Every bonus we’ve read the fine print on.

Do: Route eligible payroll direct deposits within 25 days; a $50 referral signup stacks on top

Trap: Venmo and self-transfers pay $0, and $4,999.99 of deposits pays $50, not $400

Chase Directory entry

Do: $1,000+ of real payroll direct deposits in 90 days ($400), or 10 ordinary transactions in 60 days ($175 Secure Banking)

Trap: Zelle and self-transfers do not count as direct deposit; the $15/mo fee eats $90 if unwaived; one bonus per 2 years

Do: Open Checking via a referral link, receive a $200+ payroll direct deposit within 45 days, activate the card within 14 days of that deposit

Trap: Only employer/payroll ACH counts (bank transfers and P2P fail), and missing the 14-day card activation quietly voids it

Do: Sign up with a referral code and receive $200+ of eligible payroll deposits within 45 days

Trap: Payroll deposits only, and the code must be applied at signup or the bonus is lost forever

Varo Directory entry

Do: Apply via a referral link and receive the offer's qualifying direct deposit ($500 to $1,000) within 45 days

Trap: The amount varies by offer, and tax refunds, P2P, and self-routed deposits do not qualify

Ally Directory entry

Do: Enroll through a referral link, then open and fund an eligible Savings or Spending account

Trap: Referrers are only paid on their first 5 referrals a year, and Ally can end the program early

Axos Directory entry

Do: Open via a referral link, then $1,500+ payroll/government direct deposit within 90 days (savings: $5,000 new money held 30 days)

Trap: The $1,500 direct deposit bar is the highest of the neobanks, and P2P transfers do not count

Upgrade Directory entry

Do: Open Rewards Checking Plus via a referral link and receive $1,000+ of direct deposits within 45 days

Trap: The advertised amount fluctuates between promo waves, and the $1,000 direct deposit requirement is stiff

Do: Open Online Savings through a referral link and fund it

Trap: It is interest, not a bonus check: the value depends entirely on your balance

Wealthfront Directory entry

Do: Open a Cash Account through an invite link and fund it; boosts stack to 6 months max

Trap: It rides on a variable base rate and applies only up to $150k; zero value if you keep small balances

OnePay Directory entry

Do: Open a OnePay Cash account via a referral link and unlock Cash+ within 45 days ($500+ direct deposits in a month, or $5,000 balance)

Trap: Paid in points that need redeeming, and the $500-deposit/$5k-balance unlock is a real hurdle

Do: Enter a referral code at signup, link a new debit card, and send $5+ to someone else within 14 days

Trap: Paying an account you own or are linked to voids it, and the code cannot be added after signup

Venmo Directory entry

Do: Join via a friend's invite link, link a bank or card, and make a $5+ personal payment within 14 days of the link's creation

Trap: The 14-day clock starts when the LINK was created, not when you signed up

PayPal Directory entry

Do: Create a new account through a friend's referral link and spend or send $5+ within 30 days

Trap: Paid in points you must redeem, and publicly posted links void the reward

Step Directory entry

Do: Join with a referral code, then set up and receive a $250+ direct deposit within 30 days

Trap: Amounts change month to month, and Wise transfers do not count as direct deposit

Greenlight Directory entry

Do: Sign up through a referral link and pay the first month of the $5.99+/mo subscription, staying active through the offer window

Trap: Canceling during the qualifying window voids the bonus, and the subscription cost offsets it

Dave Directory entry

Do: Open Dave Checking via a referral link and take a first ExtraCash advance of $5+

Trap: Advances carry optional tips and express fees that can eat the bonus

Robinhood Full guide

Do: Open a first brokerage account and link a bank or debit card; no deposit, no referral link needed

Trap: The stock is triggered by linking a bank, not by opening the account; unclaimed rewards expire in 60 days

Webull Full guide

Do: Deposit $500+ for 20 fractional shares ($100+ for 3) and keep it there

Trap: 12-month maintenance period, and fractional shares cannot transfer to another broker in-kind

Moomoo Full guide

Do: Deposit $500+ and maintain the tier balance for 60 to 180 days

Trap: Withdrawing below your tier during the freeze forfeits the stock, and market dips count against you

Public Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral link, get approved, and make a one-time deposit of $1,000+

Trap: A $1,000 deposit for a $20 reward, and the share is non-transferable with its value floating

Acorns Directory entry

Do: Sign up with a referral code and invest $5+ from a linked bank

Trap: Acorns is a $3+/mo subscription, which outruns the bonus if you were not staying anyway

Stash Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral link, link a funding source, and deposit $5+

Trap: The bonus must stay in the account 90 days, and the $3+/mo subscription eats it if you forget to cancel

M1 Finance Directory entry

Do: Open an M1 brokerage or IRA via a referral link and deposit $10,000+

Trap: $10k minimum, and if you use an IRA the money then lives under retirement withdrawal rules

tastytrade Directory entry

Do: Open an account via a referral link and deposit $1,000+ within 60 days

Trap: The friend's funds must stay 6 months, and the bonus cannot be withdrawn until that hold ends

Charles Schwab Directory entry

Do: Open an account with any Schwab client's referral code and deposit $25,000+ of new money within 45 days

Trap: Below $25,000 you get $0, and only new-to-Schwab money counts

Fundrise Directory entry

Do: Join via a referral link and invest $10+

Trap: Paid in illiquid eREIT shares: redemptions can take quarters and can be paused entirely

Groundfloor Directory entry

Do: Sign up WITH the referral link (cannot add later), transfer and invest $1,000+ in loans

Trap: Credits must be invested in a loan and that loan repaid (months to years) before the money is withdrawable

Coinbase Full guide

Do: Referral path: first trade of $15+. Direct path: one single $50+ first buy within a year

Trap: The two paths are mutually exclusive forever; split buys and Coinbase Advanced purchases pay $0

Binance.US Full guide

Do: Sign up through a referral link and trade $100 within 30 days of verification

Trap: Not available in NY, TX and several other states, and $99.50 of trades pays $0

Nexo Full guide

Do: Move $5,000+ within 45 days; the deposit must land by Day 15 and hold to Day 45

Trap: Funding from another Nexo user voids both bonuses, and a tier dip forfeits the deposit payout

Crypto.com Directory entry

Do: Sign up with a referral code, pass KYC, and hit trading-volume milestones within 30 days

Trap: Trading fees eat the value on the way to the milestones, and CRO is volatile

Kraken Directory entry

Do: Create an account via a referral link, deposit fiat, and complete the required trades within 30 days

Trap: Maine and New York are excluded, stablecoin trades do not count, and one reward per household

Gemini Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral link and trade $100+ within your first 30 days

Trap: $100 must be TRADED, not just deposited, and fees apply to that trade

Uphold Directory entry

Do: Join via a referral link, pass KYC, and fund your account with $100+ during the program period

Trap: New York residents are excluded, and the funding must happen inside the program window

eToro US Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral link within 30 days, verify, deposit $100+, and place a $100+ trade

Trap: Requires BOTH the deposit and a $100 trade with fees, inside a 30-day window

Strike Directory entry

Do: Join with a referral code and make your first bitcoin purchase

Trap: It is a fee waiver, not a bonus: the headline number is purchase allowance, not payout

River Directory entry

Do: Open an account via a referral link and buy bitcoin within 180 days

Trap: The realistic reward is $5; the $100 headline needs $10,000 of purchases

Rakuten Directory entry

Do: Sign up through a referral link and make $50+ of qualifying purchases through Rakuten within 90 days

Trap: Payouts come only quarterly, balances under $5.01 roll over, and gift card purchases often do not count

TopCashback Directory entry

Do: Join through a bonus link, then accumulate $10 of cash back (typically within 180 days)

Trap: Cash back sits pending for weeks to months until retailers confirm, which delays the bonus trigger

Ibotta Directory entry

Do: Create a new account with a referral code and redeem one qualifying offer from your first receipt

Trap: The $20 withdrawal minimum strands your $5 until you earn $15 more; "Any Brand" offers usually do not qualify

Fetch Directory entry

Do: Enter a referral code at signup and snap your first receipt

Trap: Points are gift-card-only and expire after 90 days without a receipt

Upside Directory entry

Do: Enter the referral code before claiming your first offer and pay with a linked card

Trap: Bank cash-outs under $10 and PayPal under $15 take a $1 fee, and the offer structure varies by account

Swagbucks Directory entry

Do: Sign up through a referral link, activate the bonus in Swag Ups, and spend $25+ in the Shop

Trap: The bonus is not automatic: no $25 shop purchase within 30 days means no SB at all

Capital One Shopping Directory entry

Do: Sign up through a referral link, install the browser extension within 7 days, keep it installed 90 days; no purchase needed

Trap: Rewards are e-gift-cards only, and uninstalling the extension before 90 days quietly disqualifies you

Kudos Directory entry

Do: Join through a referral link and complete one Boost purchase

Trap: The bonus waits on the store's order confirmation, which can take weeks

Fluz Directory entry

Do: Sign up with a referral code and buy $15+ of gift cards in the app

Trap: Starter boosts expire in 60 days and only work at designated Boost merchants

Do: Enter a referral code at signup and upload your first paper receipt

Trap: Redemptions start around $5 of coins, so bonuses alone will not cash out

Google Fi Directory entry

Do: Sign up with a referral code, activate a full-service plan within 30 days, stay active 30 days and pay the first bill

Trap: Data-only SIMs and joining someone's group plan do not qualify, and the credit takes ~60 days to land

Do: Enter a referral code at checkout and activate service

Trap: Credits apply to service only, never devices, and referrers silently stop earning past 12 banked credits

Do: Sign up via a referral link within 30 days, PORT IN your number, and spend $100 on qualifying plans over 6 months

Trap: New numbers do not count (port-in required), and everything vests over 6 continuous months

Mint Mobile Directory entry

Do: Buy and activate a Mint plan through a friend's unique link

Trap: Credits are renewal-only: they cannot cash out or buy devices

Do: Create an account through the link and place your order

Trap: Tello Dollars only spend inside Tello, and the referrer waits 3 months for their side

Instacart Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral code or link and complete your first delivery

Trap: It is store credit, not cash, and the delivery must actually complete to trigger it

Uber Eats Directory entry

Do: Sign up new and apply a friend's code at checkout on a first qualifying order

Trap: Minimum-order floors on both sides, and prior Uber Rides history can disqualify you

Do: Register via a friend's referral link and place a first order meeting the minimum subtotal

Trap: Referrers are capped at 10 referrals, and publicly posted links get revoked (ask a friend for theirs)

Grubhub Directory entry

Do: Order as a new diner through a referral link, meeting the minimum subtotal

Trap: The referrer's reward code expires just 2 weeks after it is issued; short fuses everywhere

Do: Sign up with a referral code and complete a first order in a Gopuff delivery zone

Trap: Referral credits expire 180 days after issue, and amounts change frequently

Lyft Directory entry

Do: Apply a referral code before your first ride

Trap: New-rider credits expire about 15 days after signup, the nastiest expiry we found anywhere

Do: Create an account via a unique referral link and complete a first stay or walk

Trap: If anyone in your household already has a Rover account, you are ineligible

TaskRabbit Directory entry

Do: Sign up via a referral link, then book AND pay for a first task

Trap: The credit cannot cover taxes, tips, or reimbursements, and referrers have a lifetime $500 cap

Hopper Directory entry

Do: Sign up with a referral code and complete a first booking in the app

Trap: Carrot Cash has no cash value and is often hotel-weighted; a completed booking is required

Airalo Directory entry

Do: Apply a referral code at your first purchase

Trap: Airmoney only spends on Airalo eSIMs, and the code must go in on the FIRST purchase

Expedia Directory entry

Do: Join via a referral link, create a One Key account, and book a qualifying hotel in the app

Trap: App-only, hotels-only, and a steep $230 minimum before taxes