May 2026: bank bonus playbook for resellers.

Q2 is one of the steadier quarters for bank-bonus activity — the wave of post-tax-refund deposits gives banks an obvious reason to push acquisition campaigns, and Q1 attrition often gets a refresh in late April through May. Rather than naming specific live offers, this playbook walks through the categories that typically surface this time of year and how to decide which to chase.

The four offer types worth your attention

• Direct-deposit signups — the classic format. Open checking, complete one or two qualifying DDs in 60–90 days, hold the account 60+ days, collect $200–$400.
• Tiered balance bonuses — Citi Priority is the prototype. Hold a defined balance for 60 days; the bonus scales up. Useful if you have idle cash that would otherwise sit at your primary bank.
• Brokerage-linked offers — Fidelity, Schwab, and Merrill periodically run sign-up bonuses for moving over assets. Lower friction than checking bonuses if you already have a brokerage relationship.
• Business checking — often overlooked. Chase Business Complete, BoA Business Advantage, and US Bank Silver Business commonly run $300–$750 offers for new business customers, and qualifying activity is usually low if you have an LLC and run any volume through it.

What to chase first if you only have time for one

Prioritize the offer with the cleanest qualifying activity for your situation. If you can route a Fidelity or Schwab ACH push as 'direct deposit,' lean toward DD-required signups. If you have idle cash sitting in checking already, balance-tiered offers convert that cash into yield without restructuring your finances.

The reseller-specific stacking angle

Buying-group payouts that arrive via ACH count as direct deposits at most banks (and can be redirected to a new bonus account temporarily without disrupting anything). One easy May move: route a few weeks' RetailWorld payouts to a new bonus account as the qualifying DD, then move the funds back once the bonus posts. Confirms the deposit pattern is real and lets the bonus money pay for itself.

How to evaluate any bonus you find on a tracker

1. Effective hourly rate. Bonus dollars divided by hours of attention to set up + hold + close. Most $200 DD-required bonuses come in around $50/hour. Below $30/hour usually isn't worth the ChexSystems hit.
2. Holding period. If you have to keep $25,000 parked for 90 days, factor in the opportunity cost (1.5–4% somewhere else, depending on rates).
3. Clawback rules. Closing too early, downgrading the account, or removing the qualifying activity can void the bonus. Read the exact language.
4. ChexSystems impact. Each new account is a hit. Pace yourself at ~1 per month so you don't get auto-declined later.
5. Tax treatment. Bank bonuses are 1099-INT income (or sometimes 1099-MISC). Budget for the tax hit when sizing the bonus relative to your time.