Open a Chase Total Checking account before May 15, 2013 and set up a direct deposit to receive a $200 bonus from Chase.

Chase regularly offer bonuses to open a checking account, but a bonus higher than $125 is usually difficult to achieve. However this $200 sign up bonus is accessible to everyone. You need a bonus code, but these codes are generated on the Chase website through this link. You can either print out the code or bring it to your branch and open the account in person. You can refresh the website and print as many unique codes as you desire, but any one person can only take advantage of this type of bonus offer once per calendar year.

To open a Chase Total Checking account you are required to make an opening deposit of at least $100 within 10 days and to qualify for the bonus you have 60 days to set up a direct deposit. There are no requirements listed regarding the amount of the direct deposit, but if it is more than $500 then you avoid a $12 monthly service fee. Two other options to avoid this service fee are either to keep the daily average balance above $1,500 in the account or the average daily balance in a combination of qualifying Chase accounts above $5,000.

This offer is only available to non Chase Checking account holders and those who have not had an account closed within 90 days or with a negative balance. Your bonus will be reported to the IRS on form 1099-INT and if you close the account within 6 months the bonus will be deducted from your account.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Starwood just launched their Double Take promotion on May 1st and it runs until July 31st. That means for every eligible stay during this period, you can earn double Starwood points. This does not apply Elite-level extra star points earnings, but everyone including Elite Level does get the opportunity to earn up to 2 extra starpoints on their stay. There are no limits to this promotions and your starpoints will post to your account in 2-4 weeks.

There are over 1,100 Starwood properties, however not all properties participate. You can find the list of non-participating properties here. There is still around a 90% participation rate, so in all likelihood you will probably be able to accumulate starpoints in your favorite property.

The second part of this Double Take promotion is 500 bonus starpoints for every booking through spg.com mobile site, the SPG App for iPhone or the SPG App for Android. These points are for bookings at any Starwood property, no exclusions.

There is no point in checking in and out every day in the same hotel. It is the number of consecutive nights that counts as an eligible stay, so if you are trying to maximize your starpoints, it would be necessary to change hotel every night, and while several credits of 500 starpoints can add up quickly to free nights, I am not sure it is worth the hassle of checking in at a different hotel. Also remember you lose out on the up to 2 extra starpoints, unless the other hotel is also a Starwood property.

You have until June 30th to sign up for this promotion, and as long as you are signed up by that date, any eligible stay from May 1st will count for this promotion.

Now is a good time to use some American Express Membership Rewards, if you have any. British Airways miles are called Avios, and at the moment you will get 35% more Avios for transferring points. American Express does run this type of promotion a couple of times a year, but last time in December it was only a 30% transfer bonus.

British Airways redemption system is different than the system used by airlines in North America. Instead of dividing miles into zones, the redemption of Avios is based purely on distance traveled. Of course you need more than 800 Avios for a destination 800 miles away, but this redemption system is definitely more favorable for shorter trips. It starts at 4500 Avios for the short distance flights one way. The next section of flights are 9000 Avios one way. However that is only 9000 and 18000 respectively for a round trip flight, which is significantly better than the standard 25,000 miles required for Domestic flights in the US.

American Airlines is in the Oneworld partner alliance with British Airways, so Avios can be used even if you are just traveling in North America. Do not make plans to use the miles on a transatlantic flight, as British Airways add some outrageous taxes and fees to these award tickets. However flights within Europe or flights in the US with American Airlines is a great way to use Avios, and as a result probably one of the best uses of your American Express Membership Rewards points.

The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN

For the time being you can get 50,000 Memberhip Rewards points if you apply for The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express Open and get approved. To have these points credited, you must spend $5,000 in the first 3 months of card membership. You are eligible for this offer if you have not had this product, or any other Business Gold, Green or Platinum card within the last 12 months.

This is a limited time offer and expiration date is unknown, so consider applying for this card while the sign up bonus is still there. The points you are going to earn for purchases can also add up quickly, particularly if spent in the right categories. Airfare will earn you 3 points per dollar spent, but you have to book the flight with the airline. Travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia will not be classified as airfare, thus only earning you 1 point per dollar spent. Gas purchased at stand-alone gas stations earns 2 points per dollar spent. You can earn an unlimited amount of membership rewards points each year, however once you surpass $100,000 per year spent in the categories that gives you 2x or 3x the points, then you will only get 1 point after that.

The Membership Rewards points will never expire, which means you can save them up for when a really good deal comes along. One of the reasons to get this card would be if your business requires traveling and that is where your points can be very valuable. Not only do you get 3 points when you spend it on airfare, but there is also a wide selection of airlines where your Membership Rewards points can get converted to miles. Sometimes there are even bonus offers, where you may get more miles for your points than usual.

Open an Asterisk-Free Checking account at Huntington Bank before April 30th and receive a $150 bonus. It is important to note that the bonus is only available in the following states: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

It is called Asterisk-Free checking because there are no surprises hidden in the small print. There is no monthly checking maintenance fee or statement fee, no minimum balance requirements, no requirement of direct deposits, and no fee for debit cards.

However if you want to qualify for the bonus, then the following 3 steps are necessary. First the account needs to be opened by 4/30/2013 and the minimum deposit to open is $100. Secondly you must have one automatic direct deposit of at least $200 set up within the first 60 days. The 3rd requirement is that you must make 20 debit card purchases, and that must also be completed within the first 60 days of account opening.

The bonus will be deposited into your account within 90 days of account opening, so even if it takes you the full 60 days to qualify for the checking account bonus, then you can receive the bonus in as little as 30 days after fulfilling the requirements. The bonus is only available to one checking account per household.