What Counts as a Direct Deposit?

Most bank bonuses require one or more “direct deposits” to qualify. Officially, this means your paycheck or government benefit payment deposited electronically. But in practice, many banks can't tell the difference between a real paycheck and other ACH transfers — which is great news for churners.

Transfers That Often Code as Direct Deposits

• Employer payroll — the real thing, always works
• Government payments — Social Security, tax refunds, unemployment
• PayPal transfers — transferring your PayPal balance to a bank account often codes as DD
• Venmo transfers — similar to PayPal, frequently works
• ACH pushes from other banks — transferring from one bank to another (e.g., Ally → Chase) works at many banks
• Cash App — direct deposits from Cash App balance work at many banks

The Definitive Resource

The most comprehensive and up-to-date list of what counts as a direct deposit at each bank is maintained by Doctor of Credit. Their community-sourced data covers hundreds of banks and is updated regularly:

Doctor of Credit — What Counts as a Direct Deposit?

Important Disclaimers

• What works today may not work tomorrow — banks update their systems regularly
• Results can vary by account type, state, and even the specific branch
• Just because a transfer shows as “direct deposit” on your statement doesn't guarantee the bank counted it for the bonus
• When in doubt, use a real employer direct deposit to be safe