Banks make money in all sorts of ways, but one of the main things they want to do is have a lot of cash on hand — so they can loan it out to others, or meet their own legal liquidity requirements. That's why they offer you amazing bank bonus offers!
Because banks need giant piles of cash on hand, they need to offer the rest of us incentives to choose their FDIC-insured bank over someone else's.
Banks compete on their ability to offer personal service to local residents, on the number of their national locations, and on fee levels for basic services like checking and savings. But they also offer cash incentives to use their deposit and checking services! With the economy picking up, and interest rates rising, there seem to be more and more of these on offer.
Here's our list of the best ones!
Note: The banking offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The College Investor receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The College Investor does not include all banking companies or all banking offers available in the marketplace.
Personal Bank Bonus Offers Right Now
If you have a lot of cash that you don't mind having in the bank for a few months, these are the best promotions out there right now:
Up to $600 with HSBC Premier Checking
HSBC is starting the year with a strong bonus offer to entice new customers!
Right now, you can get up to $600 with a 3% Cash Back Checking Offer when you open a new HSBC Premier checking account and complete the following qualifying activities.
You must open your new HSBC Premier checking account by March 31, 2021, and set up Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Premier checking account.
You can then enjoy 3% Cash Back, on Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Premier checking account, up to $100 per month, during the first 6 calendar months after account opening - up to $600.
You will automatically receive that month's bonus into your HSBC Premier checking account approximately 8 weeks after completing the qualifying activities.
Read our full HSBC Online Banking review here.
Get up to a $600 bonus!
Up to $450 with HSBC Premier Checking
HSBC has a second bonus going on if you don't think you want to do the higher level above.
Right now, you can get up to $450 welcome deposit when you open a new HSBC Premier checking account and complete the following qualifying activities.
You must open your new HSBC Premier checking account by March 31, 2021, and set up Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Premier checking account.
To qualify, you must make recurring monthly Direct Deposits totaling at least $5,000 from a third party to your HSBC Premier checking account(s) for 3 consecutive calendar months from the second full calendar month after account opening.
You will automatically receive that month's bonus into your HSBC Premier checking account approximately 8 weeks after completing the qualifying activities.
Read our full HSBC Online Banking review here.
Get up to a $450 bonus!
$300 with TD Bank Beyond Checking
TD Bank is America's Most Convenient Bank, and right now they are offering a solid bonus when you open a TD Beyond Checking account online.
You can earn a $300 bonus when you open a TD Beyond Checking Account and complete qualifying activities.
This is a great checking account, and it's pretty simple to avoid monthly maintenance fees. There are three ways to waive the monthly maintenance fee:
- Receive monthly direct deposits of $5,000 or more per statement cycle
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $2,500
- Maintain a combined balance of $25,000 across eligible TD accounts.
To qualify for the offer, new customers must apply online for a TD Beyond Checking account and can earn a $300 cash bonus after receiving direct deposits of $2,500 or more within 60 days. You must be a U.S. resident and apply for the offer online.
Offer is available in these states: CT, DC, DE, FL, MD, ME, MA, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA
Read our full TD Bank review here.
Earn a $300 bonus!
Up to $240 with HSBC Advance Checking
If maintaining a Premier relationship is a little too much, check out the HSBC Advance Checking offer.
Right now, you can get up to $240 with a 3% Cash Back Checking Offer when you open a new HSBC Advance checking account and complete the following qualifying activities.
You must open your new HSBC Advance checking account by March 31, 2021, and set up Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Advance checking account.
You can then enjoy 3% Cash Back, on Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Advance checking account, up to $40 per month, during the first 6 calendar months after account opening - up to $240.
You will automatically receive that month's bonus into your HSBC Advance checking account approximately 8 weeks after completing the qualifying activities.
Read our full HSBC Online Banking review here.
Get up to a $240 bonus!
Up to $200 with HSBC Advance Checking
HSBC has a second bonus going for on Advance Checking as well if you don't think you want to do the higher level above.
Right now, you can get up to $200 welcome deposit when you open a new HSBC Advance checking account and complete the following qualifying activities.
You must open your new HSBC Advance checking account by Mach 31, 2021, and set up Qualifying Direct Deposits into your new HSBC Advance checking account.
To qualify, you must make recurring monthly Direct Deposits totaling at least $500 from a third party to your HSBC Advance checking account(s) for 3 consecutive calendar months from the second full calendar month after account opening.
You will automatically receive that month's bonus into your HSBC Advance checking account approximately 8 weeks after completing the qualifying activities.
Read our full HSBC Online Banking review here.
Get up to a $200 bonus!
$200 with Chase Total Checking®
Chase Total Checking® is a solid checking account at one of the largest brick and mortar banks in the country.
And right now, you can get up to a $200 bonus when you open an account and setup direct deposit! That's awesome!
Chase Total Checking® has a $12 per month fee that's easily waived if you simply do ONE of the following:
- Keep a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or more in your account
- Have monthly direct deposits totaling $500 or more into your account
- Keep an average daily balance of $5,000 across qualifying Chase accounts
Read our full Chase Bank review here.
Get a $200 bonus!
$150 with TD Bank Convenience Checking℠
TD Bank is America's Most Convenient Bank, and right now they are offering a solid bonus when you open a TD Convenience Checking℠ account online.
You can earn a $150 bonus when you open a TD Convenience Checking℠ account and complete qualifying activities.
This is a great checking account, and it's pretty simple to avoid monthly maintenance fees. All you have to do is keep a $100 average daily balance to avoid the $15 per month maintenance fee. Plus, if you’re a student or young adult, it’s even easier! If you’re between 17 and 23, you’ll have no minimum balance requirement or monthly maintenance fee!
You must be a U.S. resident and 18+ to apply for the offer online. If you're under 18, please visit a TD Bank store near you.
To qualify for the offer, new customers must apply online for a TD Convenience Checking℠ account and can earn a $150 cash bonus after receiving direct deposits of $500 or more within 60 days. You must be a U.S. resident and apply for the offer online.
Offer is available in these states: CT, DC, DE, FL, MD, ME, MA, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA
Read our full TD Bank review here.
Earn a $150 bonus!
$100 with Aspiration Spend & SaveTM
Aspiration Spend & Save is an innovative cash management account that gives you the potential for a solid APY, cash back rewards, and more.
This account has no hidden fees, unlimited fee-free ATM withdrawals through a network of 55,000 ATMs, and extra cash back at certain eco-friendly merchants!
Right now, you can get a $100 bonus when you open a new Aspiration Spend & Save account with a deposit of $10 or more, and use your Aspiration debit card to make at least $1,000 worth of cumulative transactions within the first 60 calendar days from account opening.
Read out full Aspiration review here.
Get up to a $100 bonus!
$100 With Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking®
The Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking® account setting isn’t truly free, but we list it as a top account because it’s available nationwide online, has thousands of locations, and offers some solid options including ways to waive the monthly maintenance fee. Plus, the minimum requirements are easy to meet – check it out.
And right now you can get a $100 bonus offer. See offer page for details. That’s awesome!
Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking® has a $12 per month maintenance fee that's easily waived if you simply do ONE of the following:
- Be an eligible student under 24
- Have at least one qualifying direct deposits totaling $250 or more into your account, each statement cycle
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500 each statement cycle
Read our full Bank of America review here.
Why I Like It: A great account opening bonus, with one of the largest, most well known banks in the United States.
Learn more about Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking® here.
Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking® | |
|---|---|
Min Opening Deposit | $100 |
Min Balance Requirement | $0 |
Monthly Maintenance Fee | $12* (waived when requirements met) |
Earns Interest | No |
ATM Access | Thousands of ATMs |
Availability | Nationwide |
Promotions | $100 Bonus Offer |
Get a $100 bonus offer! See offer page for details. At Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
$100 With Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking®
The Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking® account is a great account for college students because the monthly maintenance fee is waived for students under 24 who are enrolled in high school, college, university, or vocational program!
This account is great because it helps build good banking habits, while also not charging any overdraft or non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees.
And right now you can get a $100 bonus offer. See offer page for details. That’s awesome!
Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking® has a $4.95 per month maintenance fee that's easily waived if you simply do ONE of the following:
- Be an eligible student under 24
- Be enrolled in preferred rewards
Read our full Bank of America review here.
Why I Like It: A great account opening bonus for college students at a full-service bank.
Learn more about Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking® here.
Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking® | |
|---|---|
Min Opening Deposit | $25 |
Min Balance Requirement | $0 |
Monthly Maintenance Fee | $4.95* (waived when requirements met) |
Earns Interest | No |
ATM Access | Thousands of ATMs |
Availability | Nationwide |
Promotions | $100 Bonus Offer |
Get a $100 bonus offer! See offer page for details. At Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
Business Banking Bonus Offers Right Now
The offers below are for business banking products. They are typically a bit higher than personal bonus banking offers given the nature of business banking.
$300 With Chase Business Complete Banking℠
The Chase Business Complete Banking℠ is one of the more popular business checking account options because Chase has a huge number of branches and great service. It isn't truly free unless you meet the minimum monthly requirements to make it so, but we list it as a top business checking account because it's available nationwide, has branches nearly everywhere, and is one of the most robust banking products out there currently. Plus, the minimum requirements are super easy to meet - check it out.
Chase Business Complete Banking℠ has a $15 per month fee that's easily waived if you simply do the following in the month:
- Keep a minimum daily balance of $2,000 or more in your account
- Receive $2,000 in deposits from Quick Accepts transactions or other eligible merchant services
- Chase Ink Business credit card purchases of at least $2,000
- Link a Chase Private Client Checking account
- Provide a valid, qualifying proof of military status (active or veteran)
Bonus Offer: Right now, you can earn $300 when you open a new Chase Business Complete Checking℠ account. This offer is for new Chase business checking customers with qualifying activities. Customers must deposit a total of $2,000 or more in new money within 20 days of account opening and maintain a $2,000 balance for 60 days. Customers must also complete 5 qualifying transactions within 60 days of opening account. Qualifying transactions include debit card purchases, Chase QuickAccept℠ Deposits, Chase QuickDeposit℠, ACH (Credits), wires (Credit and Debits).
Read our full Chase Bank Review here.
Why I Like It: A great account opening bonus, with one of the largest, most well known banks in the United States.
Chase Business Complete Banking℠ | |
|---|---|
Min Opening Deposit | $0 |
Min Balance Requirement | $0 |
Monthly Fee | $15* (waived when requirements met) |
Earns Interest | No |
ATM Access | 16,000 ATMs nationwide |
Availability | AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |
Promotions | $300 |
Get a $300 bonus!
$100 with AXOS Basic Business Checking
AXOS is an online bank that focuses on simple business banking online. It's free, but it does have some higher requirements compared to other banks.
With AXOS, you get no monthly maintenance fees, a low minimum deposit requirement, and unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements.
Their free tier comes with 200 transactions (deposits, transfers, ACH, etc) per month.
Right now, AXOS is also running a great bonus offer for new customers! Input the code EARN100 when applying for a Basic Business Checking, and you'll get a $100 bonus!
Read our full Axos Bank review here.
Get a $100 bonus!
Other Great Savings Accounts
These accounts don't always have bank bonus offers, but they do have some amazing interest rates!
Check out our lists of:
Things To Remember
Done right, switching banks for bonuses can be a great way to make some extra side cash. But you do need to be careful: look at the terms and conditions and be sure you can avoid monthly fees, account closing fees, and so on. Also, remember that you'll have to pay income tax on this cash, so you might want to set some of it aside for that.
That said, if you pay careful attention to the terms of these offers, you can make much more than you make even by parking your money in a high-interest savings account. You might want to just do this once for a few hundred dollars, but if you invest a little more time, you can make thousands of dollars a year treating it as a regular side hustle.
And who among us doesn't like free money?
These offers change every month, but right now here's the best of the best on offer, divided into offers that require you to begin with large amounts of cash on hand, and offers that let you start with very little money.
Bank Bonus FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions we get about bank bonus offers and bank promotional offers:
What bank has the best promotions?
Some banks are known for having great promotions. Typically Chase Bank is well known for always offering some type of incentive for new customers.
Why do banks offer bonus offers?
Banks are always trying to get new customers, and offering a bonus or promotion is a great marketing practice.
What banks offer deals for switching banks?
We have our full list here where you can see what banks are offering deals for opening a new account.
Do banks give money for opening an account?
Yes! Some banks will give you money when you open a new account.
Can you get a bonus offer if you're not a new customer?
It depends on the bank and offer, and it's rare. However, every now and then a bank will offer a promotion to both new and to existing customers who deposit new money.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there are some great bank bonus offers out there right now. I'd advise you to decide what kind of bonus hustler you are: do you want to do this once while you're switching to a new account permanently? Or do you need a complex calendar to keep track of your multiple bonus accounts?
You should also read in depth about certain bank bonus offers:
Be careful, but also, take advantage of free money if you're sure you can follow the rules! If this is all too much, check out our list of the best online banks and just park your cash there!
Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page, or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.