Chase Total Checking
Our take
- Worth it if you're outside the 24-month window — a soft credit pull, no ChexSystems, and any-size direct deposit qualifying make this one of the lower-friction $300 bonuses around.
- The one thing to nail is the deposit: it has to code as a payroll, pension, or government direct deposit, and Chase has been tightening what counts — brokerage pushes and real-time ACH transfers that used to work increasingly don't. Line up a method known to still trigger before you open.
- Fees aren't a real concern — the first two statement periods are free, the monthly fee is easy to waive after, and there's no clawback, so you can close once the bonus posts.
- Your eligibility clock runs 24 months from when you opened your last Chase checking or savings account, not when the last bonus paid — check that date before applying.
Requirements
Set up one direct deposit into the new checking account within 90 days of enrolling in the offer. Any amount qualifies — there's no minimum. It must be an electronic payroll, pension, or government-benefit deposit; person-to-person transfers (like Zelle) and tiny verification micro-deposits don't count.
Direct deposit methods
Confirmed7
Fidelity CMA
Works, but the transfer must be set up at Fidelity using the 'Transfer to Someone Else' option (enter your own name if the Chase account is yours) — a normal 'to myself' transfer does not trigger it. It posts as an ACH credit but still counts.
Chase Business Checking
Works via the ACH Payment Services 'Standard ACH' option from a Chase business account. Real-time ACH from the same account does not trigger it — use Standard ACH.
Capital One Business Checking
The 'ACH Payment' option, even for a small amount, codes as PPD and triggers the requirement.
Novo Business Checking
A standard push works, even for a small dollar amount.
Treasury Direct
A 4-week T-bill maturity payment counts. Practical caveat: Treasury Direct is known to lock accounts for months and is slow to resolve, so many people avoid it for time-sensitive bonuses. Linking tends to go more smoothly if you set up Treasury Direct after opening the Chase account.
Kraken
A push from Kraken counts as a direct deposit.
Wells Fargo Business Checking
The Wells Fargo business account's 'direct pay' feature triggers the requirement.
Possible1
US Bank Business Checking
Mixed results. When it works, the ACH has to be initiated from the business account login; some attempts have failed to trigger the bonus.
Does not work3
Charles Schwab Brokerage
No longer triggers the requirement as of 2026, though it worked in prior years — Chase has tightened what it counts as a direct deposit.
Ally Bank
Does not count as a direct deposit for this bonus. Still useful as a hub account or for funding the $15,000 savings balance.
Discover Savings
A push from Discover savings codes as an ACH credit but does not satisfy the direct-deposit requirement.
Terms & account details
Intro fee waiver
No monthly service fee for at least the first two statement periods.
Fee waiver — any one of:
- Receive $500 or more in qualifying electronic deposits during the statement period.
- Keep a beginning-day balance of $1,500 or more every day of the statement period.
- Keep a $5,000+ average beginning-day balance in this account, or across it plus linked qualifying Chase personal deposits and investments.
- Link this checking account to another qualifying Chase checking account.