[Targeted] E*Trade $300 Checking Bonus

Update 2/11/25: Bonus is back, now $300. Valid until March 31, 2025. Still contains targeted language.

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount:
• Availability: Targeted, terms state ‘To take advantage of this offer, you must be the original recipient of the offer email from Morgan Stanley Private Bank.’
• Direct deposit required: Yes, two direct deposits of $1,000+
• Additional requirements: See below
• Hard/soft pull: Unknown 
• ChexSystems:  Yes, but approves if frozen
• Credit card funding: Unknown
• Monthly fees: None
• Early account termination fee: Unknown
• Household limit: None
• Expiration date: December 15, 2024

The Offer

Direct link to offer (targeted, e-mail subject line is ‘<name>, a special $250 bonus is waiting for you’

• E*Trade is offering a $250 bonus when you open a new Checking or Max-Rate Checking account and complete the following requirements:
  • Make at least 2 qualifying direct deposits, each of $1,000 or more, within 90 days of opening your new account

The Fine Print

• To take advantage of this offer, you must be the original recipient of the offer email from Morgan Stanley Private Bank.
• Offer is valid only for individual and jointly owned Max-Rate Checking or Checking accounts opened online. You are not eligible for this offer if you have or had owned or co-owned (joint) a Max-Rate Checking or Checking Account within the last 12 months from when you enroll in this offer. In the case of a joint account, only the primary account holder (the account holder who signed up first) is eligible for a bonus. Offer excludes non-U.S. residents, at time of account opening or post account opening address changes.
• This offer is only eligible to one newly opened Bank Max-Rate Checking OR Checking account funded within 30 days of account opening. You cannot open and enroll both account types at the same time. If you open both account types, your Max-Rate Checking Account will be auto-enrolled in the offer.
• Customers may only be enrolled in one checking offer at a time. Cannot be combined with any other checking offers
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Checking has no monthly fees to worry about.

Early Account Termination Fee

Our Verdict

Shame that this is a targeted offer, think it’s definitely worth doing if you were targeted though. We would add this to our best bank bonuses if it wasn’t targeted.

Hat tip to readers bosox & zerosum

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