What makes this bank offer different
This is a bank-bonus fit for users who can satisfy a deposit rule quickly; the key comparison point is whether the required deposit type matches your normal cash flow.
Bank
BMO Checking Bonus — Up to $400
Sign up for BMO Checking Bonus and earn up to $400 in bonus rewards.
Qualifying Period
90 days from account opening
Payout
Within 14 days of meeting requirements
Requirements
- ✓$4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Open a new BMO Smart Money Checking, BMO Smart Advantage Checking, or BMO Relationship Checking account
- ✓Minimum opening deposit of $25
- ✓Cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Qualifying direct deposits are deposits of regular income from an employer or similar third party (salary, paycheck, pension, Social Security, government benefits)
- ✓Minimum $25 opening deposit
- ✓Cumulative $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Account must be open and in good standing with balance greater than zero on payout date
- ✓$4,000 in cumulative qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Primary applicant must reside in eligible state at time of application
- ✓Account must be open, in good standing with positive balance when bonus is paid
- ✓Account must be open and in good standing with balance greater than zero when bonus is paid
- ✓Have a cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days
- ✓Have cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits post to account within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Qualifying direct deposits are regular income from employer or similar third party (salary, paycheck, pension, Social Security, government benefits)
- ✓Account must be in good standing with balance greater than zero when bonus is paid
- ✓Have a cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits post to account within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Open a new eligible BMO checking account (Smart Money Checking, Smart Advantage Checking, or Relationship Checking)
- ✓Have cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- ✓Use promo code (automatically applied for online applications)
- ✓Account must be open, in good standing, and have a balance greater than zero when bonus is paid
- ✓Use the promo code when opening account
Restrictions
- ⚠New customers only
- ⚠Cannot be an existing BMO personal checking account customer
- ⚠Last BMO personal checking account must have been closed more than 12 months ago
- ⚠One per customer/product family
- ⚠New customers only — existing BMO personal checking customers and those who closed an account within the past 12 months are ineligible
- ⚠Offer can be changed or canceled without notice at any time
- ⚠Cannot be combined with other offers
- ⚠Account must remain open in good standing with balance greater than zero when bonus is paid
- ⚠Limited to residents of AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, IL, IN, MN, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WI
- ⚠Not available to existing BMO personal checking clients or those who closed a BMO personal checking account within the past 12 months
- ⚠Must reside in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wisconsin
- ⚠One bonus per person
- ⚠Promo code required
- ⚠Not available to existing BMO personal checking customers or those who closed a BMO checking account within the past 12 months
- ⚠One bonus per customer
- ⚠Available only in select states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wisconsin
- Residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wisconsin at time of application
Fees
- No monthly maintenance fee with eStatements
- $0 monthly maintenance fee (for BMO Smart Advantage Checking with paperless statements)
- $0 monthly fee with BMO Smart Advantage Checking (with eStatements)
- $5 monthly fee for BMO Smart Money Checking (waived if under 25)
- $25 monthly fee for BMO Relationship Checking (waivable with qualifying balance)
- $50 early termination fee if account closed within 90 days
- $0 monthly maintenance fee for Smart Advantage with paperless statements
- $5 monthly fee for Smart Money (waived if under 25)
- $25 monthly fee for Relationship Checking (waivable with $10,000+ min daily balance or $25,000+ monthly combined balance)
- $0 monthly maintenance fee for Smart Advantage Checking with eStatements
- $0 monthly maintenance fee for BMO Smart Advantage Checking
- $5 monthly maintenance fee for BMO Smart Money Checking (waived if under 25)
- $25 monthly maintenance fee for BMO Relationship Checking
- BMO Smart Money Checking: $5 monthly maintenance fee (waived if under 25)
- BMO Smart Advantage Checking: $0 monthly maintenance fee
- BMO Relationship Checking: $25 monthly maintenance fee (waivable with $10,000 minimum daily balance or $25,000 combined balance)
- $0 monthly maintenance fee (Smart Advantage and Smart Money accounts)
- $0 monthly maintenance fee (Smart Advantage & Smart Money)
- $0 monthly fee for Smart Advantage Checking
- No monthly maintenance fee for BMO Smart Advantage Checking
- $0 monthly maintenance fee (Smart Advantage Checking)
- $0 monthly maintenance fee (BMO Smart Money and Smart Advantage Checking)
- $5 monthly maintenance fee for BMO Smart Money Checking (waived for customers under 25)
- $0 monthly maintenance fee for Smart Advantage and Smart Money (Smart Money has $5 fee waived for under age 25)
- $25 monthly fee for Relationship Checking (may be waived with minimum balance requirements)
- $0 account fee for Smart Advantage Checking
- Bonus reported to IRS for tax purposes
- Bonus not part of opening deposit
- Account must be open and in good standing when bonus is paid
- Only one personal checking account cash bonus allowed
- Cash bonus may be reported to IRS for tax purposes; customer is responsible for applicable taxes
- Applications submitted online on September 8, 2026 must be submitted and approved prior to 9:00 p.m. Central Time
- Non-qualifying deposits include: teller deposits, wire transfers, ATM transfers
- Qualifying direct deposits are regular income from an employer or similar third party (salary, paycheck, pension, Social Security, government benefits) deposited using account number and BMO routing number
- Non-qualifying deposits include teller deposits, wire transfers, ATM transfers, BMO Digital Banking transfers, debit card credits, transfers from other banks/brokerages, and peer-to-peer transfers
- Offer cannot be combined with any other offer
- Cash bonus may be reported to IRS for tax purposes
- Bonus is not part of opening deposit and will be reported to IRS for tax purposes
- Cannot be combined with other offers
- Day 1 starts on account opening date
- Bonus cannot be combined with any other offer
- Bonus may be reported to the IRS for tax purposes
- Account type as of payout date determines bonus eligibility
- Qualifying direct deposits only: salary, paycheck, pension, Social Security, or government benefits from employer/third party using account number and BMO routing number
- Non-qualifying: teller deposits, wire transfers, ATM transfers, internal BMO transfers, Zelle/Venmo, transfers from other banks
- Bonus may be reported to the IRS for tax purposes; customer responsible for applicable taxes
- Offer can be changed or canceled without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer
- Qualifying direct deposits defined as regular income from employer or similar third party (salary, paycheck, pension, Social Security, government benefits) electronically deposited using account number and BMO routing number
- Cash bonus reported to IRS for tax purposes; customer responsible for taxes
ExpiredOffer expired December 14, 2026
Last updated September 13, 2026
How to evaluate BMO Checking Bonus
Before opening this account, compare the bonus against direct deposit rules, monthly fees, minimum balance requirements, and any clawback period after payout.
Qualification checklist
Timing
- Qualifying period
- 90 days from account opening
- Payout timeline
- Within 14 days of meeting requirements
How to qualify
- $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
- Open a new BMO Smart Money Checking, BMO Smart Advantage Checking, or BMO Relationship Checking account
- Minimum opening deposit of $25
- Cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of account opening
Common pitfalls
- New customers only
- Cannot be an existing BMO personal checking account customer
- Last BMO personal checking account must have been closed more than 12 months ago
- One per customer/product family
What makes this offer different
Bonus value versus similar offers
The sign-up bonus is below the current nearby $1,500 median, so the requirements and any referral or portal stack matter more.
Requirement clarity
Credolix has extracted 4 requirements for this offer, so compare the bonus against the actual steps rather than the headline payout alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does BMO Checking Bonus expire?
BMO Checking Bonus expires on December 14, 2026.
How long do I have to qualify for BMO Checking Bonus?
The qualifying period listed for BMO Checking Bonus is 90 days from account opening.
When does BMO Checking Bonus pay out?
The payout timeline listed for BMO Checking Bonus is Within 14 days of meeting requirements.
