Examined Sep 18, 2026 Paid in cash Open by Oct 21, 2026 J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing pays $50 to $1,000 for new money from outside Chase, and its own fee schedule charges $75 to transfer everything out again.
This is a public offer, not a referral. Nobody has to invite you, and the offer page says: “Coupon code applied when you begin your application.” The page's own headline is “Open your new account today and earn up to $1,000 with qualifying activities.” The $1,000 needs $250,000 or more; $5,000 gets $50.
What pays what
| $5,000 to $24,999 of qualifying new money | $50 |
|---|---|
| $25,000 to $99,999 | $150 |
| $100,000 to $249,999 | $325 |
| $250,000 or more | $1,000 |
| Less than $5,000 added within 45 days | Nothing |
| Assets transferred from JPMorganChase or its affiliates | $0 |
| A UTMA or trust account | Not eligible |
| A second bonus in the same year | Nothing |
These assets qualify as net new money and can be transferred in-kind, meaning they are not sold and no taxes are triggered. Assets transferred from JPMorganChase or its affiliates are not eligible.
Each tier pays best at its floor. $50 divided by $5,000 is 1%. $150 divided by $25,000 is 0.6%. $325 divided by $100,000 is about 0.33%, and $1,000 divided by $250,000 is 0.4%. Adding $24,999 earns the same $50 as adding $5,000. The page also says: “You can only get one bonus per year.”
Do this, in this order
- Decide where the money will come from. Qualifying new money is cash, securities such as stocks, ETFs and mutual funds, or rolled-over retirement assets such as an IRA or a 401(k), moved from another institution within 45 days of account opening. Nothing from JPMorganChase or its affiliates counts.
- Start from the offer page and nowhere else. The coupon attaches when you begin the application there. The same page links to its other investment options and then warns: “By opening an account from the above link, you will not be eligible for the offer outlined here.” The page marks UTMA and trust accounts as not eligible for bonus offers; General Investment, Traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts carry no such note.
- Open by October 21, 2026, and fund early. Step one on the page reads: “Open a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account through this page by 10/21/2026.” A banner higher up uses the same date for funding too, which we cover below. Funding before that date satisfies both readings.
- Reach your tier before day 45. “You have 45 days to fund your account with qualifying new money. Your bonus will be determined on day 45.” Plan for nothing after day 45 to count. J.P. Morgan says certain securities cannot be transferred online and must be sold first, and it lists some mutual funds, fractional shares and non-publicly traded securities among the exceptions to a transfer being a non-taxable event. Check your holdings first.
- Leave the new money alone for 90 days. The FAQ says to keep the new money in the account for 90 days, and that market losses do not count against you. The bonus is added to the account within 15 days after the conditions are met. 90 days plus 15 days is 105 days from the start.
- Read the fee schedule before you ever move out. The pricing schedule lists a $75 brokerage account transfer and termination fee, applied when all assets are transferred out of the account. A retirement account carries the same $75, unless the assets move to another internal investment account or annuity. Wires cost $25 each, except internal wires and Chase Private Clients. Online trades of U.S. listed stocks and ETFs are $0.00.
The $75 exit fee against the $50 bonus
The arithmetic at the bottom tier. Move in $5,000, collect $50, then transfer the whole account to another broker. The schedule's fee for that is $75, and $50 minus $75 leaves you $25 worse off than never opening the account. At the $150 tier, the same exit leaves $75.
What the schedule does and does not say. The fee applies when all assets are transferred out. The schedule defines it no further, and it opens with this line: “Please note that fees and other information are subject to change without notice.” If you plan to leave after the bonus, ask the client service center how your exit would be charged.
Where J.P. Morgan's own page disagrees, and what it leaves out
Is October 21 the date to open, or the date to fund? The banner at the top of the offer page reads: “When you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money by 10/21/2026.” Step one further down asks only that you open by that date, and step two gives 45 days to fund. The page does not reconcile the two.
When the 90 days start, and what a withdrawal does. Step three counts 90 days from enrollment. The FAQ says to keep the new money in the account for 90 days and gives no starting point. Neither says what happens if you take part of the money out early.
What a year means. One bonus per year is the whole rule. The page does not say whether that means a calendar year. We found no look-back period for past customers and no household limit.
Dates and places. The offer page prints no last-updated date, and we found no separate terms document for the bonus. Its footer reads 2026, while the pricing schedule carries a 2025 copyright line, so confirm the fees are current. The page also says: “Products not available in all states.” It does not list them. How the bonus is reported for tax is not stated either.
Is it worth your time?
If you have investments at another broker and no reason to stay there, this is a fair trade. An in-kind transfer keeps the same holdings, market losses during the 90 days do not reduce the bonus, and the work is one application and one transfer.
It is a poor trade if you mean to collect and leave. At $5,000 the bonus does not cover the $75 exit fee, and at $25,000 half of the $150 goes to it. It pays nothing if your savings already sit at Chase, and there is no tier below $5,000.
