First Direct Checking

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First Direct Checking

Refer a Friend and You Could Earn up to $500!

Even family members. You do the math. When you tell your friends about First Merchants and they open a new First Merchants Personal Checking Account or Auto Loan, you could earn up to $500 a year when referring multiple friends!

First Merchants First Direct Checking

A checking account with premium benefits exclusively for employees of participating businesses, first responders, members of the military and those who work in the healthcare and education fields.

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First Direct features:

Earns interest starting at $2,500¹
CD interest rate bonus of 0.05% APY
No annual fee on new Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC)²
Free first order of FREE Special Checks
Two NSF/OD fee items waived per rolling 12-month calendar³
No minimum balance requirement and no opening deposit with direct deposit sign-up
Complimentary retirement consultation
Discount on residential first mortgage closing costs
Quickly and easily send money to friends and family with Zelle®. Available within our mobile app. ⁶
25% discount on Safe Deposit Box rental where available
Free eStatements
Free Official Checks and Money Orders
Free ATMs nationwide with MoneyPass
Overdraft Protection Transfers from any linked account
Free Mobile and Text Banking
Free Online Banking including Bill Pay (must be 18 years of age for Bill Pay)
Free Enhanced MasterCard Debit Card with ID Theft Protection
Samsung Pay and Apple Pay

Who's eligible:

Employees of companies that participate in the First Direct Program
All first responders, members of the military and those who work in the healthcare and education fields.⁵

Picture of businessman working at computer

How to keep it free:

Make one direct deposit of at least $200 monthly.⁴ Otherwise, $10 monthly maintenance fee.

Other service fees may apply. Please see our Banking Fees.

¹In Interest tiers starting at $2,500. Interest is accrued daily and credited monthly.
²Subject to credit approval.
³An NSF/OD item is defined as 1 or more items presented to an account with non-sufficient funds on a business day.
⁴Multiple deposits of less than $200 will not qualify. First direct deposit must be received within 30 days of account opening.
⁵First responders include police, firefighters and paramedics. Military includes active members and veterans of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard.Educational workers include any employee of a school system. Healthcare workers include physicians, nurses, emergency medical personnel, dental professionals and students, medical and nursing students, lab technicians, pharmacists, hospital volunteers, therapists and administrative staff.
⁶Must have a bank account in the U.S. to use Zelle.

Note: Annual Percentage Yield is abbreviated by APY.

Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.

Please see terms and conditions of First Merchants Mobile Banking.