Chase Checking Bonus Review (2026): $300, $900 With Savings, and the Fine Print

TL;DR

• Checking only: Chase pays $300 when you open a new Chase Total Checking account and get a qualifying direct deposit within 90 days of enrolling in the offer.
• Savings only: $200 when you open a new Chase Savings account, deposit $15,000 in new money within 30 days, and keep a $15,000 balance for 90 days.
• Both together: $900 total, which is the $300 and $200 plus an extra $400, but only if you open both accounts at the same time and meet every requirement for both.
• Offer expires January 27, 2027, per Chase’s offer page (checked November 2, 2026).
• The bonus counts as interest and is reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. If you already have a Chase checking or savings account, you’re not eligible.

Every Chase detail below was checked November 2, 2026 on Chase’s checking and savings offer page and Chase’s Total Checking page. If we couldn’t confirm something on an official Chase page that day, we left it out or say so.

The offer at a glance

Who is eligible

Chase is strict here. According to its offer page:

• The bonus is for people who don’t own or co-own an existing Chase checking or savings account.
• You’re not eligible if a Chase account was closed within the last 90 days, or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years.
• You can get only one new checking bonus and one new savings bonus every two years from your last offer enrollment date, and only one bonus per account.
• The enrolled account must not be closed or restricted when the bonus pays out.

Chase credit cards don’t count as checking or savings accounts, so holding a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn’t by itself rule you out. The rule is about bank accounts.

If you forget the offer code when you open the account, Chase says you can bring it to a branch within 21 days of opening and still get the offer, as long as you meet the eligibility rules.

The $300 checking bonus, step by step

1. Open a new Chase Total Checking account with the offer code. The account is subject to approval.
2. Get a direct deposit into it within 90 days of coupon enrollment.
3. Wait up to 15 days. Chase says it deposits the bonus within 15 days of you completing the requirements.

Chase’s offer terms don’t set a minimum direct deposit amount for the bonus. They do define what counts, and that’s where people trip up.

What counts as direct deposit

Chase defines it as an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension, or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government.

Chase specifically says these don’t count:

• Depositing a check in a branch or through the Chase Mobile app
• Person-to-person payments such as Zelle
• Micro-deposits used to verify an account
• External transfers from a bank, brokerage, or investment account
• Tax refunds, dividends, retirement distributions, direct payments, debit card transactions, or wire transfers

The simplest route is to change your paycheck direct deposit at work, or split part of it into the new account. You’ll see other sites discuss transfers that some banks code as direct deposit. For this bonus, Chase’s own list rules out bank and brokerage transfers, so plan on a real paycheck, pension, or benefit payment.

The $200 savings bonus and the extra $400

1. Open a new Chase Savings account.
2. Deposit at least $15,000 in new money within 30 days of coupon enrollment. New money can’t be funds you already hold at Chase or its affiliates.
3. Keep at least $15,000 in the account for 90 days from coupon enrollment.

To get the extra $400, you must open the checking and savings accounts at the same time and complete everything for both bonuses. That’s how the total gets to $900.

Do the opportunity cost math. Chase lists the Chase Savings APY at 0.01% for all balances (effective September 18, 2026). Parking $15,000 there for 90 days means not earning a high-yield savings rate elsewhere. Illustrative example only: if a high-yield account elsewhere paid 4.00% APY, $15,000 would earn roughly $148 over 90 days. Against that, the savings side of this offer is worth $200 plus the $400 combo bonus, so the trade still favors Chase in this example. Use your own rate to check, and only use money you won’t need for those 90 days.

Monthly fees and how to avoid them

Chase says new accounts won’t be charged a monthly service fee for at least the first two statement periods. After that:

Chase Total Checking: $15 a month, or $0 if you have any one of these each statement period:

• $500 or more in qualifying electronic deposits
• A $1,500+ balance at the beginning of each day
• A $5,000+ average beginning day balance across this account and linked qualifying Chase deposits or investments
• Linking the account to a qualifying Chase checking account

Chase Savings: $5 a month, or $0 if you have any one of these each statement period:

• A $300+ balance at the beginning of each day
• $25+ in Autosave or other repeating automatic transfers from your personal Chase checking account
• Linking it to a qualifying checking account, or to a Chase College Checking account enrolled in Overdraft Protection
• An account owner under 25

If your paycheck keeps landing in Total Checking at $500 or more a month, that alone covers the checking fee. If you move the paycheck back to your main bank after the bonus posts, watch the balance rules so a $15 fee doesn’t eat into your $300.

Chase also offers Overdraft Assist: no overdraft fee if you’re overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the business day, or if you bring the balance back to overdrawn by $50 or less by the end of the next business day.

Gotchas to watch

• Open both accounts together if you want $900. Opening savings a week later means no extra $400.
• The clock starts at coupon enrollment, not when your first paycheck arrives. Ask your employer how long a direct deposit change takes before you open.
• Keep the account open and in good standing until the bonus posts. Chase says the enrolled account can’t be closed or restricted at payout.
• Taxes. Chase reports the bonus as interest on Form 1099-INT, so set aside part of it for taxes.
• Two-year limit. If you got a Chase checking bonus within two years of your last enrollment, you’ll have to wait.
• Offers vary. Chase sometimes shows different amounts in branches, by email, or to targeted customers. The numbers here are the public offer page on November 2, 2026.

Is the Chase checking bonus worth it?

For most people, the $300 checking-only bonus is worth it if you can redirect a paycheck for a month or two. The requirement is simple, there’s no minimum deposit amount in the terms, and the fee is easy to avoid while your paycheck goes there.

The $900 combo makes sense if you have $15,000 of cash you won’t need for 90 days, and you’ve checked that the bonus beats what that cash would earn elsewhere.

Skip it if you already have any Chase checking or savings account, you can’t change where your paycheck goes, or a $15 or $5 monthly fee would likely hit you after the bonus.

Want to compare it with other banks? Our best bank account bonuses page tracks current checking and savings offers, including Bank of America’s checking bonus and Citi’s $475 checking and savings offer.

FAQ

How much is the Chase checking bonus right now?

As of November 2, 2026, Chase’s public offer page lists $300 for a new Chase Total Checking account with direct deposit, $200 for a new Chase Savings account with $15,000 in new money, or $900 for opening both at the same time and meeting all requirements.

When does the Chase bonus offer expire?

Chase’s offer page says the offer expires January 27, 2027.

How long does the Chase checking bonus take to post?

Chase says it deposits the bonus within 15 days after you complete all the requirements.

Does a Zelle or bank transfer count as direct deposit?

No. Chase says Zelle payments, external transfers from a bank, brokerage, or investment account, mobile check deposits, and wire transfers don’t count.

Can I get the bonus if I already have a Chase credit card?

Chase’s eligibility rules on the offer page are about existing Chase checking and savings accounts, not credit cards. If you have no Chase checking or savings account and meet the other rules, a Chase card alone isn’t listed as a reason you can’t qualify.

Is the Chase bonus taxable?

Yes. Chase says bonuses are considered interest and are reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 1042-S if applicable).

Comparing no-fee banks? Our SoFi checking and savings bonus review explains how to earn up to $400 with direct deposit, what counts, and the 1.10% APY boost for new members.

Bottom line

Earning points too? See Why Start With Chase and Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses.

We flag new and returning bank bonuses in Points & Miles Weekly, our free newsletter.

Regional bank bonuses open right now: Associated Bank up to $600 in the Midwest and Eastern Bank up to $750 in New England.

The Points Quest

Points Quest is educational content only, not personalized financial advice. Bonus amounts, requirements, eligibility rules, fees, and the APY were checked on Chase’s checking and savings offer page and Chase’s Total Checking page on November 2, 2026. They can change at any time; terms apply, and accounts are subject to approval. The high-yield savings rate in the example is illustrative, not a quote. Advertiser Disclosure