FAQ

Is this safe?

Yes. You are opening real bank accounts and following each bank's official terms. We do not hold your money; we only help you find offers and track your plan.

Will it hurt my credit?

Opening checking or savings accounts usually does not affect your credit score. Some banks do a soft check. We do not deal with credit cards here.

What if the bank rejects my application?

Some banks check ChexSystems, which is like a credit score for bank accounts. It tracks things like unpaid fees or too many recent account openings. If one bank says no, it does not mean every bank will. Many people open several accounts a year with no issues. If you are doing fewer than 10 to 20 new accounts in a year, ChexSystems is unlikely to be a problem.

Learn more about how banks screen applicants →

How do I change my direct deposit at work?

You change it through your employer's payroll portal, such as Workday, ADP, Paychex, or Gusto. It usually takes less than five minutes once you know where to go. Keep in mind that most payroll systems only process changes about a week before your next paycheck, so if you make the change two days before payday, it will not take effect until the following pay period.

Step-by-step guide for every major payroll platform →

What counts as a qualifying direct deposit?

Most banks require your deposit to come from an employer, payroll provider, or government benefits program through the ACH network. Transfers you send yourself from another bank, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, mobile check deposits, and wire transfers almost never count. Each bonus has its own rules, so always check the requirements on the Bonus Details page before relying on a specific deposit method.

Can I do more than one bonus at a time?

Yes, if your employer lets you split your direct deposit across multiple bank accounts. Many payroll systems support sending portions of your paycheck to two or three different accounts in the same pay period. If you can split, our auto-schedule feature will plan overlapping bonuses for you. If you cannot split, we line them up one after another so you are always making progress.

How does BonusAgent.ai decide which bonus to recommend?

We score every offer using a formula that weighs the bonus amount, how quickly you can earn it based on your specific income and pay frequency, how long until payout, and how much friction is involved such as fees, branch visits, or debit card requirements. The result is a personalized ranking where the best combination of high reward and low effort appears first. Two users in different states with different incomes will see completely different rankings.

What do Easy, Moderate, and Hard mean on a bonus card?

These labels reflect how the direct deposit requirement compares to your monthly income. Easy means the total direct deposit needed is less than half your monthly income, so you can finish it quickly. Moderate means it is between half and all of your monthly income. Hard means it requires more than a full month of income in direct deposits. Bonuses that would take more than three times your monthly income are hidden entirely since they are not realistic for your situation.

The app shows a bonus amount different from what the bank's website says. Why?

Some banks offer multiple tiers for the same account. For example, a bank might offer 200 dollars for 1,000 in direct deposits, 500 dollars for 5,000, and 1,000 dollars for 15,000. We show you the highest tier you can realistically qualify for based on your income instead of always displaying the headline number. If the top tier requires more than you can deposit in time, we show the next tier down so you see what you will actually earn.

What is a clawback?

A clawback is when a bank takes back a bonus it already paid you. This usually happens if you close the account too early or do not meet all of the terms. Most banks require you to keep the account open for a set number of days, often 90 to 180. We track this for every bonus on your schedule and show you a Safe to close date so you know exactly when it is safe to close without risking the bonus being reversed.

How long do I have to keep the account open?

It depends on the offer. Each bonus has a maintenance period, often around 90 to 180 days. We show a Keep funds until and Safe to close date so you do not trigger fees or clawback.

What is the difference between Safe to Close and Keep Funds Until?

Keep Funds Until tells you how long you need to maintain a minimum balance to avoid monthly fees. Safe to Close is the later of that date and the clawback protection window. Sometimes they are the same day, but often Safe to Close is later because the clawback period extends beyond the fee waiver requirement. Always wait until the Safe to Close date before closing an account.

Do I have to keep money in the account?

Many accounts have a monthly fee that gets waived if you maintain a minimum balance or meet a direct deposit threshold. We show you the minimum balance needed to avoid fees and how long you need to keep it there. Some bonuses also require you to maintain a specific balance for a set number of days as part of the bonus requirements themselves. Check the Bonus Details for the specific amounts.

Can I do this every year?

Many banks allow repeat bonuses after 12 or 24 months. We use your bonus history to hide offers you are not eligible for and show when you will be eligible again.

What is the auto-schedule feature?

Auto-schedule is a three-step wizard that builds a personalized bonus plan for you. You pick a time period, we look at your income, location, pay frequency, and experience level, and then we generate an ordered list of bonuses with estimated sign-up dates, direct deposit timelines, and projected payouts. You can review the plan, remove any bonuses you do not want, and then save the whole schedule with one click.

Try auto-schedule from the Schedule page →

What do the different statuses on my Schedule mean?

Each bonus on your schedule moves through a lifecycle. Scheduled means you have not opened the account yet. Active means you have opened the account and are working on the requirements. Awaiting Payout means you have completed all requirements and are waiting for the bank to pay the bonus. Once you mark the bonus as received it moves to your history. At each stage, the app tells you what your next action should be.

How do I add a bonus I already completed before signing up?

Go to the History page. You can either upload a spreadsheet with your past bonuses and our system will parse it automatically, or you can add entries one at a time using the manual entry form. Adding your history is important because we use it to check repeat eligibility rules. Without it, we might recommend a bonus at a bank where you are still in a cooling-off period.

Go to History →

Why is a bonus I have heard about not showing up in my list?

There are a few reasons a bonus might not appear. The offer may have expired. It might not be available in your state. The direct deposit requirement might be more than three times your monthly income, which means it is not realistic for your pay situation so we hide it. Or you may have already earned it and the app is filtering it out based on the bank's repeat eligibility rules. You can double-check your state and income on the Onboarding page to make sure your profile is accurate.

A bonus I am working on disappeared from my Dashboard. What happened?

If you marked the bonus as received, it moves from your active view into your History. If you marked it as abandoned, it is also removed from the active view. The bonus is not lost. Check your History page to confirm it is there. If you did not take either action, try refreshing the page. Your schedule and history always have the complete record.