Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Earning Bank Account Bonuses is one of my Favorite Travel Hacking Strategies. Typically Banks will provide a Cash Bonus for Opening a New Checking or Savings Account. I’ll take those Cash Bonuses and add them to my Travel Fund for a Future Trip. That extra cash comes in handy for a Fancy Dinner Out or Covering the Cost of a Unique Excursion. Since I started tracking my Bank Account Bonuses back in January of 2018, I’ve earned $2,650!
Basic Approach to Bank Account Bonuses
Most Bank Account Bonuses follow the same guidelines. There will be a Cash Bonus offered for opening the Account which will be credited after one or more requirements are met. These requirements certainly vary from Bank to Bank.
Basic List of Typical Bank Requirements for Earning a Cash Bonus
- Depositing New Money Into the Account
- Often Required to Leave it in the Account for a Set Period of Time
- Direct Deposit from a Payroll
- Often multiple Direct Deposits equalling a certain amount of money in a set period of time
- Using a Debit Card
- Often a Set Number of Debit Swipes Required
- Account Remaining Open
- Some banks state that if the account is closed early they can take the Bonus Back or enforce a Penalty Fee
- Eligibility
- Often ineligible if already earned the bonus within the last 6-12 Months
Key to Success
My number Key to Successfully Earning Bank Account Bonuses is staying organized! I’ve created a Basic Spreadsheet that you can find by clicking HERE. Feel free to make a copy to use for yourself. The information that I’ve found to be crucial includes the opening/closing dates, Terms of Direct Deposit/Funding, and the Date I can close the Account without being Penalized.
Top Checking Account Offers
- Wells Fargo $400 Bonus ($4,000 Direct Deposit within 90 Days of Opening)
- Citizens $300 Bonus ($500 Direct Deposit within 60 Days of Opening)
- Chase $200 Bonus (1 Direct Deposit within 90 Days of Opening)
- M&T Bank $250 Bonus ($500 Direct Deposit within 90 Days of Opening)
- Citi $200 Bonus (Deposit $5,000 within 30 Days of Opening)
- Key Bank $200 Bonus ($500 Direct Deposit within 60 Days of Opening)
- TD Bank $300 Bonus ($2,500 Direct Deposit within 60 Days of Opening)
- PNC Bank $200 Bonus ($2,000 Direct Deposit within 60 Days of Opening)
Honorable Mentions ~ Business and Savings Account Offers
- Chase $200 Savings Account Bonus (Deposit $15,000 within 20 Days of Opening)
- $100 Bonus if you Open the Checking and Savings Accounts Together ($600 Total Bonus)
Chase $500 Business Account Bonus (Deposit $2,500 within 20 Days of Opening)(Expired for now)- SoFi Bank Money $75 Account Bonus (Two Direct Deposits of $500)
- My Favorite Travel Account due to No ATM Fees Worldwide!
More Basic Reading
- Free Travel Hacking eBook
- How I earned $1000 from my last round of Checking Account Bonuses
- Top Travel Hacks of 2019
Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Citizens didn’t work in STL.
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