Bank offer tracker template
A simple, copy-pasteable spreadsheet structure for tracking bank bonuses across application, qualification, hold period, closure, and tax reporting.
The single most valuable tool for bank-bonus pursuit is a tracker — a row per account, columns for the dates and dollar amounts that matter, kept current with a five-minute weekly habit. The template below uses 14 columns, each chosen because it answers a question you'll have at some point during the lifecycle of the account.
This page exists in two forms: an HTML preview of the structure (below) and a downloadable CSV (link at the bottom). You can copy the columns into Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers, or any spreadsheet tool you prefer. The format is intentionally simple — no formulas, no macros, no dependencies.
Column structure
| Column | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Bank | Name of the issuing institution. |
| Account Type | Checking, Savings, MMA, CD, Brokerage Taxable, IRA, Business Checking, etc. |
| Open Date | Date the account was formally opened (often distinct from application date). |
| Bonus Amount | Headline bonus amount in dollars. |
| Qualifying Requirement | Short description of what triggers the bonus (e.g., "$2,500 DD within 60 days"). |
| DD Date | Date the qualifying direct deposit (or other qualifying activity) posted. |
| Bonus Posted Date | Date the bonus actually credited to the account. |
| Hold-Until Date | Last date before which closing the account triggers fee or clawback. Use the later of early-closure-fee end and account-must-remain-open end. |
| Close Date | Date the account was closed (if applicable). |
| 1099 Form | 1099-INT, 1099-MISC, or "Self-report" if no form expected. |
| Tax Year | The tax year the bonus belongs to (usually year of posting date). |
| Net Value After Tax | Bonus minus your estimated tax minus any fees or opportunity cost — for personal accounting. |
| Status | One of: Applied / Open / Qualified / Bonus Posted / Hold Period / Ready to Close / Closed / Issue. |
| Notes | Anything anomalous — late posting, dispute, manual follow-up, contact log. |
Example row
An illustrative example with hypothetical numbers — not a real offer:
| Bank | Example Bank |
|---|---|
| Account Type | Checking |
| Open Date | 2026-03-01 |
| Bonus Amount | $300 |
| Qualifying Requirement | $2,500 DD within 60 days; account open 180 days |
| DD Date | 2026-03-22 |
| Bonus Posted Date | 2026-04-25 |
| Hold-Until Date | 2026-08-28 |
| Close Date | 2026-09-05 |
| 1099 Form | 1099-INT |
| Tax Year | 2026 |
| Net Value After Tax | $228 (after 24% federal) |
| Status | Closed |
| Notes | Promo enrollment screenshot saved; bonus posted on schedule. |
CSV download
The empty template as a CSV file, ready to import to any spreadsheet tool:
Bank,Account Type,Open Date,Bonus Amount,Qualifying Requirement,DD Date,Bonus Posted Date,Hold-Until Date,Close Date,1099 Form,Tax Year,Net Value After Tax,Status,Notes
A site-hosted version of the same file can live at /tools/offer-tracker-template/tracker.csv once the static asset is uploaded by the site owner. For now, the inline text above is the canonical content — copy it to a file named tracker.csv and import to your spreadsheet of choice.
Using it in Google Sheets
- Open a new Google Sheet.
- File → Import → Upload → drag the CSV file (or paste the row).
- Confirm the columns map correctly to the spreadsheet's first row.
- Add new rows as you open accounts.
- Use the built-in filter to surface accounts in a specific Status (e.g., "Ready to Close" before each closure batch).
Using it in Excel
- Open a blank workbook.
- Data → From Text/CSV → select the file.
- Use Format as Table for a clean look and built-in filtering.
- Add date validation on the date columns if you want to enforce ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD recommended for sortability).
Tips for using the tracker well
- Update weekly. Five minutes every Sunday (or whenever you do administrative tasks) keeps the tracker current. Backlog is the enemy.
- Use ISO dates (YYYY-MM-DD). Sorts cleanly, sorts the same way regardless of locale, no ambiguity.
- Color-code Status if helpful. Conditional formatting on the Status column makes the worksheet readable at a glance.
- Don't store bank passwords or full account numbers. The last four digits are usually enough if you ever need to disambiguate; full credentials belong in a password manager, not a spreadsheet.
- Archive at year-end. Save a copy named for the year before starting the next year's tracker. The historical record is small but occasionally useful for "new customer" lookback checks.
Pair with
The tracker is the central document; the supporting workflow is in:
- Record-keeping for the surrounding documentation habits.
- Account opening checklist for the pre-application step.
- Tax prep checklist for the January-February reconciliation.
- Annual planning for the quarterly cycle.