Update 1/2/26: Referral bonus now good through 6/30/26
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $2,500
- Availability: Nationwide
- Direct deposit required: Yes
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: $50, avoidable
- Early account termination fee: $25, 180 days
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date: 6/30/26
Contents
The Offer
Direct link to offer (find and share a referral here)
- HSBC is offering a $1,500 or $2,500 bonus when you open a new Premier checking account. Bonus you receive depends on the amount you deposit or invest the following for 3 full consecutive months following the new account opening month:
- $1,500 bonus for depositing/investing $100K–$249K new money
- $2,500 bonus for depositing/investing $250K+ new money
The Fine Print
- Offer valid from January 8, 2024, through and including March 27, 2024 (“Offer Period”). Only New Customers are eligible for this offer.
- Customers who have a current or past HSBC account in the U.S. on file are not eligible for this offer.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has a $50 monthly fee, this fee is waived if you do any of the following:
- Maintain balances of $75,000 in combined U.S. Dollar personal deposit accounts and investment* balances OR
- Recurring direct deposits totaling at least $5,000 from a third party to an HSBC Premier checking account(s) per calendar month OR
- Any HSBC U.S. residential mortgage loan with an original loan amount of at least $500,000. Business owners may use their qualifying HSBC U.S. Dollar commercial balances to qualify for a personal Premier relationship
Early Account Termination Fee
$25, 180 days
Our Verdict
The lowest tier is the best rate of return at ~6%. It does say you can have the funds invested. Some options:
- Premier Savings relationship APY: currently ~3.3% (requires $5k monthly DD or $500 monthly debit spend to maintain relationship rate, DPs suggest a $5k ACH from an external account works for the DD requirement to earn the relationship rate, YMMV)
- Self-directed brokerage sweep options: HGDXX (HSBC Investor U.S. Government Class A): ~3.39% 7-day yield; HTDXX (HSBC U.S. Treasury MMF): ~3.37% 7-day yield (yields as of 12/31/25, per Yahoo Finance)
Hat tip to Favo
Premier checking itself earns a 0.01% interest rate so probably not worth considering for most people as the 6% rate is only marginal when compared to other high interest accounts. Will add this to the best bank account bonuses. Do not share your referrals in the comments below, they can be shared in this linked post.
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
