I was looking at their website under the Upgrade Rewards checking debit card page and I must have glossed over the "Active Rewards Checking Account" part. It sucks that grocery/warehouse category isn't on the list where you can be eligible for up to the 2% and that you have to do the $1000/mo to make your account "active" just to do the 1% on all other debit purchases? Does a bank push count as a direct deposit into the Upgrade Checking account? The Upgrade website has the boiler plate message of "No" in that DD's only count if they come from employer deposits. But like most bank account sign up bonuses that require "direct deposits", a bank push to that new account has always been counted as a direct deposit. I guess since I need to fund the loading anyways it would satisfy the $1K part.

In theory yes but I haven't done any sort of MO or card loading in over a year since my local WMs have sorta stopped taking VGCs. I have seen that they have switched to new staff so I might give it a go but the problem arises of what VGCs are still working for loading. It seems like new DPs everyday and its a bit annoying but certainly leaning towards opening an account to try it out.