These 5 Banks Will Pay You $50 or More for Referring Your Friends

When most of us discover a new product or service we're really excited about, we want to share that discovery with our family and friends. The company providing that product or service wants you to do that too because it could drum up more business for it.

That's why some companies -- including banks -- offer referral bonuses to existing customers that send new business their way. Some of those bonuses can be pretty lucrative. Here are five top banks offering referral bonuses of $50 or greater right now.

1. Chime ($100 bonus)

Chime has one of the most appealing referral programs around. Existing customers who refer friends to the bank will earn $100 and the newly referred member will also get $100. There isn't a limit to how many times you can claim this bonus, either.

To earn it, use the Invite Friends option in the Chime mobile app's settings. Your friend must enroll and complete a single qualifying direct deposit of at least $200 within 45 days of account opening. Qualifying payments include those from payroll providers, gig instant payouts, and government benefits.

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2. Axos Bank ($50 bonus)

The Axos Bank Referral Program applies to its Essential Checking and Rewards Checking accounts. If you successfully refer a friend who opens one of these accounts, you could both be eligible to earn $50 from Axos Bank.

To qualify, your friend must apply with your unique referral link, which you can find in your account. Those opening an Essential Checking account must also receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits within 90 days of account opening. Axos Bank will deposit the $50 into your checking account within seven days of the end of the statement cycle where your referred friend completes the required activities. There's no limit to how many times you can earn this referral bonus.

3. Chase ($50 bonus)

Chase Bank offers $50 referral bonuses when a friend opens a new Chase checking account using your personalized link. You can earn up to 10 of these referral bonuses per year for a maximum of $500 annually.

Chase doesn't offer an equal bonus to the referred customer, but they will be eligible to earn any applicable sign-up bonuses on their account. Right now, Chase is running a checking account bonus worth up to $300 for new customers.

4. TD Bank ($50 bonus)

TD Bank offers a referral bonus worth $50 for you and $50 for your friend, but its system for earning the bonus is a bit antiquated. You must first download, print, and complete a referral form and give this to your friend. Then, they must take it to a TD Bank branch where they can open their account.

To qualify for the bonus, they must have at least $250 in qualifying direct deposits or make at least 15 qualifying Visa debit card transactions within 60 days of account opening. You can earn this bonus up to 10 times per year for a maximum annual referral bonus of $500.

5. Marcus by Goldman Sachs (0.25% of average daily balance)

The Marcus by Goldman Sachs referral bonus is a bit of a special case. Rather than depositing a flat dollar amount to your savings account, you earn a cash bonus that's worth 0.25% of your average daily balance on your Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings Account balance as measured over a 92-day period. The bank will pay this to you in installments at the end of each month.

To qualify, your friend must open their account using your personalized link. They will also qualify for the cash bonus. You can earn referral bonuses up to five times per calendar year, but Marcus by Goldman Sachs will only apply one bonus at a time. So that means if you refer two friends, you wouldn't start getting paid for your second bonus until after the first bonus was already paid out.

These bonuses alone probably aren't enough to make most people open a new account with one of these banks. But if you're already a customer and you're happy with the features it provides, it doesn't hurt to share the word with your family and friends. Even if you only earn a referral bonus sporadically, it's still extra money in your pocket.