Grace Pace, senior vice president of digital banking at Quontic Bank, says banks with rewards checking accounts will often require customers to fulfill specific activities to earn rewards.  "With a rewards checking account, the most common activity would be swiping your debit card," explains Pace. "However, some will also encourage behavior, like enrolling in direct deposit or signing up for e-statements." Numerous financial institutions let you earn rewards solely through the rewards checking account. As a result, you won't need to own another bank account or apply for other bank services. First Independence Bank, Industrial Bank, and M&F Bank are also mentioned.