Let's be real. Most bank bonuses are a headache. You sign up for some obscure credit union, jump through twenty hoops involving fax machines and blood oaths, and six months later you finally get fifty bucks. It's usually not worth the paper it's printed on. But the Chase checking and savings account bonus 900 is a different beast entirely. It’s basically the "White Whale" of the banking world because it combines two separate offers into one massive payout.
Free money. That’s what we’re talking about here.
Chase isn't doing this because they're feeling charitable, obviously. They want your loyalty. They want you in their ecosystem so you’ll eventually take out a mortgage or a car loan with them. But if you play your cards right, you can take their $900 and run.
What the Chase Checking and Savings Account Bonus 900 Actually Is
You won't find a single "900" button on the Chase homepage usually. Instead, this is a "stack." You are essentially combining a $300 Chase Total Checking offer with a $200 Chase Savings offer.
Wait, that’s only $500. Where does the rest come from?
The "kicker." If you complete both requirements within the specified timeframe, Chase usually tosses in an extra $400 as a "thank you" for being a high-value customer. It’s a $300 + $200 + $400 math problem that actually equals $900 in your pocket.
It sounds easy. It isn't always.
The biggest hurdle for most people isn't the checking part; it's the savings. For the checking side, you just need a "qualifying direct deposit." In the banking world, that’s usually an ACH transfer from your employer or the government. Venmo-ing yourself five bucks from your couch doesn't count. Chase’s systems are smarter than that.
The savings side is where it gets heavy. To get that portion of the Chase checking and savings account bonus 900, you typically have to park $15,000 of "new money" into a Chase Savings account and leave it there for 90 days. If you pull out $5 to buy a taco on day 89, you lose the bonus.
The "New Money" Trap Everyone Falls Into
Here is the thing about Chase: they know where your money is. If you already have $15,000 sitting in a Chase checking account and you move it to a Chase savings account, that is not "new money."
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New money must come from outside Chase.
I’ve seen people lose out on this because they tried to get clever with internal transfers. Don't do it. You need to wire it in or deposit a check from an external bank like Ally, Marcus, or your local credit union.
Why the Timing is Brutal
You have to open both accounts at the same time, or at least within a very tight window (usually 21 days). If you open the checking account today and wait a month to open the savings, you’ve likely disqualified yourself from the $400 extra "stacking" bonus.
The clock starts the moment you apply.
Is the Chase checking and savings account bonus 900 worth the "Opportunity Cost"?
Let’s talk numbers. This is where most "finfluencers" get it wrong. They see $900 and scream "buy!" but they forget about interest rates.
If you put $15,000 into a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) at 4.5% or 5.0% interest, you'd earn about $170-$180 in interest over 90 days. Chase Savings accounts, quite frankly, have terrible interest rates—usually around 0.01%.
So, you are giving up $180 in interest to get a $900 bonus.
$900 - $180 = $720.
You are still ahead by over $700. In my book, that’s a win. But if interest rates were higher, say 8% or 9%, the math starts to get a little fuzzy. Right now, in the current economic climate, the Chase checking and savings account bonus 900 is arguably the best "guaranteed return" you can find for a three-month hold.
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Avoiding the Monthly Fees (Don't Give the Money Back)
Chase is a business. They want that $900 back in the form of fees.
The Total Checking account has a $12 monthly service fee. You can dodge this by having $500 in direct deposits each month or by keeping a $1,500 balance. The Savings account has a $5 fee, which you can waive by keeping a $300 balance.
If you aren't careful, you’ll spend $17 a month just to have the accounts. Over a year, that’s $204. There goes a chunk of your bonus.
Keep your balances above the thresholds. Set a calendar alert. Seriously.
The "Six Month" Rule
This is the fine print that kills people. Chase explicitly states in their terms—and you should read them, even if they're boring—that if you close the account within six months of opening it, they will claw back the bonus.
They will literally reach into your account and take that $900 back.
You have to be willing to "marry" Chase for at least 180 days. Treat it like a short-term relationship. Keep the minimums in there, let the accounts sit, and once the 181st day hits, you’re free to move on to the next bank.
How to Handle the IRS
Yes, the taxman wants a cut.
Bank bonuses are treated as interest income, not capital gains. You will receive a 1099-INT form from Chase at the end of the year. Depending on your tax bracket, you might owe 20% to 30% of that $900 back to Uncle Sam.
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It’s still "free" money, but it’s more like "discounted" money.
Step-by-Step Game Plan for the $900
If you're ready to pull the trigger on the Chase checking and savings account bonus 900, here is the sequence of events that actually works:
- Find the specific coupon code. Don’t just go to Chase.com. You need the specific landing page for the $900 offer. Sometimes they mail these out, but usually, you can find them on sites like Doctor of Credit or even Chase's own promotional sub-pages.
- Apply for both at once. Do it online if you can. It takes about 10 minutes. If you get a "pending" status, don't panic. Sometimes they just need to verify your ID.
- Initiate the Direct Deposit. This needs to happen within 90 days. Most people just switch their payroll for two pay cycles and then switch it back.
- Move the $15,000. Get it into the savings account within 30 days of opening.
- The 90-Day Wait. Do not touch that savings balance. Not for an emergency, not for a "sure thing" stock tip. If it drops to $14,999, the bonus is dead.
- The Payout. Chase is actually pretty fast. Usually, the bonus hits your account within 15 days of meeting the requirements.
- The Holding Pattern. Keep the accounts open for at least six months to avoid the clawback.
Real Talk: Why You Might Be Denied
Not everyone gets the $900. If you’ve closed a Chase account in the last 90 days, you’re ineligible. If you’ve received a checking bonus from Chase in the last 24 months, you’re out of luck.
They track this by your Social Security number. There is no way around it.
Also, if your ChexSystems report (the credit report for bank accounts) is messy—meaning you have a history of bouncing checks or leaving accounts with negative balances—Chase will show you the door before you even finish the application.
Actionable Next Steps
If you have $15,000 sitting in a low-interest account right now, you are literally losing money by not doing this.
First, check your email or physical mail for a Chase "targeted" offer, as these sometimes have better terms. If not, go find the public $900 link. Before you click "apply," ensure your employer’s HR portal allows you to easily split your direct deposit. Some legacy systems make it a nightmare to change deposit info, and you don’t want to be fighting with HR while your 90-day window is closing.
Once the accounts are open, set a "DO NOT CLOSE" reminder in your phone for six months out. Keep that $15k liquid and untouched. After the $900 lands, you've effectively given yourself a massive "raise" for about 20 minutes of actual work. That’s a better hourly rate than most CEOs.