Update 7/11/25: Available again until September 16. Hat tip to reader orange
Update 5/1/25: Deal is back through through June 26. View best shopping portals here.
Update1/22/25: This is up to $100 on Swagbucks now and 17,000 (around $107) on Mypoints. Plus the $450 from U.S. Bank.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $450 + $100
- Availability: Nationwide (excludes NY & FL and any other state without a branch unless you have an existing relationship)
- Direct deposit required: Yes
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Mixed data points
- Credit card funding: Can fund up to $250 with a credit card
- Monthly fees: $6.95, avoidable
- Early account termination fee: None
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date:
September 26, 2024December 30, 2024April 17, 2025
Contents
The Offer
- U.S. Bank is offering a $450 bonus when you open a new Smartly checking account. Requirements are as follows:
- Checking bonus:
- Earn $250 when the combined total of your direct deposits is between $2,000 and $4,999.99
- Earn $350 when the combined total of your direct deposits is between $5,000 and $7,999.99.
- Earn $450 when the combined total of your direct deposits is $8,000 or more.
- Checking bonus:
You must complete two or more direct deposits within 90 days totaling the above-mentioned amount.
The Fine Print
- U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking bonus: To be eligible, you or any owner(s) on your new Bank Smartly Checking account cannot have an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. Bank consumer checking account in the last 12 months or received other U.S. Bank consumer checking bonus offers within the past 12 months.
- You must also use the promo code 2024JUL at account opening. To receive the bonus, you must open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account with a minimum deposit of $25 either online, in a branch or over the phone from July 9, 2024 through and including September 26, 2024.
- Additionally, you must enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking within 90 days of opening your account.
- You must also complete two or more direct deposits within 90 days of opening your account that total: $2,000 to $4,999.99 to earn the $250 bonus, $5,000 to $7,999.99 to earn the $350 bonus, or $8,000 or more to earn the $450 bonus.
- A direct deposit is an electronic deposit of your paycheck made through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network or an electronic deposit of your government benefits, such as Social Security, from your employer or the government.
- Other electronic deposits or person-to-person payments are not considered a direct deposit. Your checking bonus (“adjusted interest”) will be credited to your new checking account within 60 days following the end of the calendar month during which you completed all the offer requirements.
- Account must be open and have a positive balance to receive the bonus. Bonus will be reported as interest earned on IRS form 1099-INT, and recipient is responsible for any applicable taxes. Offer may not be combined with any other checking account bonus offers.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
U.S. Bank Smartly has a $6.95 monthly fee, this is waived if you do any of the following:
- Have combined monthly direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more
- Keep a minimum average account balance of $1,500 or more
- Hold an eligible U.S. Bank credit card
- Qualify for one of the four Smart Rewards™ tiers (Primary, Plus, Premium or Pinnacle)
- Be a military member (requires self disclosure)
- Be under the age of 24 or over the age of 65
Early Account Termination Fee
There is no early account termination fee to worry about
Our Verdict
Not as good as the recent $500 bonus unfortunately. That being said this bonus is churnable (can’t have had an account within the past 12 months) meaning it’s probably worth resetting that clock as soon as possible rather than waiting for a marginally bigger bonus to potentially return. Because of that we will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull ChexSystems?
- How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
- Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
- How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
- Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
- Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
- Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
- Bank Bonus Posting Times
Offer History:
- Update 1/10/25: Swagbucks is back for $80 at this link. Total is $450 + $80 = $530.
- Update 1/7/25: Offer is back through 4/17/25 at this new link. You can also get $25-$30 back from Swabbucks/MyPoints, if targeted.
- Note: You can also get another $25+ via portal. Portals don’t always show this amount so if not a big offer I’d recommend waiting.
- Update 11/5/24: Extended to 12/30
- Update 10/13/24: Stacking with a portal is more difficult now, can try to follow these directions. (see also this comment)
- Update 9/23/24: Extended to 10/31
- Update 9/1/24: Back to $101 on MyPoints.
- Update 7/17/24: Anti churning language is now 12 months instead of 24. Hopefully this is a permanent change going forward.
I created a USB account to try and get the $250 bonus. Im almost certain that i signed up using the offer on this page. However, I cant confirm in my emails or on my account dashboard that the offer was added to my account. Has anyone else been in a similar situation / DP?
P1 (2nd churn)
Opened: 7/11
$4k Chase Biz: 7/16
$4k Chase Biz: 7/19
Bonus Posted: 7/23
Super easy one
Can I use the funds as soon as they land in the account, right? I dont need to maintain any average or minimum balance, right?
Correct. Just don’t zero an account where you are waiting on a bonus.
bicyclep
Thx, since you are writing about a U.S. bank checking account, I just post a comment on another checking account of this same bank (but biz), please reply if you know the answer, thanks: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/u-s-bank-400-900-business-checking-bonus/
Question: my 7/21 push from Marcus to US Bank is not showing up on the bonus tracker. But I’ve read it that Marcus counts as DD. What are my options now?
Give it a couple days to update… Search the comments for tracker DPs.
Update: the bonus tracker updated, shows I completed two DDs and the overall deposit amount is greater than $8000. Wondering when the bonus will post.
If only there was some place to look for that info…
“Your checking bonus (“adjusted interest”) will be credited to your new checking account within 30 days following the completion of all the offer requirements.”
U.S. Bank, generally speaking, posts about mid-way into the maximum timeframe.
FYI, it took *weeks* for me to get this account open. First, they had trouble with my identity. I had to go to a branch with my DL and have them *fax a copy* to the Identity Confirmation Department. It was DAYS after that before I received confirmation, and still had to go into a branch to make the opening deposits bc I they hadn’t sent me the info (account number, debit card) to set up online account access, nor a sign up link. My local credit union setup was a breeze compared to this.
Question about the account closure timelines.
Gadget 🕵️♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗 .
You can churn this us bank account every 12 months. Once I open the checking account and receive the bonus, how much time should pass from that moment before I close the account to not raise any suspicions from the system? I would appreciate your insight!
I always wait at least until sometime during the next statement period after the bonus posts. Some say it’s a good idea to wait 6 months from opening to close the account, but it’s not a set rule.
bottleb
to wait 6 months from the date you opened the account or 6 months from the date the bonus was posted? Thank you for your time!
Gadget 🕵️♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
Edit: “Some say it’s a good idea to wait 6 months from (the) opening (date) to close…”
bottleb
@Gadget https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f575-fe0f-200d-2642-fe0f.svg Bank Bonus Geek https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f517.svg
Question about the account closure timelines. You can churn this us bank account every 12 months. Once I open the checking account and receive the bonus, how much time should pass from that moment before I close the account to not raise any suspicions from the system? I would appreciate your insight!
Hi, is there a general timeline for when US bank posts bonus? From previous comments, I see bonus posts as quickly as one day after meeting the requirements and I also see bonus posts at a significantly slower pace.
6/16 opened account online and funded $25
7/8 monthly fee charged and waived
7/21 Two $40xx push from Marcus (description shows electronic deposit goldman sachs ba)
7/21 $3500 zelle to BofA
For some reason can’t see my reward tracker anymore in the APP is that normal? First time signing up with US bank.
It appears that Huntington Bill Pay to a Person counts as Direct Deposit.
7/15: Opened account
7/16: Set up myself as Payee on Huntington using US Bank’s routing and account #s. Pushed a small test payment (< $10) from Huntington
7/17: US Bank account was credited. However, Bonus Tracker didn’t update
7/20: Bonus tracker is updated and shows the test amount towards progress of Direct Deposit requirement
Where do you see a bonus tracker?