Bank Bonuses

Banks pay you to open accounts. The table ranks every bonus we track by payout, with the requirements, fees, pull type and repeatability rules that decide whether it is worth your time.

What Counts as a Direct Deposit?

Almost every bank bonus asks for a direct deposit. Very few banks define one the same way. This page explains how banks decide what counts, which transfer methods tend to work, and how to test a bank without burning your bonus.

Soft Pull vs Hard Pull: Does Opening a Bank Account Hit Your Credit?

Opening a checking or savings account almost never touches your credit score. But almost never is not never, and the exceptions can sting. This page explains what banks actually check, which situations trigger a hard inquiry, and what to do if ChexSystems gets in your way.

Funding Bank Accounts With a Credit Card

Some banks let you make your opening deposit with a credit card. When the charge codes as a purchase, you just bought credit card spend for free. This is one of the oldest tricks in the bank bonus game, and it still works, but it demands one safety step before you try it.

Hub Accounts: The Churner's Home Base

Bonus accounts come and go. Your hub account stays. A hub is the one stable account that moves money in and out of everything else, and picking a good one is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in bank bonus churning.

Bank Bonus Churning: The Meta-Game

Individual bonuses are easy. The meta-game is everything around them: when you can repeat a bank, when you can close an account, what the IRS takes, and how fast you can move without tripping alarms. Learn these rules once and every bonus after that gets simpler.

Best Bank Account Bonuses

All Checking Savings Business Brokerage

Bonus	Account	Requirements	Fee	Pull	Repeatable?
$450 Tiered $250 to $450 by total direct deposit amount	U.S. Bank Bank Smartly Checking checkingDD required	· Open online with the promo code on the offer page · Enroll in online banking within 90 days · Receive two or more direct deposits: $2,000+ for $250, $4,000+ for $350, $8,000+ for $450 Expires: 2026-09-30 · Nationwide online	$6.95, waived with $1,000 in monthly DD or $1,500 balance, or with a U.S. Bank credit card	Soft	Not eligible if you had a U.S. Bank consumer checking account in the prior 12 months or received a bonus in the prior 24 months.	Open
$400 $100, $200, or $400 by Virtual Wallet tier and direct deposit amount	PNC Virtual Wallet checkingDD required	· Open online through the offer page · Receive qualifying direct deposits within 60 days: $500+ for $100, $2,000+ for $200, $5,000+ for $400 on Performance Select · Bonus posts within 90 days Expires: 2026-09-30 · Nationwide online, branch footprint in about 28 states	$7 to $25 by tier, waived with monthly DD or balance minimums	Soft	Not eligible if you had a PNC checking account in the past 90 days or earned a PNC checking bonus in the past 24 months.	Open
$400 $100 Asterisk-Free, $240 Perks, $400 Platinum Perks	Huntington Asterisk-Free / Perks / Platinum Perks Checking checkingDD required	· Open online through the promotion page · Asterisk-Free: any single deposit of $1,000+ within 90 days · Perks and Platinum Perks: qualifying direct deposit within 90 days · Keep the account open 90 days Expires: 2026-09-07 · AZ, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, OH, PA, SD, WV, WI and online in footprint states	$0 Asterisk-Free; $10 Perks waived with $1,000 DD; $25 Platinum Perks waived with $25,000 in deposits	Soft	Long cooldown: not eligible if you closed a Huntington checking account within 6 months or received a checking bonus in the past 24 months.	Open
$325 $325 flat with qualifying direct deposit	Wells Fargo Everyday Checking checkingDD required	· Open with the promotional offer code · Receive direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 90 days · Bonus pays within 30 days after qualifying Expires: 2026-09-30 · Nationwide	$10, waived with $500 monthly DD or $500 daily balance	Soft	Not eligible if you received a Wells Fargo consumer checking bonus in the past 12 months or hold an open checking account.	Open
$300 $300 flat with qualifying direct deposit	Chase Total Checking checkingDD required	· Open with coupon code or targeted offer link · Receive direct deposits totaling $500 or more within 90 days · Bonus posts within 15 days of meeting requirements Expires: Ongoing · Nationwide	$12, waived with $500 monthly DD or $1,500 daily balance	Soft	Once per 2 years per product, measured from last bonus payout. Keep the account 6 months or Chase claws back the bonus.	Open
$300 $200 standard offer, periodically raised to $300	Bank of America Advantage Banking checkingDD required	· Open online with promo code from the offer page · Receive qualifying direct deposits of $2,000 or more within 90 days · Bonus posts within 60 days of qualifying Expires: 2026-09-30 · Nationwide	$12, waived with $250 monthly DD or $1,500 minimum balance	Soft	Generally once per 12 months and not for current BofA checking holders. ChexSystems sensitive in some states.	Open
$300 $300 with $3,000 in enhanced direct deposits; smaller tier at $1,500	Citi Regular Checking checkingDD required	· Open a new eligible checking account online · Receive two enhanced direct deposits totaling $3,000 within 90 days for the top tier · Bonus posts within 30 days of completing requirements Expires: Ongoing · Nationwide	$15, waived with $250 in enhanced direct deposits per month	Soft	Not eligible if you owned a Citi checking account in the prior 180 days. Repeatable after the lockout window.	Open
$300 $50 with $1,000 to $4,999.99 in DD, $300 with $5,000+ in DD	SoFi Checking and Savings checkingDD required	· Open through the offer or a referral link · Receive qualifying direct deposits within the 25-day evaluation window · $1,000+ total DD earns $50, $5,000+ earns $300 Expires: Ongoing · Nationwide	$0, no minimums	Soft	One bonus per customer. Existing members who never received DD can sometimes still qualify. Not repeatable after payout.	Open
$300 $200 Complete Checking with $500 DD, $300 Beyond Checking with $2,500 DD	TD Bank Complete / Beyond Checking checkingDD required	· Open online through the offer page · Complete: receive $500 in direct deposits within 60 days · Beyond: receive $2,500 in direct deposits within 60 days Expires: Ongoing · East Coast footprint states, online opening requires footprint address	$15 Complete waived with $500 DD; $25 Beyond waived with $5,000 DD or $2,500 balance	Soft	Once per customer per account type, with a 12-month lookback on prior TD checking accounts.	Open
$300 $300 flat with qualifying direct deposit	Citizens One Deposit Checking checkingDD required	· Open online with the promo code · Receive a single direct deposit of $500 or more within 60 days · Bonus posts within 90 days of qualifying Expires: 2026-09-30 · Footprint states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, plus online in some states	$9.99, waived with any one deposit per statement period	Soft	Not eligible if you had a Citizens checking account in the prior 6 months or earned a checking bonus in the prior 24 months.	Open
$250 $250 flat with promo code and qualifying direct deposits	Capital One 360 Checking checkingDD required	· Open with promo code on the offer page · Receive two direct deposits of $500 or more each within 75 days · Bonus pays within 60 days of the second deposit Expires: 2026-09-30 · Nationwide	$0, no minimums	Soft	Not eligible if you have or had an open 360 Checking account. Effectively once per customer lifetime.	Open
$100 $100 flat after 10 qualifying transactions	Chase Secure Banking checking	· Open with offer code · Make 10 qualifying transactions (debit purchases, online payments, Zelle) within 60 days · No direct deposit required Expires: Ongoing · Nationwide	$4.95, no waiver	Soft	Once per 2 years per product. Keep 6 months to avoid clawback. Counts separately from Total Checking.	Open

Best High-Yield Savings Rates

Where idle cash should sit between bonuses. Rates move; each row shows our last check.

APY	Bank	Minimum	Notes
4.30%	Openbank by Santander High Yield Savings	$500 to open	Current rate leader among large banks. Not available in states with Santander branches.	View
4.10%	Barclays Tiered Savings	None; top tier requires $250,000	Tiered structure pays more on higher balances; base tier still competitive. Rate moves with the Fed.	View
4.00%	Wealthfront Cash Account	$1	Cash management account, not a bank; FDIC coverage through partner banks. Referral adds a temporary boost.	View
4.00%	CIT Bank Platinum Savings	$100 to open; $5,000 balance for the top rate	Balances under $5,000 earn a much lower rate. Rate moves with the market.	View
3.80%	SoFi Checking and Savings	None	Top rate requires direct deposit or $5,000 in monthly deposits; drops near 1 percent without it.	View
3.75%	Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings	None	Rate moves with the Fed. Referral links add a temporary rate boost.	View
3.60%	Ally Online Savings	None	Buckets and round-ups included. Rate adjusts with the market.	View
3.60%	Discover Online Savings	None	Periodic cash bonus offers with promo codes. Rate moves with the Fed.	View
3.50%	American Express High Yield Savings	None	No checking pairing required. Typically lags rate leaders slightly.	View
3.50%	Capital One 360 Performance Savings	None	Same rate on all balances. Periodic deposit-tiered bonus promos.	View

Bonus amounts and rates verified on the date shown in our data layer and re-checked by the tracker. Bank bonuses are taxable interest income; expect a 1099. Read the churning rules before you start stacking.