The State of Sign-Up Bonuses

A live read on the US sign-up-bonus market, computed from our own verified data and refreshed as offers change. As of Jul 21, 2026, we track 192 live bonuses.

$78,985

in cash bonuses live right now

$300

median cash bonus

$5,000

the single largest cash bonus

36%

of cash bonuses need a direct deposit

What the data says

→Volume lives in banking. 107 of the 151 live cash offers are from banks and credit unions, at a workmanlike $350 median. This is the churner's bread and butter: many offers, modest bonuses, quick to earn.
→The fat bonuses ask for fat balances. Banks & credit unions carry the highest median at $350, but a bigger reward almost always rides on a bigger deposit or spend requirement. The headline number and the effort move together.
→Direct deposit is the gatekeeper. 36% of cash bonuses hinge on a qualifying direct deposit, the single requirement people most often get wrong and the reason a bonus quietly never posts.
→Not everything is cash. 28 live offers pay in points or miles instead of dollars, almost all travel co-brand cards and hotel or airline loyalty programs, where the real value depends on how you redeem.

Median cash bonus by category

Cash bonuses only. Points and miles are never converted to dollars.

Banks & credit unions (107)

$350

Brokerages (21)

$300

Credit cards (16)

$250

Apps & portals (6)

$38

Crypto exchanges (1)

$20

Count and size pull in opposite directions. Banks & credit unions lead by sheer number (107 cash offers), yet the biggest medians cluster in Banks & credit unions ($350), where the requirement is steepest. The practical read: the category with the most offers is where you rack up quick, low-effort wins, and the category with the biggest numbers is where you go when you have real money to park.

The biggest cash bonuses right now

HSBC Premier Checking$5,000 TradeStation Brokerage Account$3,500 ACNB Bank Business Checking$3,000 Chase Private Client Checking$3,000 Bank of America Business Advantage Checking$2,500 Capital One Spark Cash Plus$2,000 Betterment Investing Account$2,000 BOK Financial Business Advantage Checking$1,500

Bonuses that recently rose

Tracked against each institution's own page. We log a change the day we catch it.

Chase Total Checking$300 → $400

What they take to earn

About 36% of cash bonuses require a direct deposit, and 5% of all live offers are aimed at businesses. Among the 31 offers that state a specific dollar requirement, the median is $2,000 of qualifying deposit or spend, and the typical bonus pays about $125 for every $1,000 you move. The lesson holds across the data: the biggest headline number is rarely the best use of your time. See the easiest to earn and biggest bonuses lists to weigh both.

How to use this

Start where the volume is. If you are new to this, banking offers give you the most attempts at a modest bonus with a direct deposit and a few debit purchases. Read how bank sign-up bonuses work first.
Nail the direct deposit. Since 36% of cash bonuses gate on it, confirm what your bank counts before you rely on a transfer. Our direct-deposit guide and per-bank reference spell it out.
Judge value, not headline. A $300 bonus you can earn this month usually beats a $350 one that needs a six-figure balance. Sort by the smallest requirement when your cash is limited.
Mind the rules. Chase's 5/24 and ChexSystems can quietly block an application before any bonus is on the table.

Method

Computed from every live offer we track, each verified against the institution's own terms (see method). Dollar figures are cash bonuses only; points and miles are counted but never summed with cash. Numbers refresh as offers change, so this page is always current rather than a fixed snapshot. The underlying aggregates are available as JSON.

How to cite

Dealaka, “The State of Sign-Up Bonuses,” dealaka.com/reports/state-of-sign-up-bonuses (as of Jul 21, 2026). Free to cite with a link back. Data and methodology on this page.