U.S. Bank $450 Checking Bonus

Update 3/4/26: Deal is back at $450 through April 6, 2026 at this new link (ht NBG)

Update 11/26/25: Deal is back for up to $450 until January 28, 2026

Offer at a glance

Maximum bonus amount: $450
Availability: Nationwide (excludes NY & FL and any other state without a branch unless you have an existing relationship)
Direct deposit required: Yes
Additional requirements: None
Hard/soft pull: Soft
ChexSystems: Mixed data points
Credit card funding: Can fund up to $250 with a credit card
Monthly fees: $12, avoidable
Early account termination fee: None
Household limit: None
Expiration date: ~~January 28, 2026~~ April 6, 2026

Contents

1 The Offer
2 The Fine Print
3 Avoiding Fees
- 3.1 Monthly Fees
- 3.2 Early Account Termination Fee
4 Our Verdict

The Offer

~~Direct link to offer~~ | New link

U.S. Bank is offering a $450 bonus when you open a new Smartly checking account. Requirements are as follows:
- Checking bonus:
  - Earn $250 when the combined total of your direct deposits is between $3,000 and $4,999.99
  - Earn $350 when the combined total of your direct deposits is between $5,000 and $7,999.99
  - Earn $450 when the combined total of your direct deposits is $8,000 or more.

You must complete two or more direct deposits within 90 days totaling the above-mentioned amount.

The Fine Print

U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking bonus: To be eligible, you or any owner(s) on your new Bank Smartly Checking account cannot have an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account, had a U.S. Bank consumer checking account in the last 12 months or received other U.S. Bank consumer checking bonus offers within the past 12 months.
You must also use the promo code 2024JUL at account opening. To receive the bonus, you must open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account with a minimum deposit of $25 either online, in a branch or over the phone from July 9, 2024 through and including September 26, 2024.
Additionally, you must enroll in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking within 90 days of opening your account.
You must also complete two or more direct deposits within 90 days of opening your account that total: $2,000 to $4,999.99 to earn the $250 bonus, $5,000 to $7,999.99 to earn the $350 bonus, or $8,000 or more to earn the $450 bonus.
A direct deposit is an electronic deposit of your paycheck made through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network or an electronic deposit of your government benefits, such as Social Security, from your employer or the government.
Other electronic deposits or person-to-person payments are not considered a direct deposit. Your checking bonus (“adjusted interest”) will be credited to your new checking account within 60 days following the end of the calendar month during which you completed all the offer requirements.
Account must be open and have a positive balance to receive the bonus. Bonus will be reported as interest earned on IRS form 1099-INT, and recipient is responsible for any applicable taxes. Offer may not be combined with any other checking account bonus offers.
All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

U.S. Bank Smartly has a $12 monthly fee, this is waived if you do any of the following:

Have at least $1,500 in monthly direct deposits.
Hold a minimum average account balance of $1,500.
Be an owner on an eligible small business checking account.
Belong to an eligible customer group2 such as youth, young adult, senior or military.
Qualify for Smart Rewards Gold Tier or above.
Be an owner on a Bank Smartly™️ Visa Signature® Card or personal State Farm credit card for Alliance clients.

Early Account Termination Fee

There is no early account termination fee to worry about

Our Verdict

Not as good as the recent $500 bonus unfortunately. That being said this bonus is churnable (can’t have had an account within the past 12 months) meaning it’s probably worth resetting that clock as soon as possible rather than waiting for a marginally bigger bonus to potentially return. Because of that we will add this to our list of the best bank account bonuses.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses: