The Upgrade Rewards Checking referral bonus is $150 and is currently available as a limited time promotion.
The sign up bonus is available to new Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus members who open an account with this promo link and complete qualifying direct deposits totaling at least $1,000 within 45 days.
Read more to learn about additional offer details.
Upgrade Rewards Checking Referral Bonus
This UpGrade Rewards Checking Plus promotional offer will require you to complete a direct deposit to earn the $150 referral bonus. This wasn't always the case.
The promotion prior to this one only required you to make 3 purchases with your Upgrade card to earn a smaller $50 promo bonus.
With that said, it's important to note that these types of offers generally don’t last long. So it’s always a good idea to jump on the opportunity when it comes around.
For instance, not long ago I grabbed the DCU $100 referral bonus when it became available. It’s since changed from a $100 banking bonus to a $20 bonus.
$150 Referral Bonus Instructions
The Upgrade Rewards Checking sign up bonus is relatively easy to earn. Follow these simple instructions to qualify for the reward and get your free money.
- Use an Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus promo link to apply (you can use my referral promo link here)
- Open a free Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus account
- Receive direct deposits in your Rewards Checking account totaling at least $1,000 within 45 days
- Get paid a $150 ‘Welcome Bonus’ to your checking account within a few days of qualifying
The Fine Print
Qualified registrants will earn a $150 Upgrade Rewards Checking referral bonus, also referred to as a ‘sign up bonus’ or ‘welcome bonus.’
To ensure you meet all the qualifications, make sure to read the fine print. I’ve listed them for you below.
Additional details about the offer:
- Offer period for new customers to open an account and qualify for a bonus ends on October 31st, 2023
- You must have not previously had a Rewards Checking account with Upgrade
- Promotion is not open to existing UpGrade Rewards Checking account members
- Must use a promotional link to open an account
- Eligible direct deposits include: a recurring deposit to your Account by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) from your employer, payroll, or benefits provider, or gig economy payer OR a deposit by Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”) from your gig economy payer.
- NON-ELIGIBLE direct deposits include: One-time direct deposits, including tax refunds, bank ACH transfers, bank verification or trial deposits, peer-to-peer transfers from services, such as PayPal or Venmo, merchant transactions, mobile check deposits, and cash loads
As long as you open an account before October 31st, 2023 and complete the qualifying activities, then you will be eligible to earn the $150 referral bonus.
In regards to the eligible direct deposits, I would recommend downloading and using gig apps to earn these bank bonus offers. That's if you don't want to go through the hassle of changing your work direct deposit.
I've used the Field Agent gig app for these types of offers in the past.
Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my Ibotta grocery app cash back earnings worked as a valid direct deposit to earn the $100 Chime banking bonus.
Give $150, Get $50 Referral Bonus
One of the best parts about the Upgrade referral bonus is you can refer your friends and family to Upgrade and earn $50 per each qualified referral. The person you referred will earn a $150 Upgrade ‘Welcome Bonus’ once they meet the required criteria.
It’s free money all around and a great win-win situation!
To get started, simply share your unique referral link to earn additional Upgrade referral bonus money. Your link can be found under the refer a friend tab in your Upgrade banking app.
You can earn a maximum of ten (10) referral bonuses per year. That’s $500 in free money for simply sharing the free money news with your inner circle!
As long as your account is open and in good standing, you’ll be able to refer others and earn a bounty reward bonus.
Quick Note: The UpGrade Rewards Checking refer-a-friend bonus award changes from time to time. As you can see in the image above, there was a time when Upgrade was offering a $100 Upgrade Rewards Checking referral bonus.
I was fortunate enough to refer a few friends during that promotional period.
That promotion has since expired. So again, just make sure you jump on the current promotion before it also expires or lessens in value.
About Upgrade
Upgrade is a fintech company that offers financial services such as personal loans and free checking and savings accounts. Members enjoy benefits such as no monthly fees, 2% cash back rewards on eligible purchases, and above average APY on their money.
Upgrade is not a bank. Although your money is FDIC insured up to $250,000 through their partnered bank, Cross River Bank.
Other Banking Referral Bonus Promotions
Bank bonuses are something I’m a huge fan of, and to that extent I regularly earn with bank bonus offers. To-date, I’ve earned a few thousand dollars in free money sign up rewards.
If you enjoy free money offers such as the Upgrade referral bonus, then you may also enjoy these other banking sign up offers.
- Varo – is a fintech company that offers many of the same features of other similar online banking apps. In addition to no monthly maintenance fees on your checking account, they also offer up to $250 in advance money with Varo Advance. Currently, you’ll earn a $30 sign up bonus when you spend $20 within 30 days of opening an account.
- SoFi – is a real bank that operates solely online with no physical branches. They offer early paycheck deposits, free checking and savings accounts, and high APYs on my savings with SoFi Plus. SoFi referral bonuses range from $15 – $300 in free welcome bonus offers.
- Chime – is a fintech company that offers a credit builder feature for increasing your credit score. They’re currently offering a $100 cash sign up bonus once you set up a qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more.
- Netspend – is primarily known for its prepaid debit card, but very few people are aware of their 5% high yield savings account. The only way to unlock this is to sign up for a Netspend prepaid card. I have one solely for purposes of accessing the high yield account. They currently offer a $40 cash sign up bonus.
- Current – is an online banking app with a credit builder VISA card. They offer competitive interest rates on banking accounts in addition to no service fee accounts. They currently offer a $50 cash sign up bonus.
Upgrade Referral Bonus Conclusion
The Upgrade referral bonus offer is $150 and is open to new banking customers. Join with a promo link to qualify for the free money.
Once signed up, use your referral link to also refer your friends and family to Upgrade for additional bonus reward money!
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