Last updated: July 2026
Bank account and credit card sign-up bonuses are among the most straightforward ways to earn a few hundred dollars — most just require opening an account and meeting a direct deposit or minimum spend threshold you’d hit with normal usage anyway. The key is reading the terms carefully before you start: bonus timelines, qualifying activity definitions, and holding period requirements vary a lot between issuers.
Everything below is current as of July 2026. I update this page monthly.
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Capital One 360 Checking — $300 bonus ⭐ Best bank account bonus
Open a new 360 Checking account, make qualifying deposits, and earn $300. No monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements. Capital One’s 360 product is genuinely one of the better no-fee checking accounts regardless of the bonus — the bonus just makes it a no-brainer to try it.
→ Sign up
Chime — $100 bonus
Open a Chime account and make a first direct deposit of $200+. Get $100. Chime is a solid fee-free bank with early direct deposit (up to 2 days early), a decent savings product, and an app that’s consistently well-reviewed. The $100 bonus for a $200 deposit is a 50% return on day one.
→ Sign up
Chase Freedom Unlimited — $200 bonus
Spend $500 in the first 3 months and earn $200 cash back. The Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5% flat cash back on everything with no annual fee — a solid everyday card if you want simplicity over category optimization.
→ Sign up
Capital One Venture X — 75,000 miles ($750 in travel) ⭐ Best travel card bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Worth $750 toward any travel purchase. The $395 annual fee sounds steep but is largely offset: you get a $300 travel credit each year plus 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value), meaning the effective cost is closer to $0 for anyone who travels even occasionally.
→ Sign up
Capital One Spark Cash (Business) — $750 bonus
Earn $750 cash back after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. Best for business owners who pay their card off monthly and want a simple flat-rate cash back card for business expenses.
→ Sign up
Capital One Spark VentureOne Business — 50,000 miles ($500 travel)
Same application link as above — 50,000 miles after spending $4,500 in 3 months. Better if your business spending is lower or you prefer travel rewards over cash.
→ Sign up
Amex Platinum — Bonus points (verify current offer)
Welcome offer changes frequently — always check the link for the current offer before applying. Worth it if the current offer is strong and you’ll use the card’s travel benefits ($200 hotel credit, $200 airline fee credit, lounge access, etc.).
→ Sign up
Venmo — $5 bonus
Join Venmo and send your first payment. Five dollars free for two minutes of setup.
→ Sign up
CashApp — $10 bonus
Create an account with code LZSWJFX and send money within 14 days.
→ Sign up | Code: LZSWJFX
Wise — Free international transfer up to $600
The most competitive exchange rates of any money transfer service I’ve tested. Ideal if you send money internationally — sign up through my link and your first transfer up to $600 is free.
→ Sign up
💡 Which should you open first? If you need a new checking account: Capital One 360 ($300) is the clear answer. If you’re looking for a travel card with strong long-term value: Venture X. If you want the simplest no-annual-fee cash back card: Chase Freedom Unlimited ($200). Don’t try to open multiple bank accounts at once — banks do soft or hard pulls and seeing multiple new accounts in a short window can affect your credit.
Verified July 2026. ← Back to all bonuses