Most years, I do pretty well with earning extra income from bank bonuses, but in 2024, life got in the way. As a result, I only completed a handful of bank account bonuses, earning just a few hundred dollars from them. It was my worst bank account performance in a decade. Knowing this, in 2025, I made it a goal of mine to get myself back on the bank account bonus train.
2025 ended up working out pretty well for me. Between my wife and me, we were able to earn $7,850 in bank account bonuses, which I’m pretty happy about. The nice thing is that since I had essentially taken a year off from opening new bank accounts, I was able to go back to all my trusty bank account bonuses that I typically get every year or two.
In this post, I wanted to briefly recap my bank account bonus earnings and discuss the different banks I targeted, as well as how I generally earned these bonuses.
2025 Bank Account Bonus Recap
Here’s a breakdown of the different bank account bonuses I earned in 2025:
- Bask Bank: $200
- Maxx Checking: $300
- Barclay’s Savings: $300
- Discover Savings: $200
- American Express Rewards Checking: $250
- US Bank Business Checking: $900
- Live Oak Bank Personal Savings: $300
- Bank of America Personal Checking: $300
- US Bank Smartly Personal Checking: $450
- Huntington Bank Personal Checking: $600
- Chase Personal Checking: $700
- Chase Personal Savings: $200
- Wells Fargo Personal Checking: $400
- CIT Bank Personal Savings: $300
- Cit Bank Personal Checking: $100
Meanwhile, my wife earned the following bonuses:
- Barclay’s Savings: $200
- US Bank Business Checking: $900
- US Bank Smartly Personal Checking: $450
- Chase Personal Checking: $700
- Chase Personal Savings: $200
One thing you’ll notice is that my wife earned significantly less from bank account bonuses compared to me. A lot of this is because I’m the one who handles the bank account bonuses for both of us, so logistically, it’s sometimes a pain for me to open new bank accounts for her. As a result, I’ll sometimes skip opening new bank accounts for her.
Why Did I Open These Bank Accounts?
Most bank accounts limit customers to one bank bonus for a set period of time – usually 12 to 24 months. Because it had been a while since I last earned these bonuses, I was able to go back to a lot of the bank bonuses I usually target.
Savings accounts were some of the main bonuses I targeted in 2025. This is because I’ve got a large pile of cash I’m sitting on, so targeting bonuses from savings accounts is a nice way to maximize my return on that idle cash. The general requirements for most savings account bonuses are that you need to fund the account with a set amount and leave it there for X number of days (usually 30 to 90 days). This can work out to an excellent return because the bonus you get, combined with the interest rate these banks are already paying, can lead to a no-risk return of 8% or more. I also like that the savings account bonuses are very low risk and don’t really require any brainpower on my part to manage. The downside is that you need to have a large amount of idle cash for most of these bonuses.
After the savings accounts, I did a lot of my regular checking account bonuses. Most of them were from the major banks and required me to either do a direct deposit or a set number of transactions. These checking account bonuses typically don’t require much work, but I’m usually limited to doing them every 12-24 months. For example, Wells Fargo and US Bank both allow you to earn a new bonus every 12 months. Chase allows customers to earn a bonus on their accounts every 24 months.
My Upcoming Bank Bonus Plans
One thing about bank account bonuses is that while they are “free” money in a way, they do require your time, mental energy, and the ability to stay very organized. This does mean that while bank account bonuses are worth getting when you can, I tend to think of them as a type of side hustle. You won’t necessarily have to spend hours working on them, but earning these bank bonuses will take some time.
Unfortunately, time is at a bit of a premium these days for me, so my days of really being able to optimize bank bonuses are long gone. Still, I’m going to end up with some good numbers this year thanks to some really high-paying bonuses. At the time I’m writing this in February 2026, I have over $5,000 in bank bonuses pending, most of them coming from a few savings accounts that I have a lot of money tied up in. This is a nice way to not only earn some extra income, but also get a good return on idle cash I have sitting around.
Anyway, there’s not a ton I wanted to talk about in this post other than to share a quick update on my bank account bonus earnings. If you have any questions about how bank account bonuses work, be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses.
This post may contain affiliate links.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($75) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($400/$1200) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $400/$1200 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
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