Terms checked on October 13, 2026. The Questrade promotion page is the final authority.

Questrade launched its limited-time GET1000 deposit offer on October 13: deposit enough by November 2 and you can receive up to $1,000 in cash. New and existing clients can participate, and both cash deposits and transfers from another institution count. It sounds good, but there are a few important details to understand first.

Bonus tiers

Net deposit (new money during the promotion) Bonus
$20,000–$49,999 $100
$50,000–$99,999 $300
$100,000+ $1,000

You receive one bonus for the highest tier you reach; the tiers do not stack.

How to participate

  1. Register first: New clients enter code GET1000 when opening an account. If you forget, you can register under Rewards and Benefits during the promotion. Existing clients can register under Rewards and Benefits. You must complete registration by November 2, and eligible deposits or transfers made since October 13 will be counted retroactively; you do not have to register before depositing.
  2. Deposit $20,000 or more by November 2 (11:59 p.m. ET): Cash deposits are judged by when the money settles, not when you initiate the transfer. Interac e-Transfer, bill payment, wire, and other methods qualify, but bill payments and wires can take several business days, so leave enough time. For a transfer from another brokerage, you can initiate it by November 2 and have it arrive by December 14, but you must start it through the Questrade online portal. A transfer initiated by the sending brokerage does not qualify, even if it arrives by December 14. Questrade reimburses transfer fees up to $150 per account.
  3. Wait for the bonus: The bonus is paid in two instalments starting in June 2027, deposited into your Cash or Margin account.

When you open a Questrade account, you are welcome to use the blog referral code 805616143448050 for an additional $50 bonus.

The most important rules

  1. Only new money counts: Money already held at Questrade does not qualify. Net deposits equal eligible deposits and transfers during the promotion minus withdrawals and transfers out of all eligible accounts, including accounts that existed before the promotion. Transfers between eligible accounts in your own name and investment gains or losses do not affect your net deposit.
  2. Your tier is locked on December 14, 2026, followed by two reviews: Your bonus tier is determined once, based on your net deposit on December 14, 2026 (the Settlement Deadline).
  • December 14 has two roles: it is the arrival grace period for brokerage transfers, but it is also the tier snapshot date for everyone, including people making only cash deposits. Money withdrawn between October 13 and December 14 will directly reduce your tier.
  • Questrade reviews the accounts on June 2, 2027 and December 2, 2027 (ET), and pays the two 50% instalments around June 11, 2027 and December 10, 2027. Only withdrawals made after December 14, 2026 can be made up later: on the review date, your net deposit must be at least the amount required for the tier you originally reached. Questrade’s example is a $100,000 transfer, a $10,000 withdrawal in March 2027, and a $10,000 replacement in April; both instalments are still paid. However, the replacement cannot exceed your net deposit on December 14. If you fail a review, the current and all later instalments are cancelled; you do not simply drop to a lower tier.
  1. The bonus must go to an eligible account: The bonus is paid only to a personal or joint self-directed Cash or Margin account, in this order: personal Cash → personal Margin → joint Cash → joint Margin. If you do not have an eligible receiving account at the first review on June 2, 2027, you lose the bonus. Deposits into registered accounts such as a TFSA or RRSP count toward net deposits, but the bonus itself is not paid into a registered account. Questwealth, joint, corporate, and other ineligible account deposits do not count, although a joint Cash or Margin account can receive the bonus.

Is 1% worth it?

$100,000 earns a $1,000 bonus, or a nominal 1%, but the money is tied up for roughly 14 months, which works out to a simple annualized return of about 0.86%. The $50,000 tier is only $300 (0.6%), and the $20,000 tier is $100 (0.5%), so the smaller tiers are less attractive.

The takeaway: this is worth considering only if you already plan to move $100,000 or more to Questrade. Moving money from elsewhere and locking it up for 14 months just to earn $1,000 is not a great trade-off.

🤔🤔 If you time the deposit and withdrawal carefully, the return can actually be pretty good. For example, have $100,001 in cash post by November 2, keep it there through December 14 to lock the tier, withdraw it on December 15, and have another $100,001 post again before June 2; you can still receive the bonus. In that case, the $100,000 cash is tied up for less than two months.

Comparison: cash-deposit bonuses at other Canadian brokerages (as of October 13, 2026)

First, the broad picture: Wealthsimple explicitly counts transfers only, not cash deposits. The other brokerages below count both direct cash deposits and transfers (TD also counts cash transferred directly from a financial institution outside the TD group). These are the active offers currently identified:

Platform Do pure cash deposits count? Bonus Hold period Registration / deposit deadline New or existing clients
BMO InvestorLine (Real Financial Progress, code FINPROG) ✅ Yes 2% on the first $250,000, 1% above that, from $10,000, capped at $30,000 Paid in two instalments: June 28 and December 23, 2027 (about 14 months to receive it all) New and existing clients register by October 31; deposits due October 31 for existing clients / November 30 for new clients Both
Qtrade (Fall Offer 2026, code OFFER2026) ✅ Yes Tiers: 5% on $1,000–$10,000; $550 on $10,000–$25,000; $600 on $25,000–$50,000; $700 on $50,000–$100,000; $1,000 above $100,000; $2,500 on $250,000–$500,000; $5,000 on $500,000+. There is also a $100 early-bird bonus for opening an account and depositing at least $25,000 within 30 days Hold until February 5, 2028; the $100 early-bird bonus is paid around March 5, 2027, and the tier bonus around March 5, 2028 Open by January 5, 2027; deposit by February 5 New clients only
RBC Direct Investing (Summer–Fall 2026) ✅ Yes 3% in registered accounts, 1% in non-registered accounts, capped at $15,000; minimum $2,500 Until November 30, 2028 (two years); paid in two instalments on December 31, 2027 and December 31, 2028 Open by November 2, 2026 (promotion link, no code); deposit by November 30 New clients only (no RBC DI account in the previous two years)
Questrade (GET1000) ✅ Yes $20,000 → $100 / $50,000 → $300 / $100,000 → $1,000 Through December 10, 2027 at the latest (about 14 months) November 2, 2026 Both
Wealthsimple (1% Match 2026) ❌ Transfers only; cash deposits are explicitly excluded 1% on transfers from $25,000 730 days, paid in 24 instalments to a Chequing account Rolling deadline; invitation required to register Both
TD Direct Investing (Easy Cash Offer) ✅ Cash transferred directly from a financial institution outside the TD group also counts 3% in registered accounts / 1% in non-registered accounts, capped at $15,000; minimum $2,500 Until November 30, 2028 (two years); paid in two instalments on December 31, 2027 and December 31, 2028 Register by October 23, 2026 (new-client code CASHBACK); first transfer within 60 days of registration and deposit by November 30 Both
Scotia iTRADE / CIBC Investor’s Edge / National Bank / IBKR / Desjardins — As checked on October 13, 2026, no public cash-deposit promotion with open registration has been confirmed. Some brokerages may have targeted invitations. — — —

The comparison below assumes the same $100,000 in idle cash in a non-registered account:

Platform Cash received Hold period Simple annualized return
BMO InvestorLine $2,000 ~14 months ~1.7%
Qtrade $800 ($700 + $100 early-bird bonus) ~17 months ~0.6%
Questrade GET1000 $1,000 ~14 months ~0.86%
RBC DI $1,000 2 years ~0.5%

There are two exceptions. For a smaller balance of $1,000–$10,000, Qtrade’s 5% tier has the highest annualized return, but it is for new clients only. If you have $100,000 or more in TFSA or RRSP assets that can be transferred as a whole, RBC’s 3% registered-account offer is the largest absolute bonus at $3,000, but the money is locked up for two years.

Note: The annualized figures above use (bonus ÷ principal) × (12 ÷ number of months). They do not account for the time value of instalment payments, taxes, or opportunity cost, and are not actual annualized returns.

Transfer bonuses: higher rewards, but longer holds

If you already have a brokerage account and want to move it wholesale, transfer bonuses are generally more generous than cash-deposit offers, especially for registered accounts:

Platform Transfer bonus Cash received for a $100,000 transfer Hold period Deadline / conditions
TD Direct Investing 3% in registered accounts / 1% in non-registered accounts, capped at $15,000 $3,000 registered / $1,000 non-registered Until November 30, 2028 (about two years) Register by October 23, 2026
RBC Direct Investing 3% in registered accounts / 1% in non-registered accounts, capped at $15,000 $3,000 registered / $1,000 non-registered Until November 30, 2028 (about two years) Open by November 2, 2026; new clients only
Wealthsimple (1% Match 2026) 1% from $25,000, with transfers capped at $2 million and the bonus capped at $20,000 $1,000 730 days, paid in 24 instalments to a Chequing account Invitation required; initiate the transfer within 30 days of registering
BMO InvestorLine 2% on the first $250,000 + 1% above that, capped at $30,000 $2,000 Paid in two instalments: June 28 and December 23, 2027 New and existing clients register by October 31; deposits due October 31 for existing clients / November 30 for new clients
Questrade GET1000 Same as the cash tier ($100,000 → $1,000) $1,000 Through December 10, 2027 at the latest November 2, 2026
Qtrade Same cash tiers (above $100,000 → $1,000; exactly $100,000 → $700; plus a $100 early-bird bonus) $800 Hold until February 5, 2028; bonus paid around March 5, 2028 New clients only; transfer-out fee reimbursement for transfers of at least $15,000, capped at $150 per client

Here are the practical differences:

  1. The 3% registered-account bonus is genuinely attractive: TD and RBC pay 3% on TFSA and RRSP transfers, so a $100,000 transfer earns $3,000. A direct institution-to-institution transfer does not use new contribution room, but you must accept a two-year hold. TD also counts cash transferred directly from a financial institution outside the TD group, not just brokerage transfers. RBC requires opening through the promotion link with no promo code, and “new client” means you have not held an RBC DI account in the previous two years.
  2. For large transfers, do not look only at Wealthsimple: Its 1% offer applies to transfers up to $2 million, with a $20,000 bonus cap. At the same balance, BMO pays more: on a $500,000 transfer, BMO pays $7,500 versus Wealthsimple’s $5,000; on $1 million, BMO pays $12,500 versus Wealthsimple’s $10,000. BMO’s $30,000 cap is also higher, and it pays faster. Wealthsimple locks the money for 730 days and pays over 24 instalments to a Chequing account. During the hold, your existing registered-account balance also cannot move. If you withdraw beyond the 20% buffer and do not replace it before the next payment, later monthly bonuses are reduced proportionally; replacing the money later does not restore the lost amount. Bill payments and statutory registered-account withdrawals are exceptions. Also, Wealthsimple’s 1% offer only counts transfers; pure cash deposits are explicitly excluded, and you need an invitation to register.
  3. If you cannot wait two years, look at BMO: A large transfer earns the same 2% on the first $250,000, paid in two instalments on June 28 and December 23, 2027. The payment schedule is similar to Questrade’s, but the hold is much shorter than TD or RBC’s two years.
  4. TD has the most urgent deadline: You must register by October 23. Miss this round and it is gone. The bonus is paid in two instalments on December 31, 2027 and December 31, 2028. RIF, LIF, RESP, and RDSP accounts are not eligible.
  5. Which account receives the bonus: Questrade pays only to a personal or joint self-directed Cash or Margin account. BMO pays to a non-registered Cash account first, and you may need to open one if you do not have it. Qtrade uses the order Cash → Margin → registered account. RBC credits each account based on its share of the net transfer; registered-account bonuses go directly into the plan and do not count as new contributions. Wealthsimple pays to a Chequing account over 24 instalments.

In one sentence: If you have registered assets to transfer and can accept a two-year hold, TD or RBC at 3% is best; for a large transfer of $500,000 or more, BMO’s 2% + 1% (capped at $30,000) beats Wealthsimple and pays faster; if you want to balance the return against the hold period, BMO is still the most balanced choice.

Who should act

  • You have $100,000 or more in idle cash and have not decided yet: BMO’s 2% on the first $250,000, 1% above that, and $30,000 cap is currently the best overall offer. New and existing clients must register by October 31 with code FINPROG; the deposit deadline is October 31 for existing clients and November 30 for new clients. Note that the bonus is based on the lowest net new asset level maintained during the hold period; withdrawing and redepositing does not restore the original tier. If net new assets fall below $10,000, there is no bonus for that period.
  • You are already a Questrade client and have new money to deposit: Activate GET1000 while you are at it. The deadline is November 2.
  • You are a new client with a smaller balance of $1,000–$10,000: Look at Qtrade’s 5% tier.
  • You want to move an existing account: For registered accounts, choose TD (3%, but registration is required by October 23) or RBC (3%, new clients only). For a large transfer of $500,000 or more, look at Wealthsimple’s 1%; if you want a shorter hold, choose BMO’s 2%.

Bottom line

Questrade’s $1,000 sounds appealing, but in practice it is 1% held for 14 months, although restoring the balance before the two review dates preserves the bonus. If you genuinely have idle cash to deposit, BMO InvestorLine’s 2% on the first $250,000, 1% above that, and $30,000 cap is currently the better choice, with registration for new and existing clients due by October 31. For transfers, registered-account assets can earn 3% at TD or RBC, while BMO pays more than Wealthsimple on transfers of $500,000 or more and pays faster. The common rule across all these offers: register first, deposit second, and do not move the money during the hold period.

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