Up to $750
30.4% annualized bonus return
Not bank APY
Hold $5k ($400) or $15k ($750) ~60 days.
Ease 4/10 · ~60 daysNo expiration
Hold balanceDetails
30.4% annualized bonus return (not bank APY)
$15,000 kept in the account, 60 days
What actually counts as a direct deposit
Core · 6 min read · updated 2026-08-14
A direct deposit is an ACH credit pushed into your account. Strict banks only count credits coded as payroll, pension, or government benefits with the right transaction code. Lenient banks count any incoming ACH from another bank. The offer terms tell you which kind, and that single detail decides whether you qualify.
The two kinds of requirement
| Type | How to satisfy it |
|---|---|
| Strict payroll coded | Set up the deposit through your employer's payroll portal, or through a payroll provider. Only an employer or benefits provider can apply the coding these banks look for. |
| Any ACH credit | A push from another bank's bill pay or transfer screen usually counts. Pulling money in from the new bank normally does not, because the direction of the transfer is what gets recorded. |
How to split a paycheck
- Most payroll systems allow multiple accounts with either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage. Send the exact required amount to the new bank and the rest to your usual account.
- Start the split at least two pay periods before the deadline, because the first run often lands one cycle later than expected.
- Leave the split running for the whole qualifying window plus one extra deposit, then change it back.
If you cannot change your direct deposit
Self employed, paid in cash, or working somewhere that will not split a paycheck? Skip these offers entirely and work the list of offers with no direct deposit requirement. There are dozens, and several pay just as well per minute.
Offers that prove the point
Live offers from the tracker, updated as terms change.
$1,200
29.2% annualized bonus return
Not bank APY
Hold $25,000 new money 60 days + 6 qualifying transactions.
Ease 3/10 · ~30 days afterAug 30, 2026
Hold balanceDetails
29.2% annualized bonus return (not bank APY)
$25,000 kept in the account, 60 days
Up to $200
16.2% annualized bonus return
Not bank APY
Hold $3,000 avg · $50 per cycle · code START200.
Ease 6/10 · per cycleAug 30, 2026
Hold balanceDetails
16.2% annualized bonus return (not bank APY)
$3,000 kept in the account, 150 days
$200
6.6% annualized bonus return
Not bank APY
Hold $10,000 for 90 days (fund within 20).
Ease 5/10 · ~90 daysJul 30, 2026
Hold balanceDetails
6.6% annualized bonus return (not bank APY)
$10,000 kept in the account, 110 days
Questions people ask
Does a transfer from my other bank count as a direct deposit?
Sometimes. It counts at banks that accept any ACH credit and fails at banks that require payroll coding. Check the requirement line on the specific offer before you rely on it.
Does Zelle or Venmo count?
Almost never. Those arrive as person to person transfers and are excluded by essentially every bonus term.
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