There are quite a few banks offering hefty opening bonuses in August. Some can be earned through fake direct deposit, which is very easy and does not tie up your cash, and the total easy money can add up to $2,000+! Others have deposit requirements, but if you cycle the money through different banks, you can basically earn $10,000+ in various bonuses within a few months. Details below

  • Through DD: US Bank has a $450 bonus, Citi has $325, Chase has $400, KeyBank has a $500 bonus, and the requirements are not too difficult. Wells Fargo also offers up to $400. Added together, that is more than $2,000 in bonuses!
  • Through deposits: There are also some offers that require you to deposit funds, such as HSBC's $5,000 bonus, Citi Checking $1,500, Chase Private Client $3,000 bonus, and more. Move the money through the different banks and you can basically collect $10,000+ in bonuses within a few months.
  • If you are just a regular salaried worker, I would prioritize Truist, US Bank, Chase, and Wells Fargo because the bonuses are high and they do not tie up much cash. 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 Maximum Bonus Main Requirements Expiration Apply
Truist $500 $2,000 DD + 20 debit card purchases 2027/2/2 Apply
US Bank $450 2 DDs, total $8,000 2026/9/8 Apply
Chase $400 $1,000 DD within 90 days 2026/10/14 Apply
Wells Fargo $400 $1,000 DD within 90 days 2026/8/18 Apply
BMO $400 $4,000 DD within 90 days 2026/9/8 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 listed 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 $5,000 Deposit $150,000-$1,000,000+ 2026/8/31 Apply

Note: the expiration dates for bank account bonus offers may keep getting extended, so click the offer link to see whether it has expired. Some bonuses have specific requirements, so click through for the full details.

US Bank $450 Bonus

The opening bonus has been bumped back up to $450! This round expires on September 8, 2026! The direct deposit requirement for the $450 bonus is extremely easy to meet, and I have also put together the latest Fake DD methods. You can knock out the requirement and collect the money on the side, which also helps with future credit card applications. After you close the account and wait 12 months, you can earn the opening bonus again, so time it right and collect it multiple times.

The specific requirements for the checking account bonus are as follows

  • Within 90 days of opening the account, complete at least 2 direct deposits. Depending on the total amount, you can get different bonuses: $3,000-$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, then simply log in online or in the app
  • Deposit $25 within 30 days of opening the account (just deposit cash directly; no direct deposit required)

If you do not want to, or cannot, use payroll direct deposit, you can use some unofficial ACH transfer or withdraw methods below to meet the requirement. The idea is to add US Bank as an external bank at another bank, then initiate an ACH transfer from the other bank. Or add US Bank to an investment or PayPal account and simply withdraw the money. US Bank is one of the most lenient banks when it comes to direct deposit; almost any transfer will be counted as direct deposit, and US Bank also has a bonus checker that will tell you if you qualify. Just remember: do not use instant transfers, and it has to be two direct deposits, not 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
  • 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

Truist Checking $500 Bonus

Truist Checking has increased its opening bonus. The requirements are not too complicated, and 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 offer expires on February 2, 2027.

Below I will share the bonus timeline and the direct deposit method. You can complete a fake direct deposit with a Chase checking account, which is pretty good. It uses a personal Chase account; just initiate an ACH transfer from Chase (mainly, do not make it an instant transfer). Note that there are two requirements: one is $2,000 in direct deposits (it needs to be two deposits, with a total of $2,000), and the other is 20 debit card purchases. Details below

  • Opened the account on January 20 and deposited $50
  • January 22: Chase ACH transfer in of $1,150
  • January 23: Chase ACH transfer in of $650
  • January 27-29: 20 debit card purchases of $1.xx each
  • February 3: another direct deposit of $267
  • February 5: bonus pending payment
  • February 6: $400 bonus posted~
Summary of ways to complete a fake direct deposit. Note that all of these are initiated from either a bank or an investment platform: banks use ACH transfers, and investment platforms use withdrawals, all to 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 20 debit card purchases, you can refer to this article, which is easy to complete:

Chase up to $300-$3,000 bonus

Checking

You can now get a $400 sign-up bonus for opening a Chase checking account, and all you need is a direct deposit of $1,000 within 90 days. Fill in your email through the link below to get a promo code. The offer ends on October 14, 2026.

Using LemFi with the note payroll can directly complete DD, which is more convenient and stable than a bank ACH transfer, and there are recent real-world DPs as well. Robinhood, Discover, SoFi, Chime, and others can also be disguised as DD; see:

Checking and Savings

If you plan to open a savings account at the same time and can meet the $15,000 deposit requirement, you can choose the combo offer below. Opening the savings account earns a $200 bonus, and if you open both the checking and savings accounts at the same time, you can get an additional $400. Fill in your email through the link below to get a promo code. The offer ends on October 14, 2026. This savings account has an ordinary interest rate and is only worth opening for the bonus.

Bonus requirements are as follows:

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

Also, if you have closed an account within the past 90 days or had a negative balance within the past 3 years, you are not eligible for the sign-up bonus.

Private Client

Opening a Chase Private Client account now can get you up to a $3,000 bonus. You need to get the promo code through the link below. Expires on October 14.

Requirements are as follows:

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

If you have 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 sign-up bonus.

HSBC Premier Checking $5,000

HSBC has updated its new sign-up bonus. Now you can get up to a $5,000 bonus, and all you need to do is deposit money! No direct deposit is required anymore. Compared with the previous offer, the required deposit amount has increased. However, considering that opening a Premier Relationship Savings account already earns around 3.3% APY on your money, keeping the funds there is not really a loss, and it is roughly similar to buying a certificate of deposit.

The specific requirements are below: within 20 days after opening, the funds can be deposited into the Premier Checking account, Premier Savings account, or Premier Relationship Savings account. You need to keep the money there for three consecutive months (four months is safer). The first two tiers are equivalent to a 1% return over three months, or 4% annualized, plus the existing 3.3% APY of the savings account, for a total annualized return of 7.3%, which is pretty good. The last two tiers are slightly lower, at 0.7% and 0.5%, which are equivalent to 6.1% and 5.3% respectively.

  • $1,500 bonus: deposit $150,000-$249,999,
  • $2,500 bonus: deposit $250,000-$499,999
  • $3,500 bonus: deposit $500,000-$999,999
  • $5,000 bonus: deposit $1,000,000 or more

Existing customers often have bonuses too:

Also, according to a user report, people in mainland China can directly apply for US HSBC Premier and fill in Chinese materials in full, including address, ID number, passport, and so on. However, he is using HSBC Premier in mainland China, and the address proof uploaded is also a Premier bill. If you are in mainland China, you can try whether you can open it directly. Just use the link below and select China as the region.

Citi $325-$1,500

Citi has updated its sign-up bonuses. Now for checking accounts, you can get up to $1,500 by depositing money, or $325 through Direct Deposit. You can choose based on how much you plan to deposit. Their DD is actually very easy, so it may be worth doing.

The deposit offer is straightforward: deposit $30,000-$200,000 within 45 days to get a $500 bonus, and deposit more than $200,000 to get a $1,500 bonus. For the $325 sign-up bonus, just complete two Direct Deposits totaling more than $3,000. Also, Citi's DD rules have changed somewhat. In addition to the previously included 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 and now has three checking products, with bonuses of up to $500! The requirements are actually quite easy to meet, and you can choose the bonus based on how much Direct Deposit you can do. The offer expires on December 11, 2026.

The three checking accounts have different bonuses:

  • Smart, Hassle-Free Checking: just complete Direct Deposits totaling $2,000 within 90 days
  • Select Checking: just complete Direct Deposits totaling $5,000 within 90 days
DD is also pretty simple to complete, and it does not have to come from payroll. You can use PayPal to withdraw directly into this checking account. You can also use banks like Discover and Wells Fargo to do ACH transfers. Withdrawals from major brokerages can also trigger it. So it is actually better for everyone to go with this Select Checking account. Select has a monthly fee (waived for the first three months); after that, you need $3,000 in monthly DD to waive it. However, KeyBank has removed the early termination fee, so you could consider closing it after you get the bonus. You can also do monthly DD and reach $60,000 over a full year, which can get you an extra $100 bonus.

BofA Checking ($500)

BofA Checking has updated its sign-up bonus, and you can now earn up to a $500 bonus through Direct Deposit. The new expiration date is September 30, 2026.

Here are the details (you can see the article for how to complete the Direct Deposit requirement):

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

Wells Fargo $400

The standard Checking sign-up bonus is now $400, and the Direct Deposit requirement is not high at all: you only need a total of $1,000 over three months. The offer expires on August 18!

  • You must deposit at least $25 when opening the account;
  • After opening, complete Direct Deposit within 90 days with a total of more than $1,000;
  • You must keep the Checking balance above 0 before the bonus is credited
  • You cannot currently have a Wells Fargo Checking account, and you cannot have closed one of their Checking accounts within the past 12 months

BMO Checking $400

BMO Bank (formerly BMO Harris) recently announced a sign-up offer with rewards of up to $400, and if you open a Saving Builder account at the same time, you can get an extra $60 bonus!

Also, if you open their Saving Builder and deposit $200 each month, you can earn a $5 monthly bonus. You can collect it for a full year, for a total of $60

Capital One $300

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

Other banks

If you are just getting started with bank account bonuses, it is best to begin with major banks like Chase, US Bank, Citi, and others. Big banks are generally more reliable and usually do not stiff you or disappear, so even if the bonuses are not always very high, the experience is much better. But once you have exhausted the big names, there are still plenty of offers at other banks too!

Also, if you have a larger amount of cash available to meet deposit requirements, you can also consider the rankings below:

Business bank account applications usually require an EIN (and in some cases an SSN may work instead), so beginners generally should not start here. If you are interested, take a look at:

About this ranking

Besides credit cards, savings accounts and checking accounts can also offer fairly generous sign-up bonuses. Opening these bank accounts usually does not affect your personal credit record, so it is basically free money. Unlike credit cards, which require spending to earn the bonus, bank-account bonuses can be earned in many different ways, such as depositing money, direct deposit, required purchase counts, or enrolling in online banking. You need to complete the tasks according to each bank's rules. For details, see:

You can choose banks that offer high bonuses and allow you to complete the Direct Deposit requirement. Opening a few accounts over the course of a year can also earn you a decent amount.

Big sign-up bonus roundup

The accounts below all have very solid sign-up bonuses. Pick the ones you like and earn some extra cash. Small amounts add up, and over the course of a year you can also make quite a bit of money and travel funds from these financial accounts.