Centera Bank is offering a reward checking account with the following rates and features if certain monthly requirements are met:

• 4.01% APY on balances up to $25,000
• 1.01% APY on balances over $25,000
• 0.25% base rate if requirements are not met
• Reimburses all ATM fees nationwide

The monthly requirements include:

• 10 Visa debit card purchases
• 1 direct deposit or automatic payment
• Receive monthly account statement electronically

Additional features of the account regardless of the monthly requirements include:

• $100 minimum initial deposit
• No minimum balance requirement
• No monthly service charge
• Free Online Bill Pay

The account is currently not mentioned on the bank's website. It's listed at CheckingFinder.com for all Kansas zip codes. Details and an online application are located at this CheckingFinder page.

Branches are located in Southwest Kansas in the cities of Sublette, Satanta, Greensburg, Dodge City and Minneola. One interesting note about Greensburg is that it's the city that received nationwide attention in 2007 when it was hit hard by a major tornado.

Centera Bank's ratings for safety and soundness are strong: 4 stars (excellent) at BauerFinancial and 5 stars (superior) at Bankrate.com. Both ratings are based on 6/30/09 financial data. The bank has been a FDIC member since 1946 (FDIC Certificate # 16436).

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this reward checking account.

Other Reward Checking Accounts

To find reward checking accounts in other areas of the nation or to learn more about these accounts, please refer to my High Yield Checking website.