Make sure that you look at the fine print of each individual deal. Some of the brokerages will add the stock to your account very quickly and it will be available to trade or cash out immediately. Others will have other requirements in order to keep your reward, and will have a holding period during which you can't sell the stock. For example, Tornado requires you make one trade ($4.50) within 1 month of account opening, and the cash reward must be held in your account for 1 year.