Best Small Business Checking Accounts 2025

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post with regularly updated account details.

The best small business checking accounts should have no fees or a low monthly maintenance fee and limited fees for your daily financial transactions, such as deposits, withdrawals, ACH, wires, and ATM usage. They should be accessible on a robust online banking platform, including a mobile app, and also offer outstanding business support products and services—such as lending products, merchant services, and access to interest-earning accounts—regardless of whether the provider is a traditional bank or an online financial technology company (fintech).

Here are my picks for the best small business checking accounts, with links directly to the provider:

• U.S. Bank Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) : Best overall for free checking and for businesses with low transaction volumes
• Bluevine Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through a supporting bank partnership with Coastal Community Bank. : Best overall fintech for interest-earning account with best line of credit
• Chase Member FDIC : Best for full-service small business banking tools and premium checking
• Relay Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through supporting bank partnerships with Evolve Bank & Trust and Thread Bank. : Best for businesses needing multiple accounts and debit cards
• Novo Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through a supporting bank partnership with Middlesex Federal Savings. : Best digital-only provider for rapid access to funds and faster payments
• Mercury Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Deposits in checking and savings accounts are held by our banking services partners, Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through insurance to apply. : Best for tech companies, startups, and businesses needing additional FDIC insurance
• Grasshopper Member FDIC : Best digital-only bank for higher yield and integrated free payment software
• Found Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through a supporting bank partnership with Piermont Bank. : Best digital-only provider for self-employed professionals
• Bank of America Member FDIC : Best for ongoing rewards and other business support services
• CapitalOne Member FDIC. This provider is geographically limited. Capital One currently requires that you visit a branch to complete an application to open a business checking account. There are branch locations in Virginia, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C. : Best for unlimited everyday transactions

Best Small Business Checking Accounts at a Glance

U.S. Bank: Best Overall for Free Checking & for Businesses with Low Transaction Volumes

When to Choose U.S. Bank’s Silver Business Checking

• You are looking for a business checking account with no monthly fees: This is one of the reasons why U.S. Bank is the best bank for business checking. There is no monthly fee for the company’s basic business checking, known as Silver Business Checking, making it one of the best free business checking accounts on the market.
• You want a great cash back bonus for a new account: You can earn up to a $900 bonus when you open a new, eligible U.S. Bank business checking account (promo code: Q4AFL24) and complete qualifying activities, subject to certain terms and limitations—offer valid through January 15, 2025. Member FDIC. See our article on the best bank account promos and offers for details on how to qualify.
• You want to access robust business banking services: U.S. Bank offers check fraud prevention tools that limit counterfeit checks and prevent unauthorized debits from posting to your account. Aside from this, the bank provides overdraft protection, remote deposit capture, payroll services, and point-of-sale (POS) services.

When to Consider an Alternative

• You need access to a branch outside of U.S. Bank’s operational footprint: U.S. Bank is our best bank to open a small business account, but branch access may be an issue for your business. It allows you to open accounts from anywhere in the US, but locations are only in 26 states. Consider Chase or Bank of America for more extensive branch access.

Bluevine: Best Overall Fintech for Interest-earning Account With Best Line of Credit

When to Choose Bluevine Standard Checking

• You want to earn interest on your business checking account: Earn up to 1.5% APY on balances up to $250,000. You must spend $500 or more on the company’s debit card or receive $2,500 monthly payments into the account via ACH, wire transfer, mobile check deposit, or a merchant payment processing provider. This is a great way for self-employed individuals or freelancers to earn passive income, which is why Bluevine is in our roundup of the leading banks for self-employed professionals.
• You need a line of credit: Bluevine is our top-recommended small business line of credit. Interest earnings combined with the ability to get a line of credit from the same fintech is one of the reasons Bluevine is one of our top business bank accounts for LLCs.
• You need to send international payments: Bluevine allows you to send international payments, which earned it a spot on our list of the best banks for international businesses. You can send payments to 32 countries in 15 currencies. It can be sent directly from your Bluevine dashboard, and payments can be received in as fast as 24 hours.

When to Consider an Alternative

• You need to make cash deposits regularly or withdraw cash out-of-network: There are fees if you have to deposit cash or withdraw cash out-of-network. Deposits can be made at one of over 90,000 Green Dot retail locations for $4.95 per deposit or at one of over 1,500 Allpoint+ ATMs for $1 per deposit plus 0.5% of the deposit amount. In addition, Bluevine charges $2.50 for nonnetwork ATM withdrawals in addition to third-party fees.

Chase: Best for Full-service Small Business Banking Tools & Premium Checking

When to Choose Chase Business Complete Banking

• You want a bank that offers a full suite of banking services: Chase, our leading bank for small businesses, provides a full-service business banking experience with three different types of business checking accounts, business savings accounts, credit cards, lines of credit, and point-of-sale (POS) and software solutions. See our review of Chase’s business checking accounts to compare them side-by-side.
• You want a cash back bonus for a new account: If you open a Business Complete Banking account by January 16, 2025, you can qualify for a $300 cash back bonus as long as you meet other qualifying actions.
• You prefer the option of in-person banking, especially for businesses on the go: With more than 4,700 branches in 48 states and over 16,000 ATMs, Chase is a great choice for all businesses, but especially for business owners who travel frequently. That’s why Chase is one of our top banks for trucking businesses.

When to Consider an Alternative

• You want a bank account without monthly fees: Chase allows you to waive your monthly fees, but if you want a bank that doesn’t charge them, U.S. Bank is a great option for a traditional bank, and Bluevine is a great online fintech.

Relay: Best for Businesses Needing Multiple Accounts & Debit Cards

When to Choose Relay Standard Checking

• You need the ability to use subaccounts to manage business funds: Relay provides up to 20 checking subaccounts for LLCs or corporations and up to 10 accounts for sole proprietorships or single-member LLCs. For businesses with complex business finances and large teams, the 20 subaccounts allow you to separate reserves for different types of expenses such as taxes and special project funding.
• You have large teams that require debit card access: In addition to a large number of checking accounts, Relay provides up to 50 Visa virtual or physical debit cards. This is great for companies with multiple employees who need the ability to spend on the business account or withdraw cash.
• You are willing to pay for additional account perks: While Relay Standard is free, Relay Pro costs $30 per month. It is not waivable, but the premium tier provides accounts payable support, multistep approval rules for bill payments, batch payments for bills, one-click reconciliation of bills, same-day ACH delivery, and free wire transfers.

When to Consider an Alternative

• You want to earn interest from your business checking: While Relay has a lot of great features, there is no option to earn interest from its checking products. However, it does offer an automated savings account that earns 1% to 3%. If you want interest-bearing checking from your fintech, Bluevine and Grasshopper are your best options.

Novo: Best Digital-only Provider for Rapid Access to Funds & Faster Payments

When to Choose Novo Business Checking

• You use Stripe and want faster access to your funds: If you accept payments from those popular online payment processors, Novo Boost lets you receive payments faster than other providers. Users can connect to Stripe, and get paid via card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or Venmo.
• You need to send or receive same-day ACH payments: Novo offers Express ACH, which enables you to accept or send same-day ACH payments. The combination of Novo Boost and Express ACH gives you access to your money faster than other digital-only providers and makes Novo one of our top banks for ecommerce businesses.
• You want a mostly fee-free online bank account: Novo’s business checking has no monthly fee, nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees, transaction limits, minimum opening deposit, or minimum balance requirements. In addition, if your business makes frequent ATM withdrawals, Novo refunds ATM fees up to $7 monthly.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You want to earn interest on your business funds: While Novo has an excellent business checking product, it doesn’t offer any interest-bearing accounts. You should consider Bluevine or Grasshopper for interest-bearing checking or Relay for interest-bearing savings.

Mercury: Best for Tech Companies, Startups & Businesses Needing Additional FDIC Insurance

When to Choose Mercury Business Checking

• Tech companies and startups with larger balances: Thanks to its Mercury Treasury product, which allows you to earn interest on balances greater than $500,000, it is a great choice for tech companies and larger startups. It is one of our leading banks for startups. And thanks to Treasury, it earns a spot on our list of the best business savings accounts.
• Businesses looking for additional FDIC Insurance: Mercury Vault uses partner banks and a sweep network to extend your FDIC insurance up to $5 million. Extra insurance is critical, especially if you are looking for crypto-friendly business bank accounts.
• You need multiple debit cards with a large ATM network for cash withdrawals: With your Mercury account, you get both physical and virtual debit cards. You can withdraw money from one of the 55,000 Allpoint network ATMs for free. Mercury doesn’t charge for out-of-network ATM withdrawals, but third-party operator fees apply.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You are a sole proprietor or a trust: While most businesses incorporated in the US are eligible for an account, Mercury is unavailable to sole proprietorships and trusts. Chase is a great option for a traditional bank for those types of businesses, while Found is a great option for a fintech.

Grasshopper: Best Digital-only Bank for Higher Yield & Integrated Free Payment Software

When to Choose Grasshopper’s Accelerator Checking

• You want to earn interest on your business checking account: Grasshopper offers up to 1.80% APY uncapped. Balances less than $25,000 or greater than $250,000 earn 1.00% APY, while balances from $25,000 to $250,000 earn 1.80%. Customers must maintain a minimum average balance of $10,000 with no NSF items during the preceding 12 calendar months to earn interest.
• You are looking for cash back rewards on online and in-store debit card purchases: Grasshopper’s debit card earns 1% cash back on all online and in-store debit card purchases.
• You want digital-only banking with great integrations: Grasshopper is an online-only financial institution that provides excellent software integrations, which include free payment software Autobooks and QuickBooks. It’s partly why Grasshopper is on our list of best online business banks for small business checking.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You need to deposit cash: Grasshopper offers one of the best business checking for small businesses, but you cannot deposit cash into your account. If you want a fintech or online bank where you can deposit cash, Bluevine and Relay are great options. Otherwise, choose a traditional bank like Chase, U.S. Bank, or Bank of America.

Found: Best Digital-only Provider for Self-employed Professionals

When to Choose Found Business Checking

• Freelancers looking for detailed expense tracking with integrated bookkeeping: You can categorize expenses, capture receipts, and set custom rules within the Found app. Found also provides unlimited free invoicing and lets you customize invoices with your company logo and colors. You can accept payment for those invoices through Cash App, PayPal, Square, Venmo, and eBay. This is why Found tops our list of the best banks for sole proprietorships.
• Business owners looking for contractor management: With built-in contractor management, Found allows you to request and manage W-9s, 1099 payment reports, 1099-NECs, and more.
• Self-employed professionals looking for tax preparation assistance: Found offers fee-free business checking options without transaction limits and has robust tax tracking and preparation software. You can complete and send your Schedule C from the app and pay your tax bill directly.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You want to earn interest without upgrading to a paid account: Found does offer an interest-bearing checking account, but you have to upgrade to Found Plus, which is $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year. Found Plus checking accounts earn 1.5% APY on balances up to $20,000. Bluevine and Grasshopper offer fee-free interest-earning checking accounts.

Bank of America: Best for Ongoing Rewards & Other Business Support Services

When to Choose Bank of America’s Business Advantage Fundamentals Banking

• Your business deposits large amounts of cash monthly: Bank of America’s Advantage Fundamentals Banking offers up to $5,000 in free cash deposits and 20 free transactions monthly, among the highest free amounts of each when comparing entry-level accounts.
• You want excellent business support products: Bank of America is considered among the best banks for small business checking, offering excellent software integrations, including an outstanding QuickBooks integration. You can check your Dun & Bradstreet business credit score for free within the Bank of America app. This is one of the reasons why the company is in our roundups of the leading banks for small business loans and best banks for real estate investors.
• You need great accounting and cash management software integrations: Bank of America’s platform integrates with QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Zelle for bookkeeping, tax preparation, and online payments. You also get Cash Flow Monitor®, a cash management tool that connects to accounting, analytics, and payroll apps to help track your business finances.

When to Consider an Alternative

• You want to save on ATM fees: Although Bank of America has over 15,000 ATMs nationwide, you get charged $2.50 per transaction when you use out-of-network ATMs. An excellent traditional provider is Capital One, which offers fee-free ATM transactions at over 70,000 Capital One, MoneyPass, and Allpoint ATMs nationwide. For a fintech alternative, consider Novo, which reimburses ATM fees up to $7 monthly.

Capital One: Best for Unlimited Everyday Transactions

When to Choose Capital One Basic Checking

• You want a traditional bank with unlimited free everyday transactions: One advantage Capital One has over other brick-and-mortar banks on this list is that it doesn’t charge fees for everyday account transactions. You get unlimited deposits, withdrawals, and transfers, excluding international wires, cashier’s checks, and other services.
• You want a business bank account with an easily waivable monthly fee: The monthly fee of $15 is easily waivable. You need a 30- or 90-day balance average of $2,000 to waive the fee.
• You need business credit cards: Capital One has a great selection of business credit cards. Check out our buyer’s guide to the best Capital One business credit cards to find one that best fits your business needs.

When to Choose an Alternative

• You require in-person banking: The bank only has branches in Virginia, Texas, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Atlanta, California, and Pennsylvania. If you aren’t near a branch, Chase, U.S. Bank, and Bank of America are great alternatives.

How I Evaluated the Best Business Checking Accounts

To find the 10 best small business checking accounts for you, I looked at many factors affecting daily banking activities. These include fees charged, interest earned, potential rewards, minimum deposit and balance requirements, ATM fees and network size, online and mobile banking features, and other financial products offered by each provider.

Reasons to Consider a Business Checking Account

• Keeps your business and personal finances separated: To maintain the accuracy of your business’s financial records, it’s essential to keep your business and personal finances separate.
• Helps you build your business’s credit: When you open a business bank account, credit bureaus begin tracking your business’s credit history.
• Lets you assess your business’s performance more easily: With your income and expenses running through a dedicated account, it becomes easier to analyze your business’s performance.
• Lends credibility to your business: Customers will see your business as more trustworthy when payments come from a business account.
• Simplifies tax season: Using a business checking account helps maintain a record of income and expenses, simplifying your tax preparation at the end of the year.
• Helps you build a banking relationship: It can be beneficial if you need business financing in the future.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Business Checking Account

While we used our own criteria to select the best small business checking accounts for this list, here are some things you should review before making a selection:

• Determine eligibility for an account. Some accounts are limited to specific business organization types, while others are geographically limited. Check with the financial provider to see if your business organization type allows you to open an account.
• Understand the fee structure. Some providers listed in this guide are fee-free while others offer waivable monthly fees and limited free transactions each month. Consider whether you can meet the criteria to waive any fees if the account offers enough free transactions to meet your needs, and estimate the fees you might pay to see if they are offset by interest earnings.
• Consider the need for a bank with physical locations. If your business transactions require you to visit a branch regularly, choose a bank with a branch near your business. This is usually true when a business regularly handles cash.
• Determine if you can open an account entirely online. Depending on your business structure, you may be able to open your account completely online. However, more complicated business structures—such as multimember LLCs and corporations—often require in-person account opening. Check with the bank to see whether you can open the account online or if you must visit a branch location.
• Read customer reviews. Each of our individual bank reviews includes a customer review section. Remember that customer reviews often include both business and personal accounts, so some might not apply to your potential business account.

What You Need to Open a Small Business Checking Account

Though each provider above may require different documents to open a business bank account, here is a general list of what you will need:

• Employer identification number (EIN) or Social Security number if you’re a sole proprietor
• Fictitious business name certificate or doing-business-as (DBA) certificate
• Business formation documents
• Organization documents, including your ownership agreements
• Business licenses
• Government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who has the best business checking account?

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Bottom Line

All of the banks and fintech companies listed here offer outstanding business checking products. Some providers even have full-service banking, while others specialize in certain aspects of business banking. Understand what you need from a business bank, compare the offerings and fees of each provider in this guide, and choose the bank that best meets your business’s current and future needs