Rakuten Alliant Checking Account Offer
There is an increased Rakuten Alliant checking account offer that I think people will be interested in. It works like a pretty standard checking account bonus, but the bonus runs through Rakuten instead from the bank directly. That is good and bad. The good side is that you can take the bonus as 20,000 Bilt Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards because it is Rakuten. The bad news is that it adds another chef to the kitchen for tracking purposes. Usually Rakuten is really solid on tracking, but it sounds like this one can be problematic at times. Just be sure to take screenshots of the offer and the process. As always, plan for the worst and hope for the best.
2/20/26 Update: This offer is back!
Offer Details
Here are the details for the Rakuten Alliant checking account offer:
- Earn $200 / 20,000 Bilt Rewards / 20,000 Membership Rewards when opening an Alliant checking account via Rakuten and completing the following tasks:
- Open, one new Alliant Credit Union Checking account
- Initiate an initial deposit in the amount of $500.00+ at account opening
- Complete a subsequent Direct Deposit in the amount of $500.00+ into the new Alliant Checking account within 30 days of clicking the Rakuten link
- Direct Deposits are defined as coming from an employer or government agency.
- The following do not constitute Direct Deposit activity:
- Check deposits
- Peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.)
- Merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.)
- Bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds).
- Your Alliant Checking Account must be open and in good standing and have a minimum balance of $1,000 on the 45th day after account opening.
- Offer Landing Page
Looks like you just need to make an initial deposit of $500+ when opening the account and then set up a $500+ direct deposit within 30 days of signing up. I am not sure if any non direct deposit options work for this one (a push from another bank etc.).
Stack With Rakuten Sign Up Bonus
If you don't already have a Rakuten account then you could pair this offer up with their new account sign up bonus. It is at an all time high 5,000 points ($50) right now. For details on the Rakuten program, and our Rakuten referral link, check out our complete guide here.
Offer Terms
Here are some notable terms for the Rakuten Alliant checking account offer:
- Cash Back provided by Rakuten, not Alliant Credit Union (“Alliant”).
- Cash Back is only available for new Alliant members (one Cash Back offer per account) who click through the Rakuten link and apply for, and open, one new Alliant Credit Union Checking account.
- Only one Cash Back offer per new Alliant member.
- Alliant Checking accounts will be reviewed to determine eligibility.
- If requirements have been met, Cash Back will be automatically added to your Rakuten account within 45 days. The Alliant Checking account is offered through Alliant Credit Union.
- Must be at least 18 years of age at time of application and a legal U.S. Resident or U.S. Person (including a U.S. Resident Alien) to be eligible.
- Offer Landing Page
Rakuten Alliant Checking Account Offer: ToP Thoughts
This looks like a pretty simple checking account offer. I like that you can earn Bilt Rewards, or Membership Rewards, instead of cash back too. While the $200 bonus isn't up there with the best checking account offers out there, being able to earn points makes it a bit more valuable than it would be otherwise. Just be sure to screenshot the offer and your steps throughout the entire process. You want to have a paper trail just in case anything goes wrong. Let me know if you are planning on grabbing this Rakuten Alliant checking account offer over in the ToP Facebook Group.
