Banks With Immediate Sign Up Bonus [2024 – Without Direct Deposit Requirement]

Banks that offer lucrative sign up bonuses often ask you to set up direct deposit in return.

It makes sense. 93% of American workers receive their pay through direct deposit, anyway.

But maybe you don’t get direct deposits.

Or maybe you already send your direct deposits to another bank account, and now you want to open a new one.

What then?

Well, you’re in luck. Because some banks with immediate sign up bonus offers don’t require direct deposit. 

Below, I’ll walk you through the top bank promotions without direct deposit requirements currently available. 

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Best Banks With Immediate Sign Up Bonus

So you’re interested in opening a new bank account, and you want to earn an immediate sign up bonus.

Good thinking. Why turn down free money?

But as you research your options, you keep encountering the same problem: Many of the promotional offers require you to set up direct deposit – which isn’t part of your agenda. 

You need a list of offers that don’t require direct deposit.

And now you’ve got it! 

Each of the offers on this list has its own requirements, and one of them will make you set up direct deposit. 

Upgrade (Upgrade Rewards Checking)

Bonus Offer: $200

Offer Expires: N/A

Account Type: Personal checking

Monthly Fee: None

Requirements: Open an Upgrade Cash Rewards credit card account; No previous Upgrade Rewards checking account; Make 3 qualifying debit card transactions within first 60 days of opening account

Upgrade is a financial technology company (not a bank) that offers checking accounts with a lot of exciting features. 

One benefit of the Upgrade Rewards Checking promotion is that you can qualify for your bonus relatively quickly. 

Even in the “banks with immediate sign up bonus” discussion, not all banks let you secure the bonus right away. There are often maintenance periods to deal with or complicated requirements that take months to complete. 

But the Upgrade Rewards Checking promotion is a little different. To earn the bonus, all you have to do is open an Upgrade Cash Rewards credit card account at the same time as your Upgrade Rewards Checking account and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions within first 60 days of opening account.

You have 60 days to complete those transactions, but you could do it a lot quicker if you wanted.

Other perks of the Upgrade Rewards Checking account include:

• 2% unlimited cash back on everyday expenses (like restaurants, phone bills, monthly subscription services) and 1% on everything else
• Receive paychecks up to 2 days early

Looking to fund a major purchase? Be sure to check out the Upgrade Card for a line of credit or apply for an Upgrade Personal Loan.

Read this full Upgrade bank review.

Citibank (Citi Priority Account)

Bonus Offer:  $300

Offer Expires: 7/8/2024

Account Type: Personal checking

Monthly Fee: $15 (Waived if criteria are met)

Requirements: No prior Citibank checking account; Make at least two direct deposits of at least $1,500 each within the first 90 days of opening your account.

The Citi Priority Checking Account offers one of the most lucrative bank promotions without direct deposit.

Here’s how to take advantage:

• Step 1: Apply for an account (and enroll through the official webpage so you’re eligible for the offer) 
• Step 2: Make two deposits worth at least $1,500 each into the account (and not with money that’s already in a Citibank account) within the first 90 days of opening the account.

When it comes to banks with immediate sign up bonus offers, this $300 bonus from Citibank understandably attractive.

U.S. Bank (Business Checking)

Bonus Offer: $350- $800

Offer Expires: 4/23/2024

Account Type: Business checking

Monthly Fee: $0-$30 (Depends on the account level, waived if criteria are met)

Requirements: Deposit $5,000+ within first 30 days; maintain a $5,000+ balance until the 60th day after account opening; enroll in online or mobile banking within first 60 days

For business owners, this might be the best bank bonus without direct deposit requirement.

U.S. Bank offers three checking account levels:

• Silver Package: No fee, 125 free transactions each month, $0.50 fee for additional transactions
• Gold Package: $20 fee (waivable), 300 free transactions each month, $0.45 fee for additional transactions
• Platinum Package: $30 fee (waivable), 500 free transactions each month, $0.40 fee for additional transactions

You can earn a bonus no matter which level you apply for, which makes U.S. Bank one of the most flexible banks with immediate sign up bonus offers.

Your bonus will depend on how much money you put into your account.

You’ll earn $350 if you deposit $5,000 within 30 days, then maintain that $5,000 balance until the 60th day after your account was opened.

So let’s say you open a new U.S. Bank business checking account on June 1st. You’ll have 30 days to deposit at least $5,000 in the account. Then, you have to keep at least $5,000 in the account until July 30th – since that will be 60 days after the account opening. 

And your bonus will rise to $800 if you deposit $25,000+ within 30 days and maintain the balance until the 60th day after your account was opened.

The only other requirement is to use your business profile to enroll in online or mobile banking, which is honestly something you’d want to do anyway just to make your life easier. 

*Note: To receive this bonus, you must manually enter the promo code Q1AFL24. Make sure you enter this code when applying for your account! Otherwise, you won’t get your bonus!

Discover Bank (Discover Online Savings Account)

Bonus Offer: $150 – $200 

Offer Expires: 6/13/2024

Account Type: Personal savings

Monthly Fee: None

Requirements: No existing Discover savings accounts; Deposit $15,000+ within 45 days

What sets Discover apart from other banks with immediate sign up bonus offers?

Simplicity.

Here’s how straightforward this offer is:

• Earn $150 if you deposit at least $15,000 into the account within 45 days

OR

• Earn $200 if you deposit $25,000 within 45 days

So this offer might not be especially lucrative, but it’s super simple. That makes it a contender for the best bank bonus now without direct deposit requirement.

Another perk of the Discover Online Savings Account is the generous interest rate. Remember, this is a savings account, not a checking account. The idea is to let your money sit in the account and grow by earning interest.

Interest rates on savings accounts can rise and fall, but right now, the Discover Online Savings Account offers a 4.25% annual percentage yield (APY). That’s more than five times the national average for savings accounts (at the time of this publication).

So with the Discover Online Savings Account, you can receive up to a $200 bonus, then earn even more in interest. Earnings on top of earnings – what’s not to like!

*Note: To receive this bonus, you must manually enter the promo code GBPE324.

You can sign up for your account by phone, online, or through the Discover app. Whatever your method, just make sure you enter the code!

TD Bank (Personal Savings Account)

Bonus Offer: $200

Offer Expires: 4/30/2024

Account Type: Personal savings

Monthly Fee: $5 – $15 (waived if criteria are met)

Requirements: Open a new account online; Deposit $10,000+ (money must be new to TD Bank) within 20 days; maintain a $10,000+ balance for 90 days

Personal savings accounts from TD Bank might not have the best interest rates, but they do offer one of the best bank promotions without direct deposit requirements.

TD Bank has two levels of savings accounts, each with slightly different features:

• The TD Simple Savings account has a $5 monthly fee (waivable) and earns 0.02% APY (rate can vary based on location) in interest.
• The TD Signature Savings account has a $15 monthly fee (waivable) and can earn a higher interest rate if you link it with other TD Bank accounts.

The requirements to earn the $200 bonus are the same for both accounts:

• Step 1: Apply for a new account online.
• Step 2: Deposit at least $10,000 within 20 days of opening the account.
• Step 3: Maintain that $10,000+ balance for 90 days.

And remember, the deposits must be “new money,” meaning money that’s not already held in a TD Bank account. 

Once you’ve met those requirements, TD Bank will deposit the $200 into your account within 180 days of the original account opening. 

And since at least 90 days will have already passed, you shouldn’t have too long to wait!

Commonly Asked Questions About Banks With an Immediate Sign Up Bonus

What Banks Offer Money as a Sign Up Bonus for New Accounts? 

Several banks offer money as a sign up bonus for opening a new account, including:

• Citibank
• U.S. Bank
• Discovery Bank
• TD Bank 
• Upgrade (see full Upgrade bank review)
• Chase Bank
• Capital One

Check out this article for even more bank promotions. 

How Can I Get $250 From Capital One?

Capital One was offering a $350 bonus for opening a new 360 Checking account, but that promotion expired in October 2023. Check out this article for the best Capital One promo code currently available!

Which Account at a Bank Gives You Easy Access to Your Money? 

A checking account is designed to give you easy access to your money, and you’ll often get a debit card for withdrawing cash from an ATM and making purchases. With a savings account, you could face more obstacles when you make withdrawals, but it ultimately depends on the bank. Learn more about the best banks in America. 

Which Online Bank Account Has Instant Debit Card No Deposit? 

You can get an instant debit card without making an initial deposit from these financial institutions:

• Chime
• Wise 
• Relay (for business checking)

And with digital cards, “instant” truly means you’ll gain access right away!

And if you’d like to learn which budgeting app could best help you manage your finances, check out these comparisons:

• Rocket Money vs YNAB
• Rocket Money vs Simplifi
• Rocket Money vs Copilot

Then use a net worth tracker to see how your new financial strategies are paying off. 

Banks With Sign-Up Bonuses?

Here’s a full list of current bank promotions. There are lots of banks with immediate sign up bonus offers. Bank promotions without direct deposit requirements include:

• Citi Priority account 
• Upgrade Rewards Checking Account
• Discover Online Savings account
• TD Bank Personal Savings account
• U.S. Bank Business Checking account

Instant Sign Up Bonus No Requirements?

Pretty much all bank sign-up bonuses come with some requirements, but some are easier to meet than others. Looking for a straightforward option? Try the Discover Online Savings account. You can earn $150 just by depositing $15,000+ within 30 days. Here’s a complete list of ongoing bank promotions. 

Instant Sign Up Bonus No Direct Deposit Bank Account? 

There are several bank accounts with immediate sign up bonus offers that don’t require direct deposits. Options include:

• The Citi Priority Account
• Upgrade Rewards Checking Account
• Discover Online Savings Account
• TD Bank personal savings accounts
• U.S. Bank business checking accounts