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Open a checking account online in minutes, get a cash bonus! footnote 1

$250

cash bonus footnote 1

BMO

Smart Advantage Checking

Get a $250 cash bonus footnote 1 when you have a total of at least $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days

Learn more

Most Popular

No Monthly Maintenance Fee

  • No minimum footnote 2 balance required
  • Fee-free transactions at more than 40,000 Allpoint® network ATMs nationwide
  • No monthly fees with paperless statements footnote 3

$400

cash bonus footnote 1

BMO 

Relationship Checking

Get a $400 cash bonus footnote 1 when you have a total of at least $7,500 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days

Relationship Package Benefits

  • Relationship Packages footnote 4 that offer more perks the more you bank with BMO
  • Unlimited non-BMO ATM transactions footnote 5
  • Up to $25 surcharge fee rebates on non-BMO ATMs footnote 6
  • The higher your balance, the more you could earn in interest

$250

cash bonus footnote 1

BMO

Smart Money Checking

Get a $250 cash bonus footnote 1 when you have a total of at least $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 90 days

No Overdraft Fee footnote 7

  • No minimum footnote 2 balance required
  • Fee-free transactions at more than 40,000 Allpoint® network ATMs nationwide
  • No monthly maintenance fee if you’re under 25 years old
  • No paper statement or check image fees when you go paperless footnote 3

Here’s how to cash in on our bonus offer

1. Open an account online

Easily open a new checking account online – it just takes a few minutes.

2. Make your qualifying deposits

Make your qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of opening the account.

3. We’ll reward you with a cash bonus

We’ll deposit your bonus directly into your account – you don’t have to do anything else.

We make banking easy

40,000+ Fee Free ATMs

Convenient access to the Allpoint® nationwide network of ATMs—free of charge. That’s more than what’s offered by three leading banks combined.

Bank on the go footnote 8

Freedom to bank your way—deposit checks footnote 9, pay bills, move funds— when you want on your device.

Security however you bank footnote 10

Whether you bank via mobile footnote 8, online or telephone, all your banking methods are convenient and secure.

Want to earn even more?

We want to help you reach your savings goals. Open a new Savings Builder account and enjoy the benefit of earning a $5 reward every month you grow your balance by $200 or more for the first year footnote 11.

Savings Builder Account

Start saving with a low minimum opening deposit of just $25. We’re FDIC insured footnote 12 so you can be certain your money is safe.

  • Enjoy no monthly maintenance fee.

  • Bank on your time with easy access to your account using BMO Digital Banking.

  • Automate your savings habit by creating recurring transfers footnote 13 from your checking account.

open in minutes

Do you own a small business? Explore our business checking accounts to see which one suits you best.

We're big on first impressions, come in and talk to us!

Visit your local branch or call 1-800-546-6101 to make an appointment.

Find a Branch

Just give us a few details to get your promo code and use the code when you apply.

Enter your first and last name
Example: abc @ email . com
example: 555-555-5555
example: 12345

By providing your contact information, you agree to be contacted by a BMO banker about opening your BMO account and related banking opportunities.

1 To take advantage of the new account bonus offers, you must open your account between December 11, 2023 and May 3, 2024 and use the promo code. You may open your account(s) at a BMO branch, online, or by calling 1-800-546-6101.   

    • To apply online for a checking account, click through to the landing page, select “OPEN IN MINUTES” for the checking account of your choice and we’ll automatically apply the promo code for you.   
    • To apply at a branch or by phone for a checking account, click through to the landing page, enter your information, and select “SEND MY PROMO CODE” to receive the promo code you must use when opening your account(s).   

Accounts opened online on the final day of the promotion must have their applications submitted and approved prior to 9:00 p.m. CT. If you open your account(s) by calling 1-800-546-6101, we must receive your opening deposit and all signed account opening documents by May 3, 2024.   

Offers are limited to one per customer and account (including signers on joint accounts). The checking offer is not available for existing BMO personal checking customers (including signers on joint accounts) or those who have closed a BMO personal checking account within the past 12 months. Cash bonus will be reported to the IRS for tax purposes and you are responsible for any applicable taxes. Offers can be changed or canceled without notice at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer. Your account must be open, in good standing and must have a balance greater than zero when the cash bonus is paid.   

Checking Offer: Get up to a $400 cash bonus when you open a new BMO Smart Money Checking account, BMO Smart Advantage Checking account, or a BMO Relationship Checking account and have qualifying direct deposits of salary or other personal income such as a paycheck, pension payment, Social Security payment, or other government benefits payment electronically deposited into the account from an employer or similar third party. We reserve the right to request documentation that the direct deposits qualify. Direct deposits processed as a Debit Card credit or via Account to Account or Peer to Peer (e.g., Zelle®, Venmo) transfers do not qualify.   

  1. Get a $250 cash bonus when you open a new Smart Money or Smart Advantage account and have a cumulative total of $4,000 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of opening.  OR   
  2. Get a $400 cash bonus when you open a new Relationship Checking account and have a cumulative total of $7,500 in qualifying direct deposits within 90 days of opening.   

You are only eligible for one checking account cash bonus; you cannot open multiple checking accounts and receive multiple cash bonuses. The promo code is applied to the first checking account that is opened between December 11, 2023 and May 3, 2024. Day 1 is the day you open your account and begins the tracking period. If you open your account on a day other than a Business Day, Day 1 is the next Business Day. The checking account type you have on Day 90 will determine which cash bonus you are eligible for. In order to receive the cash bonus, you must meet the associated criteria for that account. Cash bonus is paid into the checking account approximately 100 days after account opening.   

Minimum opening deposit of $25 is required for BMO personal checking accounts. BMO Relationship Checking is a variable rate account. Interest rates and Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) may change daily after the account is open. Interest rates and APYs offered within two or more consecutive tiers may be the same. In this case, multiple tiers will be shown as a single tier. The following collected balance tiers and corresponding APYs are effective as of December 1, 2023 and are subject to change at our discretion at any time: 0.01% for all balances. Interest is calculated on the entire collected balance daily at the rate in effect for that balance tier. You must maintain the required minimum collected balance for each tier in order to earn the APYs disclosed. A periodic rate is applied on the collected balance in the account daily. Interest is compounded daily on the collected balance and credited to the account monthly on the statement period date. Checks you deposit into your account begin to earn interest on the Business Day we receive credit for them. Fees and withdrawals may reduce earnings. For account and fee information or current interest rates, visit bmo.com  

2 Accounts with zero balance may be closed.  

3 The monthly fee for paper statements is automatically waived if you opt to go paperless through your BMO Digital Banking preferences or if any individual associated with your account is 65 years or older. The monthly fee for check images is automatically waived if you opt to go paperless through your BMO Digital Banking preferences. 

4 To access the benefits in a particular Relationship Package, you must have a BMO Relationship Checking account. See the Deposit Account Disclosure for details. 

5 No BMO fee; however, the ATM operator or network may charge you a surcharge fee for a transaction or balance inquiry. 

6 Rebate of up to $25 per statement period on ATM surcharge fees charged by other banks. 

7 Items that overdraw the account are returned and ATM/everyday debit card transactions are declined. 

8 Message and data rates may apply. Contact your wireless carrier for details.  

9 Mobile Deposit is available using the BMO Digital Banking app. This service may not function on older devices. Users must be a BMO Digital Banking customer with a BMO account opened for more than 5 calendar days. Deposits are not immediately available for withdrawal. For details, explore the BMO Digital Banking Agreement found at bmo.com/en-us/legal

10 Visit the BMO Security Center for details. 

11 For every month your Savings Builder account balance grows by at least $200, we will credit the account with a $5 savings reward within 5 calendar days after the end of the month. To calculate if your balance has grown by $200, we will compare the Ledger Balance on the last Business Day of the previous month to the Ledger Balance on the last Business Day of the current month. Interest and savings reward payments will not count towards your balance growth. 

Your account is eligible for 12 savings rewards beginning with the month your account is opened. The first savings reward is based on your savings growth from the Business Day the account is opened through the last Business Day of that month. If your initial deposit is not received until the month after account opening, the account will only be eligible for 11 savings rewards.  

Your account must be open when the savings rewards are paid. Savings rewards will be reported to the IRS for tax purposes and you are responsible for any applicable taxes. 

Exclusions: 

  • Savings rewards are available for new accounts only. An account switched into Savings Builder from a different product is not eligible for savings rewards. 
  • Savings rewards are limited to one Savings Builder account per customer as the Primary Account Owner. Only your first account opened is eligible for savings rewards. 
  • You are not eligible to receive savings rewards if you have previously opened a Statement Savings account between February 3, 2020 and October 18, 2021, and participated in the Statement Savings account – Savings Rewards offer. 

Minimum opening deposit of $25 is required for BMO Savings Builder accounts. Savings Builder is a variable rate account. Interest rates and Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) may change daily after the account is open. Interest rates and APYs offered within two or more consecutive tiers may be the same. In this case, multiple tiers will be shown as a single tier The following collected balance tiers and corresponding APYs for Savings Builder are effective as of December 1, 2023, and are subject to change at our discretion at any time: 0.01% for all balances. Interest is calculated on the entire collected balance daily at the rate in effect for that balance tier. You must maintain the required minimum collected balance for each tier in order to earn the APYs disclosed. A periodic rate is applied on the collected balance in the account daily. Interest is compounded daily on the collected balance and credited to the account monthly on the statement period date. Checks you deposit into your account begin to earn interest on the Business Day we receive credit for them. Fees and withdrawals may reduce earnings. For account and fee information or current interest rates, visit bmo.com

12 Please visit www.fdic.gov for current deposit insurance limits. 

13 If you make an Internal Transfer on a weekend or holiday, we'll credit the payment the same day, but we'll post the payment on the next Business Day. 

Debit card not required to open checking account. 

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. 

Accounts are subject to approval and are provided in the United States by BMO Bank N.A. Member FDIC