What is the difference between an ACH push and an ACH pull for bank bonuses?

When you open a new account to earn a bonus, you have to fund it. The way you move your money using an ACH transfer matters. An ACH push is when you log into your existing bank account and send money to your new account. An ACH pull is when you log into your new bank account and request money from your old one.

The direction of this transfer is highly important. When a bank pays you a bonus, they often require a direct deposit. To their automated systems, an ACH push from certain banks or fintech apps sometimes looks exactly like a direct deposit from an employer. The system sees money arriving from the outside and triggers your reward.

An ACH pull almost never works for triggering a bonus. Because you initiated the transfer from inside the new bank, their system knows exactly what it is. It codes the transfer as an internal request rather than an external deposit. You will fund the account successfully, but you will not trigger the bonus requirement.

If you are using transfers to meet a requirement without a real paycheck, always push the money from the outside. Moving your cash this way involves no investing and no market exposure. It is just a strategic way to meet the rules so the bank pays you the bonus.