There’s no substitute for a solid checking account. While most of the time I tend to think of a checking account in terms of managing day-to-day expenses, the reality is that, in some cases, just opening the right checking account can make you hundreds of dollars.
At any time of year, a few hundred dollars is welcome in my book.
If you’re looking for a good deal for opening one of the best checking accounts, I’ve sorted through the deals to show you what everyone is offering.
Here are some of the top checking account promotions going on.
What’s Ahead:
Best checking accounts promotions overview
| Checking account | Best for |
|---|---|
| TD Bank Beyond Checking | High account balances |
| HSBC Premier Checking | Cash Back Bonus |
| Chase Total Checking | Mobile banking |
| Chase Secure Banking | No balance minimums |
| Capital One 360 Checking | No fees |
| Wells Fargo Everyday Checking | Low minimum deposit |
| Citi Priority Checking | Highest bonus |
| Bank of America Advantage Banking Accounts | Many banking options |
| Santander Simply Right® Checking | Physical branches |
In-depth analysis of the best checking accounts promotions
Before you apply for any of these accounts, double-check your eligibility. Not all of these accounts are available in all states. In many cases, you’ll be asked where you live before you get too far into the application.
On top of that, you often must be a new customer — or at least haven’t had an account with the bank for a set period of time. Read the fine print on the bank’s website before going forward.
TD Bank Beyond Checking — $300 cash bonus
If you open a new account with TD Bank, you can get a $300 cash bonus when your account receives direct deposits totaling more than $2,500 within 60 days. You do have to be a U.S. resident and apply for the account online in order to qualify for this deal.
Be aware that the TD Bank Beyond Checking account comes with a $25 monthly fee. However, you can waive the fee if you meet one of the following requirements:
- Monthly direct deposits of $5,000 or more
- Minimum daily balance of $2,500
- Have a combined balance of $25,000 across eligible accounts.
This account does pay interest, although the APY is quite low and depends on your balance. (0.01% – 0.05%)
HSBC Premier Checking – Up to a $500 cash bonus
HSBC has made a couple of welcomed changes to their checking accounts recently and the HSBC Premier Checking Account is now one of the best on the market today. In addition to the everyday perks and quality account customers have access to, this account now offers up to a $500 welcome deposit or new account holders. To receive the welcome deposit, the following criteria must be met:
- Open an HSBC Premier Checking Account before June 30, 2022
- Set up recurring direct deposits
There is a $50 monthly maintenance fee to worry about but that is waived if the account holder can:
- Make $10,000 in direct deposits (total) each month OR
- Keep $75,000 in total deposits with HSBC in savings and investments OR
- Has an HSBC mortgage with an initial amount of $500,000 or greater
This account earns a paltry 0.01% APY, so you’re not here to earn interest. You are here for the cash back and quality service.
HSBC Welcome Deposit Disclaimer - Deposit products are offered in the U.S. by HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Member FDIC.
Chase Total Checking® – $200 cash bonus
Chase Total Checking
offers a $200 cash bonus for those who set up direct deposit within 90 days. If you get paid by direct deposit, it’s a great way to get a little cash for something you’ll be doing anyway. Here’s what you need to do to get the offer:
- Create an account online or request a coupon that you can take to a local branch.
- Set up direct deposit within 90 days.
- Keep your account and direct deposit active for at least six months.
The monthly service fee for a Chase Total Checking® account is $12, but you can have it completely waived by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
- Have electronic deposits of $500 or more per month.
- Maintain a daily opening balance of $1500 or more.
- Maintain a daily average balance of $5,000 across any combination of this account and linked qualifying deposits/investments.
You get plenty of perks with a Chase Total Checking account, including a debit card and mobile banking options. You can withdraw cash fee-free at 16,000 Chase ATMs or at one of more than 4,700 local branches. You can also set up alerts that will keep you aware of the money coming in and out of your account each day. The offer expiration date is 10/19/2022.
Chase Secure Banking℠ – $100 cash bonus
Chase Secure Banking offers a relatively low cash bonus, but the requirements are minimal. To earn your cash bonus, you’ll just need to go through the following steps:
- Head to the Chase Secure Banking site to redeem your offer.
- Sign up for a bank account.
- Complete at least 10 qualifying transactions during the first 60 days.
- Keep the account open and active for at least six months.
With Chase Secure Banking℠, you’ll pay a flat monthly fee of $4.95. But there’s no minimum opening deposit required, and there’s also no minimum balance requirement. It’s a great option if you don’t want the pressure of keeping a certain amount in your account all the time.
Another great thing about Chase Secure Banking is that there are no fees for your everyday activities, including overdrafts. If there isn’t enough money in your account, Chase will reject or return the item without charging you a fee. You’ll get access to the mobile app as well as a debit card that you can use for purchases or to withdraw money at one of 16,000 ATMs. Offer expiration date is 10/19/2022.
Capital One 360 Checking — $25 cash bonus
If you open a new account with Capital One 360, you could get a $25 cash bonus. However, you have to meet the following requirements within 45 days:
- Open with at least $250
- Make at least three debit purchases (or Person2Person payments)
Capital One 360 is also offering bonuses for opening a Money Market account and a Savings account. If you deposit $10,000 or more in the Money Market account, you’ll get $10,000 and you’ll get $25 for the Savings account. If you move a substantial chunk to Capital One 260, you could get $150.
However, Capital One 360 Checking doesn’t charge monthly fees, and you could earn around 0.20% APY depending on your balance.
Wells Fargo Everyday Checking — $400 cash bonus
One of the most generous offers out there right now is the Wells Fargo Everyday Checking opportunity.
As long as you meet the offer’s geographic requirements, you only need to open an account with $25. Then, you have 150 days to receive direct deposits for three consecutive months, totaling $3,000 or more each month. Then you’ll earn your $400 bonus.
There is a $10 monthly fee, but you can avoid that by taking the following actions:
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500
- Complete at least 10 debit card transactions each month
- Have at least $500 in direct deposits each month
Unfortunately, the Wells Fargo Everyday Checking account doesn’t pay any interest.
Citi Priority Checking – Up to $700
Citi Bank offers one of the best promotions on this list. To get the whole $700, you’ll need to already have a savings account with Citi, and you’ll need to open the Citi Priority Checking Account with $50,000.
For those who don’t have $50,000 to put in the bank, you can earn $400 when you open a Citibank® Checking Account with $15,000. You’ll also need to have a Citi savings account to qualify.
Finally, if $15,000 is still too steep for you (and it is for most), you can still earn $200 when you open a Basic Banking Checking Account with $5,000. You won’t need a Citi savings account to qualify for this bonus.
Bank of America Advantage Banking Account – $100 cash bonus
Bank of America’s Advantage Banking account offers a small, yet easily reachable $100 bonus.
All you need to do is open an Advantage Banking account and set up direct deposit. Next, you’ll need to receive two deposits of $250 or more each within the first 90 days of opening your new account.
Bank of America offers one Advantage checking account, but it has three different settings. The first setting is the Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking®. It’s meant for lower balances, and it offers no overdraft fees. Know that this account doesn’t offer checks.
There’s also the Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking® account, which is perfect for those who use direct deposit.
Finally, there’s the Bank of America Advantage Relationship Banking® account, which is best for those with high balances, since it offers a number of unique services.
Santander Simply Right® Checking – $225 cash bonus
Santander’s Simply Right® Checking account offers a $225 cash bonus when you open an account by March 31, 2020.
You’ll need to have direct deposits totaling $1000 or more posted to your account within the first 90 days, and you will need to keep your account open for at least 90 days at the time that you receive the bonus.
The Simply Right® Checking account is an easy account to use, and you can waive the monthly fee simply by making one transaction per calendar month.
Best checking accounts promotions summary
| Checking account | Bonus | Minimum deposit | Monthly fee | APY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD Bank Beyond Checking | $300 | $0 | $25 (with the ability to waive) | 0.01% - 0.05% |
| HSBC Premier Checking | Up to $600 | $0 | $50 (with the ability to waive) | 0.01% |
| Chase Total Checking | $200 | $0 | $12 (with the ability to waive) | N/A |
| Chase Secure Banking | $100 | $0 | $4.95 | N/A |
| Capital One 360 Checking | $25 | $250 (for bonus) | N/A | 0.20% - 1.00% |
| Wells Fargo Everyday Checking | $400 | $25 | $10 | N/A |
| Citi Priority Checking | Up to $700 | $0 | $30 (with the ability to waive) | 0.03% |
| Bank of America Advantage Banking Account | $100 | $25 - $100 depending on the setting you choose | $4.95 - $25 depending on the setting you choose | N/A |
| Santander Simply Right® Checking | $225 | $25 | $10 (with the ability to waive) | N/A |
How we came up with this list
To create this list, we looked at, not just the bonuses, but the checking account features as well.
We considered how easy it is to earn the bonus, the highest bonuses, and accounts with some of the lowest fees.
Most important checking account features
Fees
There are plenty of checking accounts with little to no fees. That’s why it’s important to make sure the bonus is worth what you’ll pay in fees.
If you can’t meet the minimum requirements to avoid fees, a no-fee account may be the better choice. The Capital One 360 checking account is one of the best examples of a no-fee account.
Minimum account balance
Many checking accounts, especially those at traditional banks, have a minimum balance requirement of at least $25. That’s nothing compared to the high minimum balance that some savings accounts require.
However, if you don’t like being bogged down by minimum account requirements, we also recommend the Capital One 360 account.
APY
Many checking accounts don’t offer any interest on their accounts. That’s why, oftentimes, we recommend also having a high-yield savings account that offers upwards of 2% interest on your savings.
Summary
While there are some accounts that offer generous promotions when you open up an account, it’s important to compare your options side-by-side before committing to an account. A good ongoing interest rate or low fees might make more sense than a temporary bonus.
So I strongly suggest double-check all the terms and conditions to make sure you have the resources to meet minimum deposit requirements and also keep your money in the account for the required length of time. Consider combining a checking account opening with another type of account — money market or savings — to combine bonuses and see better results.
