You can earn up to $600 with a new BMO personal checking account. BMO pays the bonus as $100 for each month you meet the direct-deposit requirement, for up to six months. A qualifying month means a calendar month when your account receives at least $1,000 in qualifying direct deposits. The offer covers three checking products and runs for accounts opened in fall 2026.
Table of Contents
- How the $600 is paid
- Which accounts qualify?
- Are you eligible to apply?
- What counts each month?
- How to keep the full bonus
How the $600 is paid
BMO structures the bonus as six separate $100 payments, not one lump sum. You earn $100 for each month you reach the deposit total. A month below $1,000 earns no payment for that month.
Qualification starts the month after you open the account. That gives you six consecutive monthly chances to earn the full $600. BMO describes the monthly structure on its current official offer page.
Which accounts qualify?
The payout applies to BMO Smart Money Checking, BMO Smart Advantage Checking, and BMO Relationship Checking. You choose one eligible account at opening.
The bonus applies to the first eligible checking account opened in the offer window. Smart Advantage Checking carries no monthly maintenance fee. That lets bonus seekers hold it through the six-month period without a fee reducing the monthly payments.
Are you eligible to apply?
The account must be new and opened between Sept. 9 and Dec. 15, 2026.
You can open online or in-branch, with the promo code applied to that first eligible account, according to Doctor of Credit in its 2026 checking bonus update. Residence limits the offer to BMO's 14-state footprint. Only primary applicants residing in AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, IL, IN, MN, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, or WI at application qualify, as listed by Maximizing Money in its BMO eligibility guide.
- Confirm your state is one of the 14 listed states.
- Open only one new personal checking account for the bonus.
- Use the promo code on that first eligible account.
What counts each month?
Each qualification month requires at least $1,000 in cumulative qualifying direct deposits. The total can come from more than one deposit in the same month.
Missing the $1,000 total means no $100 payment for that month. Miles and Points Guru explains the monthly test in its September bonus breakdown. The test begins the month after account opening.
- Send at least $1,000 in qualifying direct deposits each month.
- Repeat for six consecutive months for the full $600.
- Plan payroll timing so deposits land inside the calendar month.
How to keep the full bonus
Customers are limited to one personal checking cash bonus. Opening multiple checking accounts does not create multiple bonuses.
The account must remain open, in good standing, with a balance above zero when bonuses are paid. Keep a small cushion in the account and avoid closing it before the final monthly payment posts.
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