Many banks offer attractive sign-up bonuses for new customers, but waiting months to see the reward hit your account can be frustrating.
If you’re eager to find banks with immediate sign-up bonuses, you’re in the right place.
But let’s level set one important expectation real quick: there are virtually no bonuses out there that pay you to open an account instantly. There is always some waiting time.
That said, there are a few great offers from some of the top national banks that are known for paying their bonuses quicker than others. As experts in this space, we’ve carefully compiled this list of the top bank bonuses that pay out the fastest, giving you close to immediate access to your cash. Skip the waiting game, and get ready to enjoy your bonus ASAP.
Banks With Immediate Sign Up Bonuses – April 2025
Here are the current best bank offers that pay you to open an account almost instantly:
- E*TRADE Bank: up to $6000 bonus
- SoFi: up to $300 bonus
- Discover: up to $360 bonus
- Chase: $300 bonus
- Truist: $400 bonus
- PSECU: up to $300 bonus
- Upgrade: $200 bonus
1. E*TRADE Bank
Payouts have increased again! E*Trade is now offering new investors up to $6,000 in bonus cash when you open and fund a new investing account. You'll only need $1,000 to earn the first tier bonus ($100)!
They've shuffled all the previous tiers and reinstated the tiers for those with 7+ figures to invest. If you're wanting to earn the full $6,000, you need at least $2M in investable assets.
This offer is available to both new and existing customers; however, different rules may apply, so be sure to check the disclosures at the link below.
Brokerage Account - up to $6000 bonus
Expires: July 31, 2025
The Brokerage Account signup offer requires you to deposit and maintain a minimum balance in order to earn the $6000 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new eligible E*TRADE brokerage or retirement account using the link below with promocode OFFER25.
- During the first 60 days, fund your new account with new money as follows: $1,000 - $4,999, earn $100; $5,000 - $19,999, earn $150; $20,000-$99,999 earn $300; $100,000-$199,999 earn $600; $200,000-$499,999 earn $800; $500,000 - $999,999, earn $1,000; $1,000,000 - $1,499,999, earn $3,000; $1,500,000 - $1,999,999 earn $5,000; $2M+, earn $6,000.
- If you deposit $200,000 or more, you will receive a cash credit within seven business days.
- If you have deposited at least $200,000 in your account, and you make subsequent deposits in that account to reach a higher tier, you will receive a second cash credit following the close of the 60-day window.
Apply now to earn the $6000 bonus from E*TRADE Bank
Learn More:
2. SoFi
SoFi is offering new and existing SoFi Checking & Savings customers up to a $300 bonus.
The language can be a little confusing, so here's how this one works: Once your first direct deposit posts to your account, you'll have 25 days (or until the end of the promotion, whichever happens first) to accumulate additional direct deposits that in total will determine your bonus amount. $1,000 in direct deposits will earn you $50, and $5,000 will earn you the full $300.
For example, you set up a $2,500 recurring direct deposit. It posts to your account on April 1. The 25-day clock starts on April 1, so you'll have until April 25 to receive a second occurrence of another $2,500, which would give you a total of $5,000.
Readers especially like the fast payout, with SoFi promising your reward within 7 days.
As with most reputable banks, money in your SoFi account is FDIC insured. Plus, you can opt into their "SoFi Insured Deposit Program" which leverages their seamless network of participating banks to provide additional insurance up to $3M – much higher than the typical $250k.
SoFi Checking and Savings - up to $300 bonus
Expires: January 31, 2026
The SoFi Checking and Savings signup offer requires you to set up eligible direct deposits in order to earn the $300 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account using the link below.
- Before the promotion ends and within 25 calendar days of your first direct deposit, complete direct deposits to determine your bonus as follows: $1,000 - $4,999 in total direct deposits, earn $50; $5,000+ in total direct deposits, earn $300.
- Bonus will be credited within 7 business days of the end of the Direct Deposit Bonus Period.
Apply now to earn the $300 bonus from SoFi
Learn More:
3. Discover Bank
Discover® Bank, member FDIC, has a cool twist on the old-fashioned debit card: cash back rewards. Open an account online, and they'll give you 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month, for up to $360 each year as a bonus to your normal spending. See website for details.
Discover® Cashback Checking - up to $360 bonus
Expires: Limited Time
The Discover® Cashback Checking signup offer requires you to make purchases using the account's card in order to earn the $360 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new Discover® Cashback Checking account using the link below.
- Use your debit card to earn cashback – up to $30 can be earned per month (see website for details).
- Bonus cash will be deposited into your account each month.
Apply now to earn the $360 bonus from Discover
Learn More:
4. Chase Bank
Chase Total Checking® is the most popular account from one of the nation's best banks. You'll have access to more than 4,700 branch locations and 15,000 ATMs, along with a top-rated mobile app.
Your new account can be opened easily online, and earning the bonus is super straightforward: receive a qualifying direct deposit into your new account within 90 days, and Chase will reward you within 15 days.
Keep in mind that Chase Total Checking® does charge a $12 monthly maintenance fee, but there are several ways to have this waived, including maintaining a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or making at least $500 in electronic deposits each month.
Assuming you can keep the account free, we definitely recommend taking advantage of this easy cash bonus from Chase!
Chase Total Checking® - $300 bonus
Expires: July 16, 2025
The Chase Total Checking® signup offer requires you to set up eligible direct deposits in order to earn the $300 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a Chase Total Checking® account.
- Within 90 days, have a direct deposit of at least $500 made from either your employer (paycheck or pension) or the government (any benefit such as Social Security).
- Receive your money within 15 days of the deposit posting.
Apply now to earn the $300 bonus from Chase
Learn More:
5. Truist Bank
Truist is offering new customers a $400 bonus for opening a new One Checking account. This is $100 more than when the deal was previously offered!
While it's not available nationwide, most of the East Coast and the South (18 states in total) can take advantage. You'll need to be a new customer and be able to set up a recurring direct deposit.
Not only is this a really solid offer from a top bank, but Truist is also considered one of the fastest paying banks. They promise your reward within 4 weeks of meeting the bonus requirements, but many of our readers have reported receiving their cash much faster than that: typically in about 10 days.
Truist One Checking - $400 bonus
Expires: April 30, 2025
The Truist One Checking signup offer requires you to set up eligible direct deposits in order to earn the $400 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Open a new One Checking account online or in-branch using promo code AFL2425TR1400.
- Within 120 days of account opening, complete two qualifying direct deposits totaling $1000 or more.
- The reward will be deposited into the new checking account within 4 weeks of verifying the Direct Deposit qualification requirement.
- Terms Apply. Member FDIC.
Apply now to earn the $400 bonus from Truist
Learn More:
6. Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union
Renewed for 2025 (with a few tweaks), PSECU is offering up to $300 to new members who open a personal checking account and complete direct deposit and debit card requirements.
Something else to keep in mind: if you have ties with any of the PA entities that PSECU has a relationship with, you can join outright. But if not, you can still gain eligibility by joining Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) through PSECU. For more information, read the eligibility requirements section below.
Readers report receiving their bonus fast, and opening the account no longer results in a hard pull.
Checking Account - up to $300 bonus
Expires: December 31, 2025
The Checking Account signup offer requires you to optionally, set up eligible direct deposits in order to earn the $300 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Become a member of PSECU using the promo code 300PROMO.
- Within 100 days, sign up and be approved for at least one savings and one checking account with debit card.
- During the same time period, sign up and log in to digital banking (online or mobile), and set up and receive 2 direct deposits each of $500 or more into either the new savings or checking accounts.
- Bonus will be deposited into your regular share account within 45 days following the 100 day qualification window.
Apply now to earn the $300 bonus from PSECU
Learn More:
7. Upgrade
Upgrade is offering a $200 welcome bonus when you open a new Rewards Checking Plus account and make 3 debit card transactions.
To qualify for this promotion, you'll first need to sign up for any Upgrade Card (for example, the Triple Cash Card), which is a blend of a credit card / line of credit. Then, you'll need to open a free Rewards Checking Plus account. Finally, you'll need to make just 3 purchases using your new debit card.
What's more? If you choose The Triple Cash Rewards Visa card you'll earn 3% on purchases in Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on all other purchases. There are no annual fees and no late fees.
All in all, this is an easy bonus to earn. Readers report receiving their bonus "super fast" (much faster than the advertised 60 days!). Plus, it's rare to find a cash offer this high that does not require a direct deposit, minimum balance, or a monthly fee. Check it out!
Rewards Checking Plus - $200 bonus
Expires: Limited Time
The Rewards Checking Plus signup offer requires you to make purchases using the account's card in order to earn the $200 bonus. Full requirements to receive this bonus are:
- Apply for any Upgrade Card (including The Triple Cash Rewards Card which is linked below).
- Within 60 days, open and fund a new Rewards Checking Plus account.
- Within the same 60 days, make 3 purchases using your debit card.
- The bonus will be applied as a one-time credit within 60 days of meeting the requirements.
Apply now to earn the $200 bonus from Upgrade
Learn More:
Want to see even more new account offers?
Our Methodology
To streamline the process of choosing a bank and help consumers maximize their earnings with bonuses, the BankBonus team has evaluated more than 100 individual banks, accounts, and financial products, and we track more than 2,500 account offers in our database.
We truly live and breathe this space.
For this curated list, our team:
01. Focused on offers that are widely available (preference to those that are available nationwide!) from top banks and credit unions that are all FDIC or NCUA-insured.
02. Next, we put a heavy emphasis on the stated requirements and promised reward timeline. We ruled out offers that had long holding periods or requirements that spanned over several statement cycles.
03. Lastly, we considered our readers’ feedback: first-hand accounts from users who have actually gone through the process of earning that specific offer (though many of these we’ve also earned ourselves!).
Examples of some of that feedback:
Super easy, only took 11 days. Opened the account online 2/3, pushed $500 2x from Fidelity a couple days later, and the bonus showed up in my account early on 2/14.Daniel Truist One Checking Bonus
Easy bonus to earn, fast payout, and an all-around outstanding bank! With zero fees, high APY, and extremely fast transfers, it has become my main online account.Stevie SoFi Checking and Savings Bonus
Easiest bonus ever! I would highly recommend this bonus! So easy to deal with and fast payout of bonus!Joseph Chase Total Checking® Bonus
I had a great experience opening my upgrade account and the bonus was paid out super fast. I highly recommend this upgrade offer to anyone looking to earn a nice bonus that pays out quickly.Lee Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus Bonus
Frequently Asked Questions
What banks give you a sign-up bonus without direct deposit?
For this list, we focused on bonuses that pay out the fastest, though many of these offers do require direct deposit.
Obviously, your ability to quickly push direct deposits to your account can affect the speed of the reward, but that’s better than other offers that have a minimum holding period – meaning you can’t speed things up even if you wanted!
If avoiding direct deposits is more important to you than getting paid immediately, check out our huge list of the best bank promotions that don’t require direct deposit.
What bank gives you money just for signing up?
Let’s be clear: very few banks will pay you just to open an account – you’ll almost always be required to do something, such as maintaining a minimum balance, completing direct deposits, or making debit card purchases.
The exact details will be unique to each offer. Often, the more difficult the requirements, the higher the reward.
But many banks offer these deals to new customers, such as Chase, U.S. Bank, BMO, KeyBank, and TD.
Finding new bonuses and then deciphering how to earn your reward can be hard, but that’s exactly why we launched BankBonus.com: to make it easy to find the best bank bonuses in one place.
Are bank bonuses taxable?
Yes, the money you earn from a new account bonus will be reported to the IRS and taxed as income. Keep this in mind when you’re figuring out your total return on any given offer.
No comments yet. Add your own