bank is a terrible bank. They did a promotion at the Avalanche game. Never fulfilled their part of it. Supposed to be $200 after 60 days and a lander Scott Avalanche jersey. Went 90 days and received nothing tried contacting Bank of course because doors are closed due to the virus. Finally get a hold of manager who tells me that we are not getting the $200 or the jersey. Before I opened account I went to numerous banks to make sure that I was doing the qualified things in order to receive those. I registered at the gameand the people working the game were not completely clear on what needed to be done. This is why I went to three different branches to get exactly what I needed to do to qualify. All the branches said it was new to them and we’re not completely familiar with what needed to be done. I returned to the branch in Colorado Springs on Academy North. Spoke to manager and she informed me that I needed to deposit $500 within 60 days of opening account. I had done this 2 days after opening account. Now many months later they’re telling me I’m not getting either one I am closing my account and I would never use KeyBank again in my life. I am a real estate agent and I will also turn all clients from ever using them.
Received a KeyBank $400 Bonus invitation in the mail, opened checking account online on 10/8/2019, direct deposit posted to account on 11/1/2019. $400 Bonus posted to account 11/12/2019. Quickest bank bonus posting in my experience.
Michael L Did you have to do a direct deposit through your employer or did you deposit the money on your own? Please let me know I need to know before the 60 days is up. TIA
what code did you use?
Hello Mr. Nguyen,
Thanks for the information that you provide about bank bonuses. I have shared your website! However, I do not have time to go through the links with the names of banks to find what’s prevalent for the state where I reside. Therefore, will you change your format, and list the states where banks have bonuses instead of the banks that have bonuses? It would be easier to go to the name of the state where I reside, and then see the bank bonuses.
Thanks for this consideration!
It’s asking me for a reservation code also … perhaps the original post needs to reflect that … anyone know how you get a reservation code … do the invitations come through snail mail or email?
I opened an account with keybank June 14, deposited 500 bucks into the Key Express checking account. July 3 came and i recieved the 400 bucks. So it looks like i have to keep the account for 6 months before closing it? Can i downgrade to the hassel free account?
It looks like you just updated this post for July 2019 and the expiration date is stating last month June 28th. Is this offer still available or not? I am looking at opening a new checking account with a good incentive! Please let me know if I can do this offer still or if you have a new one for the same incentive!
Thank you,
Kristi Vrooman
Yeah – it’s very annoying that this is all over the place but they don’t mention the reservation code issue
Same happened to me. I heard about this offer from my mother. She wasn’t going to set up an account, but I saw it online, so I tried to set it up. By the third page it wanted a reservation number. My mom had one, but not knowing if I could use it, I called Key Bank customer service. The agent explained that those are “targeted offers” and only apply to that person, so I could not use it. I then asked him why the online application wouldn’t ask for the reservation number very first before it took all of your other, very personal, information and wasted a persons time in the end. He said they were aware of this issue and “hopefully” the technician team would have it fixed by the end of the week. What a joke!
The Key Bank offers are not available to FL residents. I live in the same zipcode from one of the private banking locations and the online application still doesn’t allow my zipcode.
For the $400 you have to have the reservation number AND a participant number. I started the application online but the dream dies on the 3rd page. Went into the local branch and they shut me down also.
Just got a snail mail version of this promo. Interesting difference from the online version. The online says (clipped):
“… Normal account service charges and balance requirements apply to these accounts. Accounts titled as Trust Accounts, Estate, and No Access are excluded from eligibility. Employees of KeyBank, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible for this offer. …”
The flyer I have in hand says:
“… Normal account service charges and balance requirements apply to these accounts. Accounts titled as Trust Accounts, Estate, and No Access are excluded from eligibility. Direct deposit transactions are limited too: payroll, Social Security, pensions and government benefits. Employees of KeyBank, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible for this offer. …”
Note the additional sentence in the hard copy version about what DD transactions count as DD. Could explain why some never see their ‘free money’.
btw, thanks for this site.
That blows BillD. I would try again. Document everything. Save the email/flyer. Save the offer page. Screenshots. Etc.
And not sure why this offer is stjll up. It is INVITATION ONLY. See my reply below
Tried the $500 promotion several years ago after receiving offer in the mail. I opened an account and the banker put the mailer in my file. I completed all the required deposits, etc but no $500 . Bank informed me they had no record of this offer, they had NEVER had a $500 promotion and it would cost $25 to close the account!
Now I have just received another $500 offer in the mail. Should I try again?
Reservation code may be required. Seems this offer is targeted
3-8-19 $500 keybank offer is NOT public. I tried it and it did not let me open online. I went to the branch and was told this is an invitation only offer. The webpage does NOT say it is invitation only nor does it need a reservation code. Please update this offer to *targeted*
I opened the $400 promo in co online with all the right info.
But my first deposit didn’t go in until after the promo expired.
Will I still get the $ ?
I know they give 60 days to do a direct deposit.
Held a CD of mine for nearly a month because I needed to show our Trust was terminated. We submitted numerous documents, but their lawyers would not accept the information. My wife and I hired a lawyer to handle the case with no success. As a last resort, our Congressman made some calls to the bank and we finally got our money. Bottom line, do not use Key Bank.
KeyBank snail mailed me a flyer offering a $400 bonus if I opened a checking account with min $500 direct deposit within 60 days. I opened the account in late Aug, transferred the money from Paypal a week or so later and they paid the bonus in mid-Sept. They do have a service charge if I don’t either “regular deposit” $500 monthly or do something like 8 transactions per month. But I figure that in exchange for $400 I can work with that 🙂
I have been trying to open an account for weeks (I am not going to give up now) First time, I failed the credit questions even though I gave the correct answer. I went to the branch and they can’t give me the promo, I have to apply online. I came home and said I had to wait 24 hrs, 48 had passed by then. I tried again and finally I got through, just to find out I had to have a money transfer from e.i. a checking account or a Visa/MC card to put the $50 funds required to open the account. I didn’t so I ran to Walmart and bought a Visa cash card, I guess I took too long and the browser closed itself, I tried again and fail. I have been trying ever since, this is day 14th. Phone customer services can’t help, I tried twice and they keep bouncing me around.
Hey KeyBank, if you want customers but don’t want to give up the money, then don’t.
You’re better off taking any other promo than the keybank promo. First they had me fill out a bunch of forms online before telling me I wasn’t eligible for the 1st offer, then once I came into a branch to complete paperwork I was left to wait for over an hour before speaking with an absolutely incompetent and unhelpful employee
I worked over 8 hours on getting the $300 bonus from Keybank. The online application didn’t work and customer service couldn’t fix the system or figure out the problem and recommended that I call the executive office. Talked to a VP who said she’d escalate to resolve the problem. She got no where, told me to go into a branch. Did that and banker entered wrong code and can’t get the system to generate any bonus. Tried to do it manually and failed. Will have to bring small claims action. Will lose interest on $10K and spend maddening hour after hour, day after day. Stay away from this bank.
Please note we have added the state availability next to the promotion links. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
The $100 and $200 offers for KeyBank are not available in Colorado. Is there a way to better express that other than in the tiny fine print at the bottom?
Key bank has an ongoing 200. Get a code at https://www.key.com/personal/promotions/checking-200-ps.jsp?ppc=1801_CMPPRM_ONAS0118_ps+Google_Primary_Brand_Alpha_Mid+key_bank_bonus
I live in PA and was able to get the $300 bonus, the promotions come and go and they are different for different states every time, you need to read the small letters at the bottom of the website and if your state is not included now it might be later, just keep checking.
Now, can someone tell me if they allow you to downgrade to a free checking account? I had to open a premier account to get the bonus which has a $18 monthly maintenance fee
The $300 links just redirect to a “this offer has ended” page. So I was going to go with the $200 bonus, but it bugged me that their website couldn’t have known whether I was in the right zip code. Scrolled down reading their $200 offer page & saw a link for the $300 offer as a “cross-sell”. Clicked & bingo!
https://www.key.com/personal/promotions/checking/get-300.jsp?ppc=crosssell_MASP0617
FIFY. You’re welcome.
Had to go to the authorities with them. Then they cooperated.
Tried to get 400 $ but needed a reservation code. So I tried to go in the branch to open an account to get the 300$ One with the promotional code.
The banker did not know of any promotional code that exist. I explained to her this promotion and gave her the code but she said she did not know how to open it and had to ask her manager how to apply this code!! Im talking about the 300$ one.
Just got a call the from the bank who is asking me to email her the promotinal code again and is now insisting on a reservation code as well. I thought it was only for the 400$ one but apparently i’m being asked to get one for the 300$ one and am stuck here.
Anyone get this to work successfully for 300?
Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear about that. Please note we listed all the general available states that have Keybank branches here on the Master post. For the actual promotions, we have listed the qualifying states in our individual review:
https://www.hustlermoneyblog.com/keybank-checking-review/
https://www.hustlermoneyblog.com/keybank-checking-account-review/
Same thing happened to me here in PA, also listed. Extremely frustrating.
Anthony, can you please stop posting misleading and incorrect offers? TWICE NOW I have tried to open a Keybank offer because you state that PA is among the locations. I just completed an application for the second time only to discover that I do not qualify for the bonus. I was able to receive an email with a reservation code, BUT that email did not include PA among the locations. A chat with a customer service rep told me there are NO CURRENT PROMOTIONS IN PA!!!!
Do you even bother to review the fine print before you post them?
Hi
I really like your website and your posts
unfortunately even though u claim that its valid in NY in your post and i did get an email code an the phone rep said it;s valid the chat rep confirmed that there r no valid codes in NY and i just wasted more than an hour with them. its a shame and i lost very precious time and resources..
Keybank RETK0317 does NOT work. According to online chat:
This promotion and the associated online link were meant for those who received a direct mailer from Key regarding the promotion. This promotion also requires a reservation code that would have been found on the mailer. We are not able to give this code out as we do not have access to them.
Does anyone know if Fidelity triggers the DD requirements for Keybank?
this is not helpful. if you cannot answer the question, you should not respond.
please stop yelling
KEY BANK DOES NOT DO BUSINESS IN FLORIDA AS YOUR SITE STATES PLEASE CORRECT AS I JUST SPOKE TO THEM.
Yes, just read the fine print.
I tried this. Naples Fla is zip 34109. I got rejected as apparently that zip code, while in Florida does not meet the application standard.
Is there any stipulation for people who have had a KeyBank account in the past?
You must first request a coupon code from Key Bank–you request the code to be emailed to you on the same webpage where you apply for an account online. Unfortunately, Key Bank placed its “Apply Online” button at a more prominent location; the “Request Email Code” is closer to the bottom of the webpage. What is even more frustrating is that when you get the email, the reservation # code immediately follows the promo/marketing code (I inadvertently missed it the first time it was sent to me and was frustrated at trying to apply for the checking account).
To make things worse, finished the online application, but at the very end was sent to a splash screen that informed me that my account couldn’t be opened online.
So I did the next best thing–tried to apply via its 800#. Again, the bank rep on the phone got stuck when I informed him of the reservation #–he actually requested that I initiate a chat session with an online rep. Played a little phone/chat tag–both reps at the end told me I had to go to a physical branch.
I’m going to try but so far, this bank seems like it doesn’t have its act together.
Keybank requires a reservation number with the promotional code. Where is that located?