Best Bank Bonuses for October 2026: Checking, Savings, Brokerage and Business

The best bank bonuses this October depend on what you can bring: a paycheck you can redirect, cash you can park for a few months, or a business. With a paycheck, Wells Fargo Everyday Checking pays $500 for $1,000 in deposits (until October 6), and Chase pays up to $900 if you can also move $15,000 into savings. Without direct deposit, E*TRADE Premium Savings pays $400 for $20,000 and a promotional rate on top.

Every offer below was checked against the bank's own terms in late September 2026. Bonuses change often, so each link goes to the offer's page, which shows the current terms and when they were last checked. "Nationwide" means the terms set no state limit.

The free Bank Bonus Calculator shows what a bonus is worth after fees, taxes and the interest your money could earn elsewhere.

Checking bonuses that need a direct deposit

These pay for routing part of your paycheck (or other payroll, pension or government deposits) to the new account. Each bank defines direct deposit differently, so check the guide to what counts as a direct deposit before you rely on a transfer.

• Wells Fargo Everyday Checking: $500, ends October 6. $1,000 or more in qualifying electronic deposits within 90 days of opening. Wells Fargo accepts more kinds of electronic deposits than many banks. The $15 monthly fee is waived with $500 in qualifying deposits. Not available if you got a Wells Fargo consumer checking bonus in the last 12 months. Nationwide.
• Chase Total Checking: $400, ends October 14. $1,000 in direct deposits within 90 days of enrolling in the offer, and several paychecks can add up. The $15 monthly fee is waived for the first two statement periods, then with $500 in electronic deposits. Paid within 15 days of meeting the requirement. Nationwide.
• SoFi Checking and Savings: $400, no end date stated. $5,000 in direct deposits within 25 days of your first one, so time it for your biggest paychecks. No monthly fee. Only if you've never set up direct deposit with SoFi. Nationwide.
• PNC Virtual Wallet with Performance Select: $400, ends January 7, 2027. $5,000 in direct deposits within 60 days. Performance Select has a $25 monthly service charge, so check PNC's ways to avoid it before you open. Paid 60 to 90 days after you qualify.
• Citi Regular Checking: $325, ends October 26. At least two direct deposits totaling $3,000 within 90 days. The $15 monthly fee is waived with $250 in direct deposits. Keep the account open 120 days. Nationwide.
• Capital One 360 Checking: $300, no end date stated. Two direct deposits of $500 or more each within 75 days, with promo code OFFER300. No monthly fee, and the smallest requirement on this list. Fund the account within 60 days or Capital One closes it.

The biggest one: Chase checking plus savings, $900

Chase Total Checking + Chase Savings pays $300 for checking, $200 for savings, and $400 more for doing both, ending October 14. You need one direct deposit into checking within 90 days, plus $15,000 in new money in savings within 30 days, kept there for 90 days.

It's the largest checking bonus available nationwide this month, but it ties up $15,000 for about three months, and Chase gives one new checking bonus every two years, so it's this or the $400 Total Checking offer, not both. If you'd rather not park that much, the $400 offer needs only $1,000 in direct deposits.

Regional checking bonuses (limited states)

Bigger bonuses for people in the right states. Check each list before you plan around one.

• BMO Smart Advantage Checking: $600, ends December 15. $100 for each of the first 6 months with $1,000 or more in direct deposits, so it rewards keeping your pay there. No monthly fee. AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, IL, IN, MN, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA and WI.
• Associated Bank Access Checking: $600, ends October 31. $500 in direct deposits plus an average of $10,000 across your Associated accounts on days 31 to 90. The account must stay open 12 months. IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, OH and WI.
• Santander Simply Right Checking: $500, ends December 18. One direct deposit and a $5,000 average balance over the first 90 days ($2,000 earns $300). Opened in a branch with the promo code. CT, DE, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA and RI, plus Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties in Florida.
• KeyBank Key Smart Checking: $300, ends December 11. $2,000 in direct deposits within 90 days. No monthly fee. Online in 16 states where KeyBank has branches, including NY, OH, PA, WA and OR; elsewhere, in a branch.

Savings bonuses (no direct deposit needed)

These pay for bringing in new money and leaving it there. The real cost is the interest that money could have earned elsewhere.

• E*TRADE Premium Savings: $400, ends January 10, 2027. Deposit $20,000 in new money within 30 days and average $20,000 on days 31 to 75 ($100,000 earns $800). It also pays a promotional 4.25% APY for 6 months, so you aren't giving up interest to earn the bonus. Nationwide.
• Live Oak Bank Personal Savings: $300, fund by 5 p.m. ET October 16. $20,000 from outside Live Oak, kept for 90 days. No monthly fee. Nationwide.
• Chase Savings: $200, ends October 14. $10,000 in new money within 30 days, kept 90 days ($5,000 earns $100). The $5 monthly fee is waived with a $300 balance. Not for existing Chase savings customers.

For large balances: brokerage bonuses

Brokerage bonuses are tiered by how much you move, and the money has to stay for months. They make sense if you're moving investments you already hold.

• E*TRADE brokerage: up to $1,500, ends October 31. From $50 for $1,000 to $300 for $20,000, $600 for $100,000 and $1,500 for $500,000, deposited within 60 days with code OFFER26. The new funds must stay 12 months after the funding period.
• J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing: up to $1,000, ends October 21. $50 for $5,000, $150 for $25,000, $325 for $100,000, or $1,000 for $250,000, brought in within 45 days and kept 90 days.
• Merrill Edge Self-Directed: up to $600, no end date stated. $100 for $20,000 up to $600 for $200,000 with code 600ME, kept 90 days.

Business checking

If you have a business, even a small side business, these are some of the largest bonuses available.

• Wells Fargo Initiate Business Checking: $825, ends November 10. Have $25,000 in the account by day 30 and keep it through day 60, plus 5 qualifying transactions ($2,500 earns $400; $10,000 earns $550). Nationwide.
• Associated Bank Business Choice Checking: $750, ends October 31. $20,000 in new money, kept on days 31 to 90, in the same 9 states as the personal offer.
• Chase Business Complete Checking: $500, ends October 15. $10,000 in new money within 30 days, kept for 60 days, plus 5 qualifying transactions within 90 days ($2,000 earns $400). Nationwide.
• Huntington Unlimited Business Checking: $400, ends October 14. $5,000 in new money within 60 days, in 22 states.
• Axos Basic Business Checking: $200, ends January 31, 2027. For businesses less than a year old: $50 for each of 4 statement months averaging $3,000. Keep it open 180 days or pay up to $200.

How we chose

We started from every bank, savings, brokerage and business offer in the SuperChurn catalog that's still open in October, then grouped them by what you need to bring. Within each group, offers are ordered by bonus size, with notes on effort, fees and state limits. Whether an offer pays us anything doesn't change which offers we list or their order.

Before you open anything:

• Check the end date and your eligibility. Most offers exclude recent customers, often for 12 to 24 months.
• Use the offer page or code. Several bonuses only apply if you open through the bank's offer page or enter a code.
• Count the fees. A $15 monthly fee you can't waive costs $90 over six months.
• Know when you can close. Some banks want the account open until they pay; others for 120 days, 180 days or 12 months. The guide to when you can close a bank account after the bonus explains each rule.
• Remember taxes. Bank bonuses are generally taxable income.

FAQ

What's the easiest bank bonus this month? For most people with a paycheck, Capital One 360 Checking: two direct deposits of $500 or more within 75 days, no monthly fee, nationwide. Wells Fargo pays more for $1,000 in deposits, but ends October 6.

Which bank bonus is best without direct deposit? A savings bonus. E*TRADE Premium Savings pays $400 for $20,000 and a promotional 4.25% APY. If you have less, Chase Savings pays $100 for $5,000.

Can I do more than one of these at once? Yes, at different banks. Each bank has its own limits, often one bonus per customer every 12 to 24 months. Space applications out, because many new accounts in a short time can lead to denials.

Are these available in my state? Offers marked nationwide are. Regional ones list their states above and on each offer page, and the bonuses page can filter by state.

When will the November list come out? At the start of November, checked again against each bank's terms.

Sources

• Offer terms for each linked account, as shown on its SuperChurn page (checked against the bank's or brokerage's own terms, September 25 to 27, 2026).

SuperChurn isn't owned by or endorsed by any bank. This is general information, not financial or tax advice. Terms change, so confirm them with the bank before you apply.