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Varo was the first online bank in the US to achieve a national bank charter, and it offers a variety of banking and lending products. Currently, it has a $100 bonus referral program.
Bonus type
Bonus amount
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Finder Exclusive
$300
$300 from Finder bonus by opening a new Varo account and receiving a First Eligible Direct Deposit of $500 or more within 35 days of opening. Offer ends October 9, 2026. Separate T&Cs apply.
Send your friend a referral link within the Varo app. Your friend must open an account, deposit at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits within 45 days of account opening. You and your friend each receive $100.
Your Varo account must contain a positive balance and be in good standing during the referral, and your friend must be a new Varo customer.
For limited time, you can get a $300 from Finder bonus by opening a new Varo account and receiving a First Eligible Direct Deposit of $500 or more within 35 days of opening. Offer ends October 9, 2026.
With only one direct Varo offer on the table, the referral bonus is Varo’s best offer.
For Varo’s referral bonus, you can refer up to five friends in a calendar year. If you max out your referrals and meet all requirements, you can earn up to $500 every year.
For you and your friend to earn the referral bonus, send your friend the unique referral link within the Varo app. Then, your friend must open a new Varo Bank Account, deposit at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits. Your friend must complete these requirements within 45 calendar days of opening the account.
What does Varo consider a qualifying direct deposit?
Varo considers qualifying direct deposits as payroll, pension, or government benefits such as Social Security or unemployment insurance. Peer-to-peer payments, tax refunds, government stimulus payments or funds deposited using a Varo routing number do not qualify.
Compare more bank account bonuses
Varo is an online bank in the US, that provides a range of banking and lending products. Notably, Varo offers its accounts with no monthly fees. And overall, Varo’s referral bonuses are pretty easy to earn. Most banks with welcome or sign-up bonuses tend to require hundreds or thousands of dollars in deposits to earn the bonuses.
But you must be comfortable with an all-digital banking process as Varo doesn’t have physical branches. If Varo isn’t the right bank for you, compare more bank account bonuses to earn some extra cash when you’re switching banks.
Incentive Details and Disclaimers: Current Promotion
Earn a $250 bonus with 360 Checking. Open a new account on or after August 22nd, 2024 using the promo code CHECKING250 then set up and receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits of $500 or more within 75 days of account opening. Terms Apply.
New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received within 25 calendar days of your first Eligible Direct Deposit of $1 or more) OR $400 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received within 25 calendar days of your first Eligible Direct Deposit of $1 or more). Cash bonus amount will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit received within 25 calendar days of your first Eligible Direct Deposit of $1 or more. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 5/15/2026 and will be available through 12/31/26. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking/checking-offer/
Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 5/28/26. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
We do not charge any account, service, or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge transaction fees for outgoing wire transfers, Instant Transfers, and global remittance transfers. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Bank Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.
We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website.
Earn up to 4.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on one SoFi Savings account with a 0.90% APY Boost (added to the 3.10% APY as of 5/28/26) for up to 6 months. Open your first SoFi Checking and Savings account and receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 12/31/26. Rates are variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#4. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
Frequently asked questions
Unfortunately, most banks don't pay signup bonuses immediately. Most bonuses have specific conditions to meet, such as spending a certain amount within a designated period. After meeting those conditions, most banks will issue the signup bonus within 30 to 90 days, provided your account remains open and in good standing.
Varo had a promotion where you could earn a $100 referral bonus by opening a new account and meeting certain conditions, and it also had a $50 account opening bonus. However, these promotions are now expired.
Currently, Varo does not have a direct deposit bonus for its bank accounts. However, some of its other products feature incentives related to direct deposits. For example, at least $1,000 in direct deposits can increase your savings APY from 1% to 3.75% on up to $5,000.
Holly Jennings is the deputy crypto editor and updates writer at Finder, working with writers across all niches to deliver quality content to readers. She’s edited hundreds of financial articles ranging from credit cards to investments. With empathy at heart, she especially enjoys content that breaks down complex financial situations into easy-to-understand information. Prior to her role at Finder, she collaborated with dozens of small businesses to maximize the reach and impact of their blog posts, website copy and other content. In her spare time, she is an award-winning author for Penguin Random House, writing about virtual reality worlds, magical girls and lasers that go pew-pew.
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If you set up a Varo Checking account through Finder, you could earn a $300 digital Visa card—just for becoming a new customer and following a few simple steps. Offer is valid for a limited time only.
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