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15 Best Bank Bonus Offers & Promos for Checking Account Sign Ups [Apr 2024]

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Looking to score some free cash at the bank?

Right now, there are some massive bank bonus offers available to new banking clients, with up to $2,000 up for grabs.

We reviewed over 50 bank accounts to find the best bonuses available. All of these banks are highly-rated and offer FDIC insurance on your cash deposits.

But remember, the highest bonus offer isn’t necessarily the best account for your money. While the teaser bonus is nice, you might still be better off parking your money in a high-yield savings account instead.

I’ve detailed all the requirements needed to qualify for the bonus too, so make sure to review the qualifications before picking an account.

Keep reading to find some bank promotions that can add hundreds (or thousands) to your net worth 👇

Bank bonuses come and go. But a great high-yield savings account can help your money grow reliably.

Right now, many banks are offering 5% APY or higher for HYSAs — here are two of our favorites:

How to decide? Well, CIT Bank is great if you’re interested in bank-type services; it also has robust CD (certificates of deposit) offerings. M1 Finance, on the other hand, is an all-in-one investing app where you can trade stocks and ETFs and save for retirement.

The 15 Best Bank Bonus Offers for Signing Up in April 2024:

1. Citi Priority Checking: Best Checking Account Offers for High Balances

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: Up to $2,000
  • Minimum deposit: $10,000
  • Expiration date: 1/9/2024
  • Direct Deposit Required: No

Citi® is offering up to $2,000 for new applicants to the Citi Priority Checking Account. You just need to open an account, deposit the required funds, and maintain that balance for at least 60 days. This is a tiered offer, starting at $200 for depositing $10,000, and going up to $2,000 for depositing $300,000 or more.

This is one of the best checking account bonus offers available right now. This bonus is ideal for clients with large account balances that can transfer over funds within a few weeks of opening the account. And there is no direct deposit requirement to earn the bonus.

Here’s a complete review of the best Citibank promotions.

2. Wells Fargo Checking: Best Checking Account Offers for Low Balances

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $300
  • Minimum deposit: $25
  • Expiration date: 10/10/2023
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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Wells Fargo is offering a generous $325 bonus for its checking account, with a $25 minimum deposit. But to qualify for the offer, you need to set up direct deposit and deposit at least $1,000 within 90 days of account opening.

This is a great bonus offer for those who don’t have a lot of funds available but can have their paycheck directly deposited into a Wells Fargo Checking account.

Don’t forget to read the fine print!

Many of these offers are teaser rates and require large deposits and/or have multiple hoops to jump through. Plus, after you get the bonus, many of these banks pay paltry interest rates.

You may be better off skipping the bonus offer and just parking your money in a high-yield savings account.

For that, I like M1 Finance.

Currently, M1 Finance offers 5% APY for qualifying high-yield savings accounts.

3. First Tech Federal Credit Union: Best Checking Account Offers at a Credit Union

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: Up to $350
  • Minimum deposit: $0
  • Expiration date: Rolling
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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First Tech Credit Union is offering up to $350 for signing up for a new checking account, setting up direct deposit, and hitting specific minimum spending requirements. There is a $200 just for setting up direct deposit and successfully having three direct deposit transactions within 120 days of account opening.

You can then earn an additional $150 for spending in certain categories such as groceries, online streaming services, and restaurants. You can earn up to $50 in each category with their 10% bonus, meaning you will need to spend at least $1,500 to earn the full $150 bonus.

4. PNC Virtual Wallet: Best Checking Account Offers for Digital Banking

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $Up to 400
  • Minimum deposit: $0
  • Expiration date: Rolling
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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PNC Bank is offering up to $400 to open a PNC Virtual Wallet checking account. You can earn a $200 bonus when you set up direct deposit and make a total of $2,000 in direct deposits into the account. You can earn a $400 bonus when your direct deposits total $5,000 or more.

You can open either a checking account only, or both a checking and savings account. PNC offers a mobile app and digital tools to track your spending and savings goals. This is one of the better banks with direct deposit bonus available.

5. Chase College Checking: Best Checking Account Offer for College Students

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $100
  • Minimum deposit: $0
  • Expiration date: Rolling
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Chase College Checking is offering a $100 sign-up bonus to qualifying applicants that meet the transaction requirements. You can earn the $100 by making 10 qualifying transactions within 60 days. Qualifying transactions include debit card purchases, online bill payments, Chase QuickDeposit, Zelle transactions, or ACH credits.

This is one of the best bank offers and accounts for college students, as there are no fees for college students ages 17 – 24. However, there is a $6/month fee after graduation, which can be waived by setting up direct deposit or maintaining a $5,000 balance (or more).

6. [Expired] HSBC Premier Checking: Best Checking Account Offer for High Income

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $500
  • Minimum deposit: $75,000 (or $5,000 in monthly deposits)
  • Expiration date: Expired
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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Note: This offer is no longer active, but similar offers pop up occasionally — check out the link below to see if there are any current offers.

HSBC is offering a $500 bonus to new Premier Checking clients that set up direct deposit and deposit at least $10,000 in three consecutive months. To qualify for a Premier Checking account, the balance requirements are steep, at $75,000. Or you can set up a minimum $5,000 monthly deposit.

This bonus is best for clients with large balances to transfer, or high income setup through direct deposit.

7. [Expired] U.S. Bank Smartly Checking: Best Checking Account Offer for Direct Deposit

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: Up to $300
  • Minimum deposit: $25
  • Expiration date: Expired
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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Note: This offer is no longer active, but similar offers pop up occasionally — check out the link below to see if there are any current offers.

U.S. Bank is offering up to $300 as a bonus for new Smartly Checking account clients. You can earn $200 by opening an account ($25 deposit required), and setting up two or more direct deposits of at least $5,000 in total within 90 days of account opening. You can earn an additional $100 bonus by opening a U.S. savings account, depositing $15,000 or more, and maintaining that balance until at least June 30, 2023.

The first $200 bonus is easy, but they require quite a large deposit for the extra $100. This bonus is best for a low minimum deposit to open the account, and easy requirements for the initial bonus.

8. Chase Total Checking: Best Checking Account Offer with No Minimums

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $200
  • Minimum deposit: $0
  • Expiration date: Rolling
  • Direct Deposit Required: Yes
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Chase is offering a $200 bonus to new Total Checking customers that sign up for an account and set up direct deposit within 90 days of account opening. There are no minimum deposit requirements listed, though the account does come with a fee if you don’t maintain a $1,500 balance or set up regular deposits of $500 or more.

This bonus is probably the easiest to earn on our list.

9. [Expired] Discover: Best Bank Savings Account Offer for Large Deposits

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: Up to $200
  • Minimum deposit: $15,000
  • Expiration date: Expired
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Note: This offer is no longer active, but similar offers pop up occasionally — check out the link below to see if there are any current offers.

Discover is offering up to $200 for opening a savings account and depositing funds within 30 days of account opening. You can earn a $150 bonus for a $15,000 deposit, and $200 for a $25,000 deposit.

This is one of the best online banks with sign up bonus options if you want a simple and quick way to earn $200. Plus, Discover savings pays out over 3% APY, which is a great rate.

10. [Expired] Marcus: Best Checking Account Offer at a Credit Union

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $100
  • Minimum deposit: $10,000
  • Expiration date: Expired
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Note: This offer is no longer active, but similar offers pop up occasionally — check out the link below to see if there are any current offers.

Marcus (by Goldman Sachs) is offering a simple $100 cash bonus when you open a new savings account and deposit at least $10,000 within 10 days of account opening. You must maintain a $10,000 balance for at least 90 consecutive days after that to earn the bonus.

11. Alliant Credit Union: Best Savings Account Offer at a Credit Union

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $100
  • Minimum deposit: $0
  • Expiration date: Rolling
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Alliant Credit Union is offering a $100 bonus for opening an Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account and depositing at least $100 for 12 consecutive months. This promotion is in partnership with CNBC personality Suze Orman, and is designed to help you make saving money each month a habit.

The Alliant savings account also pays out nearly 3% APY, making it a great place to stash some cash.

12. Chase Private Client: Best Checking Account Offer For High Net Worth

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $2,000
  • Minimum deposit: $250,000
  • Expiration date: 10/18/2023
  • Direct Deposit Required: No

Chase is offering a $2,000 welcome bonus to new Chase Private Banking clients. To qualify, you must open a Chase Private Checking account and transfer $250,000 or more in new assets to earn the bonus. Assets may include cash or securities, and the $250,000 total can be combined between several Chase accounts.

This bank account bonus is huge, but reserved for high net worth individuals that can transfer in new money to a Chase account (not available for existing Chase accounts).

13. [Expired] U.S. Bank Business Checking: Best Business Checking Account Offer for Small Businesses

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $500
  • Minimum deposit: $3,000
  • Expiration date: Expired
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
Pasted image 0

Note: This offer is no longer active, but similar offers pop up occasionally — check out the link below to see if there are any current offers.

U.S. Bank is offering a $500 bonus to business checking account clients who open an account and deposit $3,000. The $3,000 balance must be maintained for at least 60 days to earn the bonus cash.

If you are a small business owner with smaller account balances, this is an easy way to earn a quick $500.

14. Chase Business Complete Checking: Best Business Checking Account Offer for Low Balances

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $300
  • Minimum deposit: $2,000
  • Expiration date: 10/19/2023
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Chase is offering a $300 bonus on their Business Complete Checking account after a deposit and completing five qualifying transactions. You will need to deposit $2,000 within 30 days of account opening and maintain that balance for at least 60 days.

You will then need to complete five transactions, which may include debit card purchases, Chase QuickAccept℠ deposits, Chase QuickDeposit, ACH (Credits), wires (credits and debits), or Chase Online Bill Pay.

15. Novo: Best Business Checking Account Offer for Small Balances

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Bank Bonus Offer: $40 (referral)
  • Minimum deposit: $100
  • Expiration date: None
  • Direct Deposit Required: No
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Novo is an online-only business checking account that offers a slick mobile app and no fees. You can earn a $40 bonus by opening an account with a referral code and depositing $100 within 30 days of account opening. You must also maintain that balance for 30 days.

This is a small bonus, but also a very small deposit to earn it. You will need to use a Novo referral link from an existing customer to earn the bonus.

Final Word: Tips for Choosing The Best Bank Bonus Offer

There are some amazing bank promos available, with thousands of dollars up for grabs. But don’t forget to read the fine print – many of the best bank bonuses require huge deposits or jumping through multiple hoops.

If you are on the lookout for a place to park your cash or simply want to earn some extra income by moving your money around, banks are incentivizing new clients with cash. Just make sure you can keep your money in there for a while, or you’ll run the risk being disqualified for the bonus.

And remember, while the teaser bonus may be nice, you might still be better off parking your money in a high-yield savings account or in a bank with excellent CD rates. For that, I like M1 Finance:


FAQs:

Which bank has the highest bonus?

Right now, Citi is offering up to $2,000 for clients that deposit $300,000, and Chase is offering $2,000 for Private Clients that deposit $250,000 or more in cash and securities. These are the best bank accounts with bonus for opening currently.

What banks give a bonus for opening an account?

Many banks offer bonuses for new clients that join the bank, opening a checking or savings account, and deposit funds. There may also be qualifying transactions required, such as setting up direct deposit, or using the debit card on the account. The best bank deals typically require a larger deposit amount.

Where to Invest $1,000 Right Now?

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Our April report reveals the 3 "Strong Buy" stocks that market-beating analysts predict will outperform over the next year.

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About the author

Jacob Wade

Contributor

Jacob is a nationally-recognized personal finance writer and has written for The Balance, The Spruce, LendingTree, Hedge With Crypto, Investopedia, Money Under 30, and other widely-followed sites. He is an expert in teaching others how to budget, save money, pay off debt, and invest, and loves to help others find the best ways to manage their money.