Most people let their paycheck land in the same checking account for years and earn close to nothing for it. Banks know that, which is why they pay real money to get you to move. Right now, the Huntington Bank bonus is one of the easier ones to earn: $400 for setting up a direct deposit, or $600 if you have cash sitting elsewhere that you can park for a few months.
Here’s how each offer works, who can get it, and how to make sure fees don’t eat into your payout.
Offer details checked November 13, 2026, against Huntington’s official offer page. Bank promotions can change or end without notice, so confirm the current terms before you apply. See our Advertiser Disclosure for how we work with partners.
Huntington Bank Bonus at a Glance
| Detail | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Bonus | $400 (Perks Checking) or $600 (Platinum Perks Checking) |
| Account type | New personal checking |
| Deadline to open | January 15, 2027 |
| Time to qualify | 90 days from account opening |
| Payout timing | Within 14 days of meeting the requirements, after the account has been open at least 90 days |
| Eligibility | New Huntington personal checking customers in eligible states |
| Tax form | 1099-INT |
Perks Checking vs Platinum Perks Checking: Which Bonus Fits You?
The two offers target different people. The $400 bonus is built for anyone with a regular paycheck. The $600 bonus is for anyone holding a larger cash balance who doesn’t need direct deposit at all.
| Perks Checking | Platinum Perks Checking | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | $400 | $600 |
| Main requirement | $500+ in qualifying direct deposits | $25,000+ in new money deposits |
| Window | 90 days from opening | 90 days from opening |
| Direct deposit needed | Yes | No |
| Monthly fee | $10 | $25 |
| Fee waiver | $1,000 in monthly deposits or $5,000 in total relationship balances | $25,000 in total relationship balances |
| APY | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Best for | Wage earners with regular payroll | Anyone with $25,000 in liquid savings |
How to Earn the $400 Huntington Perks Checking Bonus
- Open a new Perks Checking account through Huntington’s offer page (online or in a branch) so the promotional code is attached at opening. Branch applicants get the coupon by email.
- Receive at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of opening.
- Keep the account open for at least 90 days.
The direct deposit rules matter here. Huntington counts regular ACH credits like payroll, pension, and government payments such as Social Security. It does not count Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, other peer-to-peer payments, Real-Time Payments (RTP), or transfers from another Huntington account. The easiest route is to split part of your paycheck into the new account through your employer’s payroll portal.
How to Earn the $600 Huntington Platinum Perks Checking Bonus
- Open a new Platinum Perks Checking account through Huntington’s offer page with the promotional code attached.
- Deposit at least $25,000 in new money within 90 days of opening.
- Keep the account open for at least 90 days.
“New money” means funds that aren’t already on deposit at Huntington. Moving cash from an existing Huntington savings account won’t count. The one exception in the terms is money from a maturing Huntington personal CD.
Is the $600 Bonus Worth Tying Up $25,000?
This is the math most people skip. Say you deposit $25,000 and leave it in Platinum Perks for the full 90 days. That keeps the $25 monthly fee waived, since you’d hold $25,000 in relationship balances.
- Bonus: $600 on $25,000 is a 2.4% return over roughly three months.
- Annualized, that works out to roughly 9.6%, before taxes.
- Opportunity cost: if that same $25,000 earned, for example, 4% APY in a high-yield savings account, you’d give up about $250 over 90 days.
- Net gain: roughly $350 before taxes in that example.
Plug in your own savings rate to see where you land. The higher your current yield, the smaller the edge, but at most realistic rates the bonus still comes out ahead. If you have even more cash to put to work, compare it with the Capital One savings bonus, which also skips the direct deposit requirement.
The Perks Checking math is simpler. If your direct deposits total at least $1,000 a month, the $10 fee is waived and the full $400 is close to pure profit. If you only route $500 total, you could pay up to three $10 monthly fees, which still leaves you about $370.
Who Is Eligible for the Huntington Checking Bonus?
As of this update, Huntington’s terms list these eligible states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Some coverage of this offer lists a much shorter set of states, so check your ZIP code on Huntington’s offer page before you apply.
You are not eligible if:
- You already have a Huntington personal checking account.
- You closed a Huntington checking account within the last 12 months.
- You’ve received an account-related cash bonus from Huntington within the last 24 months (the limit is one per rolling 24-month period across all deposit relationships).
The offer also can’t be combined with other Huntington consumer checking promotions, so you can only earn one of the two bonuses.
Fine Print Worth Knowing
- Taxes: the bonus is reported on a Form 1099-INT, the same way bank interest is. Plan to owe tax on it.
- Early closure: Huntington’s terms don’t list an early closure fee, but the account must stay open 90 days and remain open when the bonus posts. Close it early and you forfeit the bonus.
- Abuse clause: Huntington can close an account before you meet the requirements, without paying, if it suspects promotion abuse.
- Negative balances: accounts that stay negative for 60 days are closed automatically.
- Credit check: deal-site reports describe a soft pull, but Huntington’s terms don’t state this. Expect a ChexSystems review, as with most bank accounts.
5 Tips to Get Your Huntington Bonus Without a Hitch
- Apply through the official offer page. The promo code has to be attached when the account opens. Applying through the regular account page may leave it off.
- Set up direct deposit on day one. Payroll changes can take a cycle or two to kick in, and 90 days goes faster than you think.
- Avoid fake direct deposits. Transfers from Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or another Huntington account won’t count. Use a real payroll or government ACH deposit.
- Keep the fee waiver in place. For Platinum Perks, hold $25,000 in relationship balances. For Perks, aim for $1,000 in monthly deposits.
- Set a calendar reminder. Mark day 90 and day 104, when the bonus should have posted. Don’t close or drain the account until the bonus is in.
How the Huntington Bonus Fits Into a Points Strategy
A $400 or $600 bank bonus won’t earn you miles directly, but it’s real cash with a modest time commitment. Many travel hackers use bank bonuses to offset credit card annual fees or to fund cash portions of award trips, like taxes and fees on partner bookings. If you’re already moving direct deposits around, Huntington slots in alongside offers like the Chase checking bonus, the BMO checking bonus, and the PNC Virtual Wallet bonus. Just remember that each one needs its own qualifying deposits.
Takeaway
The Huntington Bank bonus is one of the more straightforward checking offers available right now. If you have a paycheck, the $400 Perks Checking bonus asks for just $500 in direct deposits within 90 days. If you have $25,000 sitting idle, the $600 Platinum Perks bonus requires no direct deposit at all and beats most savings yields over the same window.
Confirm your state is eligible, open the account by January 15, 2027, keep it open 90 days, and set aside a little for taxes. You can review the full terms on Huntington’s checking promotions page.
Photos: Huntington Milwaukee branch by Ceeren via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Huntington Lakewood, CO branch by Xnatedawgx via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
