Top Checking Account Bonus Offers: December 2024

Switching bank accounts can be time-consuming, but many of the best banks and credit unions make the process more appealing to new customers by offering introductory bonuses. These bonuses typically come in the form of cold hard cash and may have some additional requirements you need to fulfill before you can earn them.

Those requirements can vary if you’re opening a checking vs. savings account. For instance, if you want to earn a bonus for opening a new checking account, you may need to set up direct deposit, make a certain number of debit card purchases, or deposit a predetermined amount of cash and then maintain a minimum balance for a few months.

It can be challenging to find financial institutions that are running checking offers if you don’t know where to look. To help you with your search, here are some of the top personal checking account bonus offers currently available.

Top checking account bonus offers from our partners for December 2024

As you shop around and compare checking accounts, the ongoing services a bank or credit union provides are a top priority. However, if you’re trying to decide between two similar options and one financial institution offers an upfront bonus, that could be the tie-breaker to help you make your decision.

1. SoFi Checking and Savings
2. U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking
3. Chase Total Checking®
4. Truist One Checking

Compare the top checking account bonus offers

Bank account	Bonus amount	Bonus eligibility requirements	Bonus offer expiration date
SoFi Checking and Savings	$50 or $300	Qualifying direct deposit within 25 days of $1,000 to $4,999.99 for a $50 cash bonus or $5,000 or more for a $300 cash bonus	Dec. 31, 2024
U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking	Up to $450	Online banking or mobile app enrollment and make two or more direct deposits totaling $3,000 to $4,999.99 to earn $200, or $5,000 or more to earn $450	Dec. 30, 2024
Chase Total Checking®	$300	Qualifying direct deposits totaling $500 or more within 90 days	Jan. 22, 2025
Truist One Checking	$4001	At least two qualifying direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 120 days of account opening (offer not available in all states)	Apr. 30, 2025

SoFi Checking and Savings²: Up to $300

Here’s an offer you can’t miss. The SoFi Checking and Savings account can help you earn up to 4.00% APY³ with qualifying direct deposits while also getting a bonus of up to $300.

You simply need to open a SoFi® account, set up a direct deposit, and complete qualifying activities.⁴

To earn $50: Receive at least one qualifying direct deposit of $1,000 to $4,999.99 from an employer, payroll, benefits provider, or government agency. Keep in mind that check deposits, PayPal, Venmo, and external bank ACH transfers not from employers, don’t count.

To earn $300: Receive a total of $5,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits from an employer, payroll, benefits provider, or government agency. Keep in mind that each direct deposit should be $1,000 or more to count toward the required activity for the bonus.

You have 25 days from the first direct deposit you receive to complete one of the activities above. Make sure to receive $5,000 or more within this period if you’re aiming for the $300 bonus.

This is a simple bonus to earn. To qualify for this offer, apply for an account and submit at least one direct deposit with SoFi® before Dec. 31, 2024. SoFi is a Member, FDIC.⁵

Open a SoFi Checking and Savings account.

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking⁸: Up to $450 bonus

The U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account gives you an opportunity to earn up to $450.

To get started, open a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account with an initial deposit of $25 within 30 days of account opening, then enroll in online banking or the U.S. Bank mobile app within 90 days. (This step is crucial to qualify for the bonus.) You’ll also need to make two or more direct deposits totaling $3,000 to $4,999.99 to earn $200, or $5,000 or more to earn $450.

Just make sure that the direct deposits you receive are an electronic deposit of your paycheck or government benefits from your employer or the government. Other electronic deposits, check deposits, or person-to-person payments won't be considered qualifying direct deposits for this offer. Fund your new account within 30 days to start qualifying activities.

This offer is available until Dec. 30, 2024. (Offer may not be available if you live outside of the U.S. Bank footprint or are not an existing client of U.S. Bank or State Farm.)

Open a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account.

Chase Total Checking®: $300 bonus

Chase is ready to pay you to give their Chase Total Checking account a try.

You can receive a $300 bonus when you open a new Chase Total Checking account with qualifying activities.

To earn $300: Make qualifying direct deposits totaling $500 or more within 90 days of coupon enrollment. This includes payments from payroll providers or government benefit providers. Other electronic and check deposits, as well as person-to-person payments, are not considered direct deposits.

You can expect to receive this bonus within 15 days of completing the requirements. This makes it an easy and simple bonus to earn.

Open a Chase Total Checking® account.

Truist One Checking: $400¹

Truist is offering new checking account owners a $400 bonus with qualifying activities. To earn this bonus, you must use the promo code "AFL2425TR1400" when you apply for a Truist One Checking account online and meet the following requirements.

To earn $400: Receive at least two qualifying direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 120 days of account opening. 

The reward will be deposited to your new checking account within four weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. To receive the bonus, your new checking account must be open and in good standing with a balance of at least $0.01 at the time of Truist verification and until the reward is deposited.

Keep in mind that this limited-time offer is available only until Apr. 30, 2025. Offer not available in all states.

Open a Truist One Checking account

Other top checking accounts to consider

How to pick which checking account bonus offer is for you

There’s no single best checking account out there, and these are far from the only banks that provide checking bonus offers. You’ll want to also consider monthly maintenance fees, interest rates, balance requirements, FDIC insurance, and other factors before you decide on a particular consumer checking account. 

To determine which account is the best for you, think about the steps you need to take to earn the bonus:

• If you think you might have a hard time meeting a spending requirement or deposit requirement, that could make it challenging to earn some bonuses. Compare the requirements to what you can easily make happen.
• Think about what you want out of a checking account beyond the initial bonus. If one account can give you more long-term value based on your spending habits, it could be a better fit.
• Also, consider if you prefer online banking or if you want to do in-person banking on occasion. Online banks can offer a great deal if you don't feel a need to access a physical branch of your bank.

Additionally, some of these banks only operate in certain states, so make sure to read their terms and conditions to see if the account you're interested in is available to you.

Lastly, it’s important to understand that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one account. Depending on your spending habits and goals, you may be able to maximize your rewards by using multiple accounts to take advantage of their unique features.

Top checking account bonus offers: bottom line

Checking account bonuses aren’t exactly rare, but it’s not always easy to find them. If you’re looking for both upfront and long-term value, the checking accounts from the financial institutions listed above offer some incredible opportunities. However, it’s important to take your time to shop around and compare multiple options based on their sign-up bonuses and other features that could add value to your banking experience.

Methodology

To choose the top checking account bonus offers, we compared checking accounts offered by multiple banks. We assessed each product’s bonus offer, as well as features like minimum deposit requirements and fees. We did not include all available options.