You can earn the best bank bonuses in 2021 by opening a new checking account. You may as well get a bonus if you are going to open a Checking Account.
This guide will highlight the best bank bonuses and which customers each bonus is most suitable for.
It is important to act quickly, as the best sign-up offers and bonuses can change easily from month to month. Sign up for the bank that best suits your needs.
The Best Bank Sign Up Bonus
Wells Fargo Everyday checking account is our top pick for the best bank sign up bonuses. It is not only the best bonus for college students but also one of the easiest to qualify for. You just need to make a $25 minimum deposit and have $2,000 in direct deposits or more within 90 days after opening your account.
Drop Your Bank: 9 Alternative Banking Options
There are four easy ways to avoid the $10 monthly service charge. Ask your local branch about this offer, or watch for mailers from the bank.
The Four Best Bank Bonuses and Promotions in 2021
| Bank/Category | Bonus | Qualification | Sign up Period | |
| HSBC Premier Checking | Bonus of 3% up to $600 You can also find out more about Welcome Bonus of $450 | Earn 3% on all direct deposits up to $100 per monthly within the first six months after opening your account. Direct deposit at least $5,000 in three consecutive months starting the second month following your account opening to receive a $450 bonus. | Expiration date: June 30, 2021 | Visit |
| Radius Bank | Unlimited 1+% cash back on qualified debit card purchases | Maintain a balance in your account of $2,500 or receive direct deposit of at least $2,500 each month | No time limit | Visit |
| Wells Fargo Everyday Cheque | $200 | You can receive up to $2,000 via direct deposit within 90 days after opening your account. | By July 31, 2021 | Visit |
| Chase Total Calculator | $225 | Open a new account within 90 days and make a direct deposit eligible. | By July 20, 2021 | Visit |
HSBC Premier Checking Review
You’ll receive a 3% cash bonus for direct deposits made by third parties. The maximum bonus per month is $100 over six months. Up to $600 in bonus money can be earned by new customers. The bonus is paid out on a regular basis, about eight weeks after each qualifying month.
How to get the cash bonus The cash bonus can only be claimed on newly opened accounts. You must have direct deposits of at least $600 per month within six months after you open the account to qualify for the maximum bonus.
Direct deposit must be made in the form a salary, pension, government benefit, or any other monthly income source.
You must meet the following criteria to qualify for the Premier Checking Account and waive the $50 maintenance fee each month:
- Have $75,000. or in US dollar deposits and investment accounts that are both commercial and consumer-qualified.
- or: Monthly direct deposits of at least $5,000 per month from a third-party into your checking account.
- A HSBC US Residential Mortgage Loan with a minimum loan amount of $500,000 (this does not include home equity products).
Sign up online: To be eligible for bonus offers, sign up online.
HSBC’s Premier Checking is best suited to consumers with higher incomes and net worth who can meet the minimum financial requirements. The monthly maintenance fee will also be waived.
This account is packed with benefits if you are eligible. There are no other fees except for the monthly fee. HSBC offers unlimited rebates for third-party ATM charges in the US. On balances above $5, the checking account pays 0.01% interest.
Radius Bank Rewards Checking Review
What You’ll Get Radius Bank Rewards Checking does not offer a sign up bonus but offers unlimited 1% cashback on all online and signature-based in-store purchases made with the Radius debit cards.
How to get it To be eligible for the , you must have your account open for at least 30 days and receive at least 2,500 dollars in direct deposit from an employer, pension, or other source of income. Or, maintain a balance of at minimum 2,500 dollars in your account. Direct deposits may come from an employee, pension or government agency.
Sign up Radius Bank, an online-only bank requires you to also apply online. This offer is not limited in time, unlike welcome bonuses that are.
OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH RADIUS BANKRadius Bank Rewards Checking This card is ideal for those who want to earn rewards on a regular basis. This is also a great choice if you’re looking for free checking. No monthly fees are charged, there are no ATM fees and you can get unlimited refunds on ATM fees from other banks.
If that’s not enough, this account offers 0.10% APY for balances between $2,500 and $99,999.99. Then, 0.15% APY is offered on balances over $100,000 (no interest will be paid on balances below $2,500). Open an account for just $100. There is no minimum balance required after that. This account provides a unique combination of interest and rewards, along with a variety of other valuable services.
Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Review
What you will get A $200 sign up bonus payable within 30 calendar days of the 90-day qualifying period.
How to get it : Ask your local branch about this offer. The minimum deposit to open an account is $25.
Then, you must receive $2,000 in direct deposits that qualify within 90 days after opening your account. The deposits must be made from your monthly salary, pension, social security, or any other regular income.
Sign up Customers can take advantage of this offer from now until June 30, 2021. This bonus is for new Wells Fargo Checking customers. However, you may qualify even if you already have a Wells Fargo account.
The Wells Fargo Daily Checking is a great checking account for anyone, as it offers a generous bonus and is easy to qualify.You can eliminate the monthly fee in several ways. This account is especially useful for college students because the monthly fee is automatically waived if the primary account owner falls between 17 and 24.
Wells Fargo Everyday Checking charges a $10 service fee per month. However, there are four different ways to get it removed:
- Minimum daily balance of $500 or
- Direct Deposits of $500 or More,
- The account is linked with a Wells Fargo Campus Debit Card or ATM,
- The primary account holder is between the ages of 17 and 24
Chase Total Checking Review
What You’ll Get: Chase offers a $225 sign-up bonus when you open a Chase Checking Total account. The bonus will be paid out within 15 days after your first direct deposit.
How to get it : Ask your local branch about this offer. Open an account and setup direct deposits. Your first direct deposit must be made within 90 days after opening the account.
Deposits must be made from a government or private benefit, such as a pension, paycheck or retirement. The offer is only available to new Chase customers. Existing clients are not eligible.
Sign up You must sign up by July 14, 2021.
Anyone looking for a fast bonus will appreciate the Chase total checking sign-up offer. You can get the bonus within 15 days of opening your account, and after making a direct deposit that qualifies. This can happen just a few weeks after opening your account.
Chase Total Checking gives you access to more than 4700 branches of banks and 16,000 ATMs across the country. You can also enjoy perks such as online bill payment and mobile check deposits.
This account charges a monthly fee of $12. However, this fee is waived if you maintain a minimum balance of at least $1,500 in the account or if you have a total balance of at least $5,000 across all eligible Chase accounts. If you deposit $500 or more electronically into this account every month, then the monthly fee is waived.
Learn everything you need to know about bank bonuses
We love bonuses – everyone does! There are conditions that are not always clear. We don’t say that bonuses aren’t worth it, but we do not want to surprise you with unexpected costs.
What you need to know
Bonuses may be taxed. The bank will issue IRS Form 1099-MISC if the bonus amount reaches $600. The bonus will be required to be declared as taxable income in your personal income tax return.You may need to make a deposit in order to receive the bonus. . You may be required to deposit a minimum amount within a specified number of days after opening your account. You may also be required to maintain a minimum balance in your account to qualify. You may have to maintain it for several months, or even a whole year.
Qualifying account activity may be required. According to our research, most banks that offer bonuses require a certain number of monthly deposits or a certain dollar amount. The most common requirement is that the deposits be made via direct deposit. The banks will want to know that your account is funded regularly.
Bank fees can offset bonuses. Some of the largest bonuses are paid to checking accounts with monthly maintenance fees. A $15 monthly maintenance fee can wipe out $200 in sign-up bonuses within a year.
Most banks allow you to avoid the monthly fee if you have a certain minimum balance or a specific number of direct deposits. If you cannot meet these requirements, your bonus may be eaten away by monthly fees.
Be on the lookout for bonuses in the mail or online. You can find mailers that contain unique bonuses, instructions and links to online resources from different bank partners. You can find the best bonuses by searching and researching.
What We Found in the Best Bank Bonuses and Promotions for 2021
Many banks offer bonuses for opening new accounts. We decided to use five factors to narrow down the list of the best bank bonuses.
What is the amount of the bonus or promotion?
Our analysis began with this. We determined that a $200 minimum bonus was the threshold for determining the probability of receiving at least this amount in cash over the course a year.
The best banks for sign-up bonuses could be listed and left at that. Additional criteria are important because they affect the ability to qualify for a bonus and determine the value of keeping the account once the bonus is paid.
In other words, although the amount of a bonus is a powerful factor in attracting candidates, it is only one.
You will need to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for the bonus or promotion
The requirements for each bank’s sign-up bonus or promotion are different. You can see in our reviews that they vary from easy to difficult. The more challenging requirements will not necessarily prevent a bonus.
For example, HSBC Premier Checking offers the most difficult sign up bonus. If you meet the criteria, which is easier if your income is high or if your net worth is high, then the bonus will be the highest in the industry. It is $600.
This list attempts to balance the amount of the bonus or promotion and the ease or difficultly in qualifying for it.
When to Offer Promotions or Bonuses
The promotion or bonus must be available at the time. The issuing bank can add and remove sign-up bonuses. We have focused on the top bank bonuses that are available until at least the middle of 2020.
The Offering Bank may also provide other features and benefits.
We have listed features and benefits provided by issuing banks, in addition to promotions or bonuses. These could include the interest you receive on your account, the lack of incidental fees and other benefits.
When you open a checking, you are looking for much more than a bonus. You also want to know what long-term benefits you can expect from the account, even after the bonus is paid.
The Account Maintenance Costs
This criterion has two parts. First, you need to meet the requirements for the promotion or sign-up bonus. This may be a minimum balance, or a minimum amount or number of direct deposits.
Monthly maintenance fees are the second. As you can see in our reviews, these fees are common on checking accounts. Although we acknowledge that checking account maintenance fees can be common, especially for those accounts with generous bonuses or promotions, our focus is on what each bank has to offer in order to avoid them.
Radius Bank charges no monthly fees. The other four banks offer multiple options to avoid them.
