As of September 9, 2026, BMO does not document an active new personal-checking bonus because its published $400 offer expired September 8. A bank bonus is a promotional reward for meeting account requirements; BMO still documents active business-checking and credit-card offers. The BMO personal-checking offer page remains useful for customers who applied before the deadline. Its terms explain the deposit target, eligibility limits, and payment timing.
Table of Contents
- Is the $400 personal-checking bonus still available?
- What did existing applicants need to do?
- Who was excluded, and when was payment due?
- What business-checking bonuses are active?
- Does BMO have a current credit-card offer?
Is the $400 personal-checking bonus still available?
Not according to the supplied current evidence. bmo's published opening deadline was September 8, 2026, so someone starting an application on September 9 should not assume the $400 offer remains available.
The promotion was also geographically limited. Primary applicants had to live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, new Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wisconsin. BMO could request proof of address.
What did existing applicants need to do?
Applicants had to open Smart Money, Smart Advantage, or Relationship Checking. They then needed $4,000 in cumulative qualifying direct deposits within 90 days, according to BMO's published personal-offer terms. "Cumulative" means multiple eligible deposits could add up to the target.
For example, qualifying deposits totaling $2,000 in one month and $2,000 the next would reach $4,000. BMO defined qualifying deposits as electronically deposited regular income or government benefits. Transfers, teller or ATM deposits, wires, Zelle, Venmo, and merchant-platform payments did not count. Employer payroll or government-benefit direct deposit was therefore the clearest documented route.
Who was excluded, and when was payment due?
Existing BMO personal-checking customers were excluded, as were people who had closed a BMO personal-checking account within the previous 12 months. The terms permitted one bonus per client and account. BMO expected to pay the bonus about 100 days after account opening.
At payment, the account had to remain open, in good standing, and above zero. Applicants who met the deposit target should preserve their opening confirmation and direct-deposit records. They should also avoid closing or emptying the account while awaiting payment.
What business-checking bonuses are active?
BMO currently advertises business-checking bonuses of $400, $750, $1,000, or $1,500 for eligible accounts opened from September 1, 2026, through February 1, 2027. The applicable tier depends on the account's Day-30 balance: $4,000, $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000, respectively, under BMO's business-checking offer. The business must maintain its Day-30 tier through Day 90.
Falling below that threshold can affect which bonus, if any, the customer earns. BMO says payment follows within 14 days after the maintenance period, or approximately Day 104. Businesses should choose a tier based on cash they can keep deposited through Day 90, not merely reach on Day 30.
Does BMO have a current credit-card offer?
Yes. Approved applicants who apply from September 1 through November 1, 2026, can receive double cash back on net qualified purchases posted during their first 12 months, according to the BMO Cash Back Credit Card offer.
Gas, electric-vehicle charging, and grocery purchases are subject to a combined $6,000 bonus cap. The double-cash-back reward is not paid monthly; it is a one-time bonus issued three to four weeks after the 12-month period. The card account must still be open and in good standing when BMO pays that bonus.
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