Adventure Continues: Opening Chase Business Complete Checking Account

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A few weeks ago, I’ve published a post on opening a business checking account with Chase, with the goal of getting a $750 bonus. The whole process was a bit of a hassle, mainly because I had to drive almost one hour to the nearest branch. But again, the incentive is nothing to sneeze at, right?

I was able to successfully open and fund the account and thought that was the end of it. Nope! A week ago, I got a letter in the mail. I almost threw it away, thinking it was  some balance transfer offer from Chase. I’m glad I didn’t because it had to do with my new business account. Apparently, there was an issue with a code used in the application, and I was given exactly four days to resolve it. If I didn’t, the account would be closed, and all of my previous efforts would be pointless.

So, I called the banker who helped me open this account in the first place, and she said I would have to come in in order to fix the application. If I didn’t want to do it, I could call Chase, which is what I did.

After 1.5 hours on hold ( no exaggeration), I was finally connected to the relevant department. A friendly Chase employee went over the information on my business and said the mistakes were now fixed. But! There was a small matter of signing a statement saying that I don’t engage in internet gambling. And I had four days to get it uploaded. I asked if the form could be e-signed, and the answer was nope.

Instead, you guessed it, I had to physically go to the nearest Chase branch. And they wanted me to call them afterwards, just to make sure the form was uploaded correctly. At that point I started cursing my decision to open this rigamarole of an account, but I couldn’t stop now. Not after all the time I’ve already spent on it.

So, I called my banker…again and asked if she could fax me the form. The answer was, naturally, no. She did offer to mail it to me, but since I only had four days, that was a no go. So I scheduled an appointment on a Saturday. That was my husband’s idea, he said we can do something with the kids afterwards. Of course, he ended up having a headache on Saturday and didn’t feel like going anywhere. So we just drove to the Chase branch and went back home. Well, at least we did grab some takeout from our favorite restaurant in Bradenton ( Migi Sushi, highly recommended).

But my adventure wasn’t over yet. Remember, I still had to call Chase to make sure they can actually see that form on their end. Another hour on hold. The rep said she had to check if the form was filled out correctly. I mentally prepared myself for yet another trip to Chase branch ( I wasn’t about to give up now!), but she said they would accept the uploaded form. Oh my goodness, it’s a miracle.

Bottom line

Tread carefully when it comes to opening Chase business accounts. I don’t care what the “carrot” is like, it may involve more hassle that you may be willing to deal with. This is no easy money, that’s for sure. Well, at least not for everyone.

It goes without saying that I only recommend messing with it if you live close to a Chase branch. If you don’t, my advice is to walk away. There is a high chance of failure, and all of your efforts may be in vain. I imagine that things are different with personal bank accounts, though. I have no idea why Chase has such byzantine rules when it comes to signing papers. I thought we live in the 21st century? But they are the ones who call the shots, so it is what it is.

This whole process has reminded me yet again how much easier it is to collect sign-up bonuses on credit cards. Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive, and I’m sure I’ll be happy when/if I get this $750 bonus. But man, I sure had to work for it.

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