Offer reference

U.S. Bank's checking bonus up to $450, read closely

A tiered offer with a tight deadline, a strict written definition, and three separate 12-month lockouts. U.S. Bank reissues this offer in some form most quarters; the terms below are the current edition.

LAST VERIFIED 2026-10-13

U.S. Bank Smartly Checking — up to $450

APPLY BY OCT 20, 2026

The offer

Open a Smartly Checking account through the offer page (or by phone) between July 28 and October 20, 2026, fund it with $25 within 60 days, enroll in online or mobile banking within 90 days, and complete two or more direct deposits within 90 days totaling $2,000 to $4,999.99 for $250, $5,000 to $7,999.99 for $350, or $8,000 or more for $450. Verify at usbank.com →

Qualifying deposit

"An electronic deposit of your paycheck made through the 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."

Who is excluded

You, or any owner on the new account, with an existing U.S. Bank consumer checking account; one held in the last 12 months; or a U.S. Bank consumer checking bonus received in the past 12 months. Available only inside the U.S. Bank footprint; not through alliance partnerships or trust accounts. Employees are eligible. One bonus per account.

Payout

Within 60 days of completing all requirements, credited as "adjusted interest." The account must be open with a positive balance.

The fee

$12 a month, waived for the first two statement periods, then by $1,500 in combined monthly direct deposits; a $1,500 average balance; a Smartly Visa Signature card; an eligible small-business checking account; or a Smart Rewards tier. No fee for ages 13 to 24 or 65 and over.

Tax

Interest income, reported on a 1099-INT.

Three lockouts, not one

Most banks ask one question about your history. U.S. Bank asks three: whether you hold its checking now, whether you held it in the last 12 months, and whether it paid you a checking bonus in the last 12 months. Any one disqualifies, and the test applies to every owner on the new account, so a joint account inherits the partner's history. In a household calendar, this is the lane most likely to be open for one person and closed for the other.

Two deposits and a tier

The requirement is a count and a total. One $8,000 deposit fails the count; two deposits totaling $7,999 land in the $350 tier. The calendar splits the target into two slices with room above the line, checks each as it posts, and keeps a third slice in reserve inside the window. U.S. Bank's written definition is among the stricter ones, naming the employer and the government and excluding "other electronic deposits," which is why this lane is sequenced after the permissive banks rather than first. How deposit classification works is its own page.

The timeline

Day 0Open from the offer page. Fund $25. Enroll in online banking the same day; the enrollment is a requirement, not a convenience.
Day 3–45Two or more deposits on the calendar's schedule, sized for the tier your cash track runs.
Day 60Funding deadline for the $25 (already met at opening).
Day 90Deposit window and enrollment deadline close together.
≤ Day 150Bonus posts; U.S. Bank has 60 days after completion.
AfterHold until paid, then exit. Closing starts the 12-month lockout clock for the next edition of this offer.

Net

$450 on $8,000 cycled for about six weeks, or $250 on $2,000 for a small track. The deadline is the operative fact this week: an account opened after October 20 is on whatever offer replaces this one, and U.S. Bank's replacements have not always matched.

This offer closes to new applications on October 20, 2026. The calendar carries the successor as soon as U.S. Bank publishes one.

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