# Bank bonus churning: a beginner's guide Churning is just earning sign-up bonuses on purpose, one after another. Done right it is a legitimate few thousand dollars a year. Here is how to start without tripping a rule. Canonical: https://dealaka.com/guides/bank-bonus-churning-beginners-guide By The Dealaka Team. Published Jul 20, 2026. Facts re-checked Jul 20, 2026. Offers cited: https://dealaka.com/offers/chase-total-checking-sign-up-bonus, https://dealaka.com/offers/sofi-checking-and-savings-sign-up-bonus --- "Churning" sounds shady. It is not. It just means deliberately earning sign-up bonuses, one after another, by opening accounts, meeting the requirement, and moving on. Banks offer these bonuses on purpose to win new customers. As long as you meet the terms honestly, collecting them is legitimate, and it can add up to a few thousand dollars a year for a few hours of work. Here is how to start. ## Is it allowed? Yes. Opening an account and meeting its stated requirement to earn the advertised bonus is exactly what the offer invites. What banks do is limit repeat business: most bonuses are for new customers only, and many will not pay you again within a cooldown window. The lines you do not cross are the obvious ones: lying on an application, or gaming a bonus in a way the terms forbid. Meet the requirement as written and you are fine. ## The core loop Every bonus follows the same cycle: 1. **Find an offer** you can meet, for example a direct-deposit bonus like [Chase Total Checking](/offers/chase-total-checking-sign-up-bonus) or a tiered one like [SoFi Checking and Savings](/offers/sofi-checking-and-savings-sign-up-bonus). 2. **Check eligibility** before you apply. 3. **Open the account** and set up the qualifying activity early. 4. **Get paid**, then decide whether to keep the account or close it after the keep-open period. 5. **Repeat** with the next offer. Our [how to choose the right sign-up bonus](/guides/how-to-choose-the-right-sign-up-bonus) guide covers picking offers, and [how bank sign-up bonuses work](/guides/how-bank-sign-up-bonuses-work) covers the mechanics. ## The rules that keep you out of trouble - **Direct deposit.** Most checking bonuses hinge on one, and it is the requirement people most often fail. Read [what counts as a direct deposit](/guides/what-counts-as-a-direct-deposit) first. - **5/24.** If you also churn cards, Chase declines most applications once you have opened five cards in 24 months. See [the 5/24 rule](/guides/chase-5-24-rule-explained). - **ChexSystems.** A rocky banking history can get you declined for deposit accounts. See [how to avoid a ChexSystems denial](/guides/how-to-avoid-a-chexsystems-denial). - **Cooldowns.** Note when you can earn a given bank's bonus again, and do not close an account before its keep-open date or the bonus can be clawed back. ## Staying organized is the whole game Churning fails on forgotten deadlines, not hard requirements. For each account, note two dates: the day the requirement is due, and the day you can close without a clawback. The [deadline calendar](/calendar) shows what is ending soon. A simple spreadsheet with the bank, bonus, requirement, and both dates is enough. ## Do not forget the tax Bank and brokerage bonuses are taxable income and get reported on a 1099. Set a slice aside. See [do you owe taxes on bank bonuses](/guides/do-you-owe-taxes-on-bank-bonuses). ## Start small Do one or two bonuses first, learn how direct deposits code and how long payouts take, then scale up. Avoid the [common mistakes](/guides/mistakes-that-cost-you-a-bank-bonus), keep your record clean, and the money is real and repeatable. This is reference information, not financial advice. --- Reference information, not financial advice. Verify each offer against the institution's own terms.