Robinhood is a US commission-free stock and crypto broker regulated by the SEC and FINRA, with SIPC protection on securities accounts. Its welcome offer is a free reward share, which for the large majority of new users is worth only a few dollars. It also runs an account-transfer match of 1% to 3%, with the rate set by Robinhood and the window closing on October 16, 2026, and a 1% match on IRA contributions (3% with Gold), both tied to five-year holding periods. It is available to US residents only.
Risk warning: Trading carries a high risk of losing money, especially with leveraged products such as CFDs. A bonus does not reduce that risk. Only deposit what you can afford to lose.
Robinhood
New US Robinhood customers who open and link an account get a free reward stock. For about 99% of people that share is worth $5, with a small chance of more, up to $200.
Robinhood
Robinhood pays a cash bonus of 1%, 2% or 3% on net assets moved in by ACATS transfer between September 21 and October 16, 2026. Robinhood assigns your rate, and you must keep the transferred value in the account for 5 years or face a proportional chargeback.
Robinhood
Robinhood adds 1% to every eligible IRA contribution, or 3% if you pay for Robinhood Gold ($5 a month). Maxing out the 2026 limit of $7,500 earns $75, or $225 with Gold. Matched money must stay in the IRA for 5 years.
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Robinhood was founded in 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its brokerage entities, Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities LLC, are registered with the SEC, members of FINRA and members of SIPC, meaning securities and cash are protected up to $500,000 (including a $250,000 limit for cash) per separately capitalized account type, with excess-SIPC coverage through Lloyd's of London on top.
Crypto trading runs through the separate Robinhood Crypto entity, which is not a FINRA or SIPC member; crypto holdings are not covered by SIPC. Robinhood Crypto holds a New York BitLicense and money transmitter licenses across states. By the end of 2025 Robinhood reported 27 million funded customers and $324 billion in total platform assets, making it one of the largest retail brokerages in the US by account count.
Robinhood expanded into the United Kingdom starting in late 2023. The UK offering began with US-listed stock trading and has since added options, futures, margin investing and a stocks and shares ISA, but the bulk of its bonus programs remain US-focused.
The base account offers commission-free trading in US stocks, ETFs, options and cryptocurrency, plus fractional shares and cash management. Robinhood also offers traditional and Roth IRAs, futures, and a Gold-tier credit card.
Robinhood Gold is a $5/month (or roughly $50/year) subscription, with the first 30 days free. It raises the IRA contribution match from 1% to 3%, pays 3.35% APY on uninvested brokerage cash, allows larger instant deposits, and lowers per-contract pricing on futures and index options. Most of Robinhood's higher-value bonus tiers require an active Gold subscription.
Robinhood's flagship bonus is the IRA contribution match: 1% on eligible IRA contributions for any customer, rising to 3% for Gold subscribers, so maxing out the 2026 limit of $7,500 earns $75, or $225 with Gold. The match does not count against the IRS annual IRA contribution limit. To keep the full match, the matched money must stay in the Robinhood IRA for 5 years, and Gold subscribers must keep their subscription for 1 year after the first Gold-tier match; removing matched money early triggers an Early Removal Fee equal to the match, and cancelling Gold early forfeits the extra 2%.
Robinhood also runs limited-window brokerage transfer promotions. The current one covers ACATS transfers made between September 21 and October 16, 2026 and pays a cash match of 1%, 2% or 3% on net assets moved in, with the rate assigned to each customer by Robinhood. The transferred value must stay for 5 years or a proportional chargeback applies at your bonus rate, although a one-time 60-day grace period opens after 90 days of keeping the full value. An earlier 2% IRA transfer bonus ended on April 30, 2026.
The standing referral program gives both the referrer and a new customer a free stock once the new customer opens and funds a first individual taxable brokerage account and links a bank or debit card. The stock's cash value is between $5 and $200, and Robinhood's own disclosure states about 99% of recipients get the $5 tier, about 0.9% get $10, and about 0.1% get $200. Gift shares must be held 3 trading days before selling and stay in the account 30 days before proceeds can be withdrawn, with a $1,500 annual cap per person on this program.
Robinhood's account-opening and transfer bonuses are built for US residents; both parties in a referral must be US residents, and the IRA and ACATS match programs are tied to US retirement and brokerage account rules. The UK arm has run its own, separate promotions tied to its own products rather than mirroring the US structure.
Because the biggest matches (3% on IRA contributions with Gold, up to 3% on transfers at a rate Robinhood assigns) depend on a paid subscription or a favourable assigned rate plus five-year holding periods, the realistic value for a typical new user is much closer to the free-stock referral reward (mostly $5) or a 1% match than to the headline percentages in marketing.
Tax treatment depends on account type. In a taxable brokerage account, referral and transfer bonuses are generally reported as miscellaneous income on Form 1099-MISC. Inside an IRA, the match is treated as interest income within the IRA itself, so it is not separately taxed on receipt, though it can matter later in specific situations such as a Roth conversion.
The most common ways people lose part or all of a Robinhood bonus are withdrawing IRA funds before the 5-year hold, canceling Gold before the required 1-year post-match hold, transferring the account out early, or not meeting basic eligibility such as being a first-time account holder for referral rewards. Terms are set by Robinhood's own promotion pages and can change or expire on short notice, so check the live offer before relying on specific percentages and windows.
Robinhood adds a percentage of your eligible IRA contributions as a match. Everyone gets 1% with no subscription required, and Robinhood Gold subscribers get 3%, so a full $7,500 contribution for 2026 earns $75, or $225 with Gold. The match does not count toward your annual IRA contribution limit, but you must keep the matched money in the IRA for 5 years and, for the 3% tier, keep Gold for 1 year after the first Gold match, or Robinhood charges an Early Removal Fee equal to the match or removes the extra 2%.
Yes. To keep the extra 2% that Gold adds, you need to maintain a Gold subscription for one year from the date of your first Gold-tier match. Canceling early puts that portion of the match at risk.
It depends on the account. In a taxable brokerage account, referral and transfer bonuses are generally reported as other income on a 1099-MISC. Inside an IRA, the match is treated as interest income within the tax-deferred IRA itself, though it can matter for tax purposes in cases like a Roth conversion. Check with a tax professional for your situation.
The advertised range is $5 to $200 in free stock, but per Robinhood's own disclosed odds, about 99% of people who claim the reward get the $5 tier. Treat the higher figures as a rare best case, not a typical outcome.
No. Robinhood's IRA match, transfer match and referral free-stock program are built around US brokerage and retirement account rules and are limited to US residents. The UK arm has run separate, smaller promotions tied to its own products like the stocks and shares ISA.
The main triggers are withdrawing IRA funds before the 5-year holding requirement, canceling Robinhood Gold before the required 1-year post-match hold, or transferring the account away early, which can also add a transfer fee. Referral stock must be held 3 trading days before selling and stay in the account 30 days before proceeds can be withdrawn.