It’s a great time to shop for a new checking account for your small business. The first quarter is typically a time when many small businesses are shopping for financial services, so banks respond with lucrative new-account bonuses. And the amounts can be substantial. Five banks have bonuses of $1,000 or more, though it takes between $20,000 to $100,000 to qualify. U.S. Bank offers the best deal, with $1,200 back after just 30 days of keeping $25,000 in your account.
Even if you don’t have a 5-figure checking balance, you can still earn $400 for a relatively modest balance of $2,000 to $5,000. That bonus is also offered by U.S. Bank along with PNC Bank, Huntington, BMO and Associated Bank.
Choosing the best bank offer:
While it’s tempting to go with the highest dollar amount, those bonuses are just a one-time treat. Much more important is choosing a bank that meets your banking, payment and credit needs. And most businesses will want to choose one bank with branches in your area and a second one that offers the most convenient mobile and online banking. For more information on making a good choice see our previous post.
Caveats:
- Most banks require you to maintain this level of minimum deposit for at least 30 to 90 days to earn the bonus.
- Most offers are available across the entire United States. However, you may find undisclosed geographic limitations when you apply.
New Account Offers by National Banks
| Reviewed | Company | Offer | BV (Bonus Value) | Product | Min Deposit | Min Days | Expires | Other fine print |
| Up to $30k bal | ||||||||
| 8 Jan 26 | U.S. Bank | $1,200 | $1,138 | Business Platinum | $25,000 | 30 | 14 Jan 26 | Min 5 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | Huntington Bank | $1,000 | $852 | Checking: Unlimited Plus | $20,000 | 90 | 16 Feb 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | PNC Bank | $1,000 | $778 | Treasury Management | $30,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Associated Bank | $750 | $602 | Checking: Choice | $20,000 | 90 | 28 Feb 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | BMO | $750 | $565 | Checking | $25,000 | 90 | 28 Jan 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | M&T Bank | $750 | $528 | Checking | $30,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Central Bank | $500 | $478 | Checking | $3,000 | 90 | 31 Jan 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Chase | $500 | $475 | Checking | $10,000 | 30 | 22 Jan 26 | Min 5 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | Citibank | $500 | $426 | Checking | $20,000 | 45 | 6 Jan 26 | Varies by zip |
| 8 Jan 26 | M&T Bank | $500 | $389 | Checking | $15,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | U.S. Bank | $400 | $388 | Business Essentials | $5,000 | 30 | 14 Jan 26 | Min 5 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | PNC Bank | $400 | $385 | Checking | $2,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | Min 20 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | BMO | $400 | $380 | Checking | $4,000 | 60 | 28 Jan 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Huntington Bank | $400 | $363 | Checking: Unlimited | $5,000 | 90 | 16 Feb 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Associated Bank | $400 | $363 | Checking: Balanced | $5,000 | 90 | 28 Feb 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Chase | $300 | $295 | Checking | $2,000 | 30 | 22 Jan 26 | Min 5 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | Citibank | $300 | $282 | Checking | $5,000 | 45 | 14 Jan 26 | Varies by zip |
| 8 Jan 26 | American Express | $300 | $275 | Checking | $5,000 | 60 | None |
Min 5 trans; 30,000 points
|
| 8 Jan 26 | M&T Bank | $300 | $263 | Checking | $5,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | Mercury | $250 | $249 | Checking | $10,000 | 1 | None | $10k min spend |
| 8 Jan 26 | Axos Bank | $200 | $170 | Checking | $3,000 | 120 | 30 Jun 26 | Min 10 trans |
| 8 Jan 26 | Associated Bank | $100 | $85 | Checking: Access | $2,000 | 90 | 28 Feb 26 | |
| More than $30k | ||||||||
| 8 Jan 26 | Citibank | $2,000 | $1,260 | Checking | $200,000 | 45 | 14 Jan 26 | Varies by zip |
| 8 Jan 26 | Citibank | $1,500 | $1,130 | Checking | $100,000 | 45 | 14 Jan 26 | Varies by zip |
| 8 Jan 26 | Citibank | $1,000 | $815 | Checking | $50,000 | 45 | 14 Jan 26 | Varies by zip |
| 8 Jan 26 | M&T Bank | $1,500 | $760 | Checking | $100,000 | 90 | 31 Mar 26 | |
| 8 Jan 26 | BMO | $1,000 | $630 | Checking | $50,000 | 90 | 28 Jan 26 | |
| Expired | ||||||||
| 22 Oct 25 | Axos Bank | $400 | -$93 | Checking | $50,000 | 120 | 30 Sep 25 | Min 10 trans |
| 22 Oct 25 | Bank of America | $200 | $163 | Checking | $5,000 | 90 | 31 Dec 25 |
Source: FintechLabs, 8 Jan 2026
*Bonus Value: We subtract 3.0% in potential foregone interest times the minimum time the initial deposit must stay in the account. Bonus value is PRE-tax.
Disclosures: We may earn revenue from listed banks
Other Resources: Looking for digital banks, lenders, payment providers, insurance or digital accounting for small businesses? Check out our latest lists: Small Business (SMB) savings/treasury accounts (7) | SMB online lenders (33) | SMB challenger banks (15) | SMB insurers (15) | SMB credit cards/expense management (16) | Billpay & invoicing (16)| Payment processors (7) | SMB digital accounting/bookkeeping (21)
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