Consumer complaint received 2026-01-29 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Opening an account — Didn't receive terms that were advertised
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding Citizens Banks refusal to pay a promotional cash bonus that I fully qualified for under the stated terms and conditions. 

I opened a Citizens Bank checking and savings account on XX/XX/XXXX after receiving written promotional materials offering a {$300.00} checking account bonus and a {$300.00} savings account bonus. 

Citizens Bank required that funds be deposited within XXXX days of account opening. I met this requirement by depositing {$50.00} into the checking account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The promotion required : 1. At least {$500.00} in qualifying payroll deposits into the checking account to earn the {$300.00} checking bonus.

2. Maintaining a minimum balance of {$1000.00} in the savings account for XXXX consecutive months to earn the {$300.00} savings bonus. 

XXXX deposits were made into the checking account on the following dates : * XX/XX/XXXX * XX/XX/XXXX * XX/XX/XXXX * XX/XX/XXXX * XX/XX/XXXX These deposits exceeded the {$500.00} minimum requirement. In addition, the savings account maintained a balance of at least {$1000.00} for XXXX consecutive months, fully satisfying the savings account requirement. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I reviewed my promotion progress on the Citizens Bank website under Your Promotion Status. The website clearly confirmed that all requirements for both bonuses had been met, displaying green check marks next to both the checking and savings account requirements. At that point, I had qualified for the full {$600.00} promotional bonus. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX, the bonuses had not been paid. I contacted Citizens Bank for clarification. During this call : * I was first incorrectly told I failed to fund the account in time. 
* I was then incorrectly told my payroll deposits did not qualify. 
Both claims were disproven during the call. 

After escalation to a supervisor, I was told the bonuses were denied because I withdrew the remaining balance from my checking account on XX/XX/XXXX, resulting in a zero balance and causing the account to allegedly no longer be in good standing. 

This rationale is inconsistent with the promotion terms and Citizens Banks own website confirmation. As of XX/XX/XXXX : * All promotional requirements were fully met. 
* The bank explicitly confirmed eligibility for both bonuses. 
* The terms do not state that funds must remain in the checking account after qualification is confirmed. 

While the promotion states the account must be in good standing for 90 days, my account remained in good standing through XX/XX/XXXX, which completes the XXXX period. Withdrawing funds after all requirements were met should not invalidate an earned promotional bonus. 

Citizens Bank has refused to pay the bonus and refused to escalate the complaint beyond the call center supervisor. No written explanation has been provided reconciling their denial with their own promotion status confirmation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation