In September, many banks rolled out generous new-account bonuses. Some can be earned with a fake deposit method, making them very easy and requiring no capital to be tied up; added together, these can be worth $2,000+! Others require deposits, but if you move money around among different banks, you can basically earn $10,000+ in various bonuses within a few months! Details are below.

  • Via DD: US Bank has a $450 bonus, Citi has $325, Chase has $400, and KeyBank has $500, with fairly easy requirements. Wells Fargo also has up to $500. Added together, these can be worth $2,000+!
  • Via deposits: there are also some bonuses that require depositing funds, such as HSBC’s $3,000 bonus, Citi Checking $1,500, Chase CPC $3,000, and so on. Move money around among different banks and you can basically earn $10,000+ in various bonuses within a few months.
  • If you are just a regular W-2 employee, I would prioritize Truist, US Bank, Chase, and Wells Fargo because the bonuses are high and the amount of tied-up funds is relatively low. If you already have a lot of idle cash or securities, then consider Citi, Chase Private Client, and HSBC.

2026 Bank Account Bonus Quick Comparison

Bank Current Bonus Main Requirements Expiration Date Apply
Truist $500 $2,000 DD + 20 debit card purchases 2027/2/2 Apply
US Bank $450 2 DDs totaling $8,000 2026/11/10 Apply
Chase $400 $1,000 DD within 90 days 2026/10/14 Apply
Wells Fargo $500 $1,000 DD within 90 days 2026/10/6 Apply
Bank of America $500 $10,000 DD within 90 days 2026/9/30 Apply
BMO $600 $1,000 DD each month for six consecutive months 2026/12/15 Apply
KeyBank $500 $5,000 DD within 90 days 2026/12/11 Apply
Capital One $300 2 DDs of $500 each within 75 days Not specified Apply
Citi $1,500 Deposit $30,000-$200,000+ 2026/10/26 Apply
Chase Private Client $3,000 Transfer in $150,000-$500,000+ 2026/10/14 Apply
HSBC Premier $3,000 Deposit $50,000-$500,000+ 2026/12/31 Apply

Note that the expiration dates for bank account bonus promotions may continue to be extended, so you can click the promotion links to check whether an offer has expired. Some new-account bonuses have specific requirements; please click the detailed write-ups to learn more.

US Bank $450 Bonus

The US Bank Checking $450 new-account bonus is back! The direct deposit requirement for this bonus is very easy to complete, and I have also compiled the latest Fake DD methods. You can knock out the requirement and get the money, and it may also help with future credit card applications. After closing the account for 12 months, you can earn the bonus again, so time it well and you can get it multiple times. The promotion expires on November 10.

The specific requirements for the checking account bonus are as follows:

  • Complete at least 2 direct deposits within 90 days of opening the account. Different bonus amounts are available based on the total amount: $2,000-$4,999 earns $250; $5,000-$7,999 earns $350; $8,000+ earns $450.
  • Set up US Bank online banking within 90 days of opening the account; simply log in to the account online or in the app.
  • Deposit $25 within 30 days of opening the account. A regular deposit is fine; no direct deposit is required.

If you do not want to use payroll, or do not have payroll available, to complete the direct deposit requirement, you can use some of the unofficial transfer (ACH) or withdrawal methods below to meet the requirement. The steps are to add US Bank as an external bank at another bank, then initiate an ACH transfer from that other bank. Alternatively, add US Bank to an investment account or PayPal account and simply withdraw money into it. US Bank has one of the loosest direct deposit definitions among banks; almost all transfers will count as direct deposits. US Bank also has a bonus tracker, so you can see for yourself whether you have met the requirement. Be sure to remember: do not use instant transfers, and you need two direct deposits, not just one!

  • Bank ACH: Ally Bank, Alliant Credit Union, American Express, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Charles Schwab Bank, Discover Bank, PNC Bank, SoFi Bank, T-Mobile Money, Tech CU, Wells Fargo, and others all work.
  • Investment platform withdrawals: Charles Schwab, E*Trade, Fidelity, Robinhood, TreasuryDirect, Vanguard, Wealthfront.
  • P2P payment app withdrawals: Apple Cash, Cash App, Novo, PayPal, Relay, Square Cash, Venmo.

This account has become especially important after the changes to the Smartly 4% cash back credit card, so it is still worth applying for as part of a package.

Truist Checking $500 Bonus

Truist Checking has increased its new-account bonus. The requirements are not too complicated: the key is to receive a total of $2,000 in direct deposits and complete 20 debit card purchases. If you already have direct deposit or can handle fake direct deposit, do not miss this free $500 bonus. The promotion ends on February 2, 2027.

Below I’ll share the timeline for receiving the bonus and the direct deposit method. A Chase checking account can be used to complete the fake direct deposit, which is quite nice. I used a personal Chase account and initiated an ACH transfer from Chase. Be careful not to make it an instant transfer. Note that there are two requirements: $2,000 in direct deposits, which requires two deposits totaling $2,000, and 20 debit card purchases. Details are as follows:

  • Opened the account on January 20 and deposited $50.
  • Jan. 22: Chase ACH transfer in of $1,150
  • Jan. 23: Chase ACH transfer in of $650
  • Jan. 27-29: 20 debit card purchases of $1.xx each
  • Feb. 3: Another direct deposit of $267
  • Feb. 5: Bonus pending
  • Feb. 6: $400 bonus posted~

Here is a summary of methods that can satisfy the fake direct deposit requirement. Note that these are all initiated from a bank or investment platform: use ACH transfers from banks, and withdrawals from investment platforms, all into Truist.

  • Banks: Affinity, Ally, Axos, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Discover, Fulton, SoFi, Wells Fargo, Wise
  • Investment platforms: Charles Schwab, E*Trade, Fidelity

As for the 20 debit card purchases, you can refer to this article. It is very easy to complete.

Chase bonuses up to $300-$3,000

Checking

Open a Chase checking account now and you can get a $400 account opening bonus. You only need to complete a $1,000 direct deposit within 90 days. Use the link below to enter your email and get a promo code. The offer ends on Oct. 14, 2026.

Using LemFi with the note “payroll” can directly satisfy the DD requirement. It is more convenient and more reliable than a bank ACH transfer, and there have also been recent tested data points. Robinhood, Discover, SoFi, Chime, and others can also work as fake DD. For details, see:

Checking and Saving

If you plan to open a savings account at the same time and can meet the $15,000 deposit requirement, you can choose the combined offer below. Opening a savings account can earn a $200 bonus. If you open both a checking account and a savings account at the same time, you can earn another $400. Use the link below to enter your email and get a promo code. The offer ends on Oct. 14, 2026. The interest rate on this savings account is average, so it is only suitable for earning the account opening bonus.

The bonus requirements are as follows:

  • Checking account $300: complete one direct deposit within 90 days
  • Savings account $200: deposit $15,000 within 30 days (must be transferred from another bank; try not to deposit cash directly), and maintain it for 90 days
  • Open both accounts $400: must open both accounts at the same time and complete the two requirements above

Also, if you closed an account within the past 90 days or had a negative balance (meaning an amount owed) within the past 3 years, you are not eligible for the account opening bonus.

Private Client

Open Chase Private Client now and you can get a bonus of up to $3,000. You need to get a promo code through the link below. It expires on Oct. 14.

The requirements are as follows:

  • Deposit $150,000-$250,000 within 45 days after opening the account and maintain it for 90 days to get a $1,000 bonus
  • Deposit $250,000-$500,000 within 45 days after opening the account and maintain it for 90 days to get a $2,000 bonus
  • Deposit more than $500,000 within 45 days after opening the account and maintain it for 90 days to get a $3,000 bonus

If you opened this type of account within the past 12 months or closed this type of account within the past 90 days, you are not eligible for the account opening bonus.

HSBC Premier Checking $3,000

HSBC has updated its new Premier Checking account opening bonus. New customers can now get up to $3,000, and depositing as little as $50,000 can earn $1,000. This offer does not require Direct Deposit. You only need to transfer in new money from outside HSBC, or transfer eligible investment assets, and maintain them for the required period. The offer ends on Dec. 31, 2026.

The best value is the $50,000 tier that earns $1,000. Calculated based on keeping the funds for 3 months, the account opening bonus itself has an annualized equivalent return of about 8%, making it the most worthwhile tier this time. The specific bonus tiers are below, calculated based on the minimum deposit amount for each tier and keeping the funds for 3 full calendar months:

  • $1,000 bonus: deposit or invest $50,000–$99,999. The account opening bonus equals a 2% return, with an annualized equivalent return of about 8%; with the savings account’s current 3.00% APY, the combined annualized equivalent return is about 11%.
  • $1,500 bonus: deposit or invest $100,000–$249,999. The account opening bonus equals a 1.5% return, with an annualized equivalent return of about 6%; with the savings account’s current 3.00% APY, the combined annualized equivalent return is about 9%.
  • $2,000 bonus: deposit or invest $250,000–$499,999. The account opening bonus equals a 0.8% return, with an annualized equivalent return of about 3.2%; with the savings account’s current 3.00% APY, the combined annualized equivalent return is about 6.2%.
  • $3,000 bonus: deposit or invest more than $500,000. The account opening bonus equals a 0.6% return, with an annualized equivalent return of about 2.4%; with the savings account’s current 3.00% APY, the combined annualized equivalent return is about 5.4%.

Also, if you want to open an investment account as well, you may be able to stack even higher bonuses. See the details here:

Also, according to previous data points from readers, people in China may also be able to apply directly for U.S. HSBC Premier. You can select China as your current location and complete the application using a China address, passport, national ID card, and proof of address. However, a key requirement is being an HSBC China Premier customer.

Citi $325-$1,500

Citi has updated another round of account opening bonuses. You can now get up to $1,500 for Checking by depositing funds, or get $325 through Direct Deposit. You can choose based on your own deposit amount. However, Citi’s DD is very easy, so it may be worth doing.

The deposit-based offer is fairly simple: deposit $30,000-$200,000 within 45 days to get $500, or deposit more than $200,000 to get a $1,500 bonus. For the $325 account opening bonus, you only need to complete two Direct Deposits totaling more than $3,000. Also, Citi’s DD definition has changed somewhat. In addition to the previous ACH payroll and government benefits, payments and benefit disbursements through Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal now also count.

Key Bank Checking $300-$500

KeyBank has updated its product lineup. There are now three checking products, with bonuses of up to $500! The requirements are also fairly easy to meet, so you can choose which signup bonus to go for based on how much you can Direct Deposit. The expiration date is December 11, 2026.

The three checking accounts have different bonuses:

  • Key Smart Checking: complete a total of $2,000 in eligible Direct Deposit within 90 days to earn $300.
  • Key Select Checking: complete a total of $5,000 in eligible Direct Deposit within 90 days to earn $500.

Completing the DD requirement is also very easy. In addition to moving your paycheck to this account, you can simply withdraw directly from PayPal to this checking account. ACH transfers from banks such as Discover and Wells Fargo may also work. Withdrawals from many brokerages can also trigger it. So for most people, going for the Select Checking is probably the better choice. Select has a monthly fee (waived for the first three months); after that, you need $3,000 in DD each month to waive it. However, KeyBank has removed the early termination fee, so you could consider closing the account after receiving the bonus. You could also keep doing monthly DDs, reach $60,000 over a full year, and earn an additional $100 bonus.

BofA Checking ($500)

BofA checking has updated its signup bonus. You can now earn up to a $500 signup bonus via Direct Deposit. The new expiration date is September 30, 2026.

The details are as follows (you can see the article for ways to complete the Direct Deposit requirement):

  • $100: total Direct Deposit of $2,000 within 90 days
  • $300: total Direct Deposit of $5,000 within 90 days
  • $500: total Direct Deposit of $10,000+ within 90 days

Wells Fargo $500

The regular checking signup bonus has reached an all-time high of $500! The Direct Deposit requirement is not high either: you only need a total of $1,000 over three months. LemFi transfers can also get it done. The promotion ends on October 6.

The signup bonus requirements are as follows:

  • You must deposit at least $25 when opening the account;
  • After opening the account, complete Direct Deposit totaling $1,000 or more within 90 days; (you can simply use a LemFi transfer to get it done, very reliable)
  • You must keep the Checking balance above 0 before the signup bonus posts
  • You must not currently have a Wells Fargo Checking account, and you must not have closed a Wells Fargo Checking account within the past 12 months

BMO Checking $600

BMO has launched a new round of account-opening promotions. The Checking signup bonus can be as high as $600, and opening a Savings Builder can earn up to an additional $60, for a combined maximum of $660. This promotion works a bit differently from prior ones. For Checking, you do not earn the full bonus by completing a single Direct Deposit. Instead, for each month in which you complete at least $1,000 in Direct Deposit, you can earn $100, for up to 6 months, meaning a maximum of $600. Account opening deadline: December 15, 2026.

In addition, if you open their Savings Builder, you can earn a $5 monthly bonus by increasing your balance by at least $200 each month. You can receive this for up to 12 months, for a total of $60.

AMEX Checking $300

This account currently has a $300 signup bonus, which is pretty good. You need a total of $7,500 in direct deposit within 90 days to complete it. The promotion ends on February 1, 2027.

Readers have tested that LemFi can successfully trigger the requirement, and the bonus posts the same day.

Capital One $300

The $300 bonus for the Capital One checking account is here! You can apply directly through the link below. To trigger it, you need two direct deposits of $500 within 75 days, and withdrawals from many brokerages can trigger it.

Other Banks

If you are new to bank account signup bonuses, I recommend starting with major banks such as Chase, US Bank, Citi, and so on. Major banks are generally more reliable and usually will not refuse to pay or disappear. Although the bonuses may not always be very high, the overall experience is often much better. Once you have exhausted the major banks, though, there are still plenty of opportunities at other banks!

Also, if you have a relatively large amount of funds available to complete deposit requirements, you can consider the ranking below:

Business bank account applications generally require an EIN (there is a chance an SSN may also work as a substitute), so beginners are generally not advised to start here. If you are interested, see:

About This Ranking

In fact, besides credit cards, savings accounts and checking accounts can also offer fairly high signup bonuses. Opening these bank accounts generally does not affect your personal credit history, so it is essentially free money. Unlike credit cards, which require you to meet a spending requirement for the welcome bonus, bank account bonuses can be earned in more varied ways, such as depositing money, setting up direct deposit, meeting debit card transaction requirements, enrolling in online banking, and so on. You need to complete the tasks according to each bank’s requirements. For details, you can refer to:

You can choose banks that offer higher bonuses and whose Direct Deposit requirements you can meet. Opening a few more accounts each year can also generate a decent amount of extra earnings.

Comprehensive List of Account Opening Bonuses

The accounts below all have very solid sign-up bonuses. Pick the ones you like and earn some extra cash. Over time, those small amounts add up, and in a year you can make a good amount of money and travel funds from these financial accounts.