Wells Fargo's $325 checking bonus, read closely

A mid-sized bonus with the widest written definition of a qualifying deposit among the major banks, and a lookback rule that is about prior bonuses rather than prior accounts.

The widest definition on the street

Most banks define a qualifying direct deposit as payroll, pension, or government benefits and stop there. Wells Fargo's definition adds "or other income" and then lists three rails, including instant payments and debit-card credits, that the other majors exclude by name. What it rules out is a short list: internal transfers, Zelle, mobile and branch deposits. On paper, this is the most permissive language among the large banks, and reported results match it. How deposit classification works, and why the written definition is only part of the story, is its own page.

The lookback is unusual too. Where Bank of America and Chase ask whether you held an account, Wells Fargo asks whether you were paid a checking bonus in the last 12 months. The offer is still for new consumer checking customers, so a current account rules you out, but a Wells Fargo checking account closed years ago with no bonus attached does not.

The timeline

• Day 0Open online from the offer page so the code attaches. Fund $25 at opening, and $1,500 by the first fee period if you want the balance waiver.
• Day 3–30Clear the $1,000 requirement on the calendar's schedule. Confirm the deposit posted, not pending.
• Day 90Qualification period closes.
• +30 daysBonus posts after the requirement is met.
• AfterHold until paid, then exit. The published terms carry no early-close clawback; the account only has to be open and unrestricted at payout.

Net

$325 on $1,000 of deposits plus $1,500 parked for the fee waiver, roughly two months end to end. A small lane with an easy requirement, which is why it sits alongside a large lane rather than in its own month.