Fremont Bank offers four business checking accounts that can match different transaction volumes and balances. It provides waivable monthly fees, generous free cash deposit allowances, a free business debit Mastercard, digital banking access, fee rebates, and complimentary services. Its other business banking products include analyzed checking, savings accounts, credit cards, and lending products.
With a decade of banking experience, my solid financial background helps me provide the best answers to our audience in line with the Fit Small Business editorial policy.
I strive for accuracy, clarity, and objectivity in writing reviews and guides to ensure that small business owners can access impartial and critical information that supports their business decisions.
I also completed a Business degree and have substantial experience in facilitating account opening, performing KYC, and cross-selling different banking and investment products and services to both retail and preferred clients.
I researched the bank’s website to update this Fremont Bank business checking review. I considered the following:
- Product features
- Monthly fee
- Opening balance
- Required balances
- Account opening requirements
- ATM fees
- Cash deposit fees
- Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
- Monthly transaction limits
- Cash deposit allowances
- Branch accessibility
- Other business banking product
To see how Fremont Bank stacks up to its competitors, I compared its starter account with the other providers. While it charges a monthly fee, you can waive it in several ways. The bank also provides rebates if you enroll in e-statements or Business Bill Pay.
Last year, I requested more account information from the bank via email and had a good experience. The bank’s customer service representative reverted quickly and furnished the account details I needed to complete the review.
Pros
- Flexible requirements for waiving monthly fees
- Generous fee-free cash deposit limits
- Highly rated mobile app
Cons
- No branches outside of California
- Branch visit required for account opening
- High monthly fees for higher-tier accounts
- You have a low business transaction activity: With Business Plus Checking, you get 100 total deposits, deposited checks, presented checks, and automated clearing house (ACH) debits/credits combined per statement.
- You plan to open additional accounts: If you have a Business Preferred Checking or Business Premier Checking account, you can open one or two Business Plus Checking accounts with no monthly service fee.
- You need access to a wide range of lending products: Fremont Bank offers term loans, lines of credit, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, commercial real estate (CRE) loans, and specialty financing. If you have a Fremont Bank commercial lending relationship, you can waive the $12 Business Plus Checking monthly fee.
- You want to earn fee rebates from your checking account: Signing up for e-statements or Business Bill Pay and clearing one bill payment within the same month offers a monthly fee rebate of up to $6 depending on your Fremont business checking product, except for Business Interest Checking.
Fremont Bank Alternatives & Comparison
Account Name | Monthly Service Fee | APY | Free Monthly Transactions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Business Plus Checking | $12; waivable
• Maintain a $5,000 average daily balance OR • Make at least 10 qualifying purchases or one or more qualifying purchases of $250 or more using your Business Debit Mastercard each statement cycle OR • Pay for a Remote Deposit Capture monthly service fee OR • Establish a Fremont Bank commercial lending relationship OR • Enroll in Merchant Services | None | 100, then 50 cents per item |
 | Business Essentials Checking | None | None | Unlimited digital transactions, 25 free teller transactions |
 | Standard | None | Unlimited | |
Visit Bluevine
Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through a supporting bank partnership with Coastal Community Bank.
| ||||
 | Business Checking | None | None | Unlimited |
Visit Novo
Provider is a fintech platform backed by and FDIC-insured through a supporting bank partnership with Middlesex Federal Savings.
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Best For | Learn More | |
|---|---|---|
| You want a bank account from a traditional bank with no monthly fee: Fremont Bank offers a basic tier, Business Plus Checking, with a waivable monthly fee. Meanwhile, U.S. Bank’s starter account, Business Essentials Checking, has no monthly fee and waiver conditions. | Read our U.S. business checking review |
 | You prefer to earn a high APY without paying a monthly fee: Although Fremont Bank has a Business Interest Checking option, you must maintain a $10,000 ADB to waive its $25 monthly service fee. Meanwhile, Bluevine offers a free business checking account that provides 1.5% APY for qualifying balances up to $250,000. | Read our Bluevine business checking review |
| You want to open additional fee-free accounts: Fremont Bank lets you open one or two business checking accounts with no monthly fees—if you link them to higher-tier checking products. However, Novo allows you to create up to 20 checking accounts with no monthly fees, initial deposits, or minimum balance requirements. | Read our Novo business checking review |
Check out more providers in our list of the best small business checking accounts.
Fremont Bank Business Checking Reviews From Users
Only a few Fremont Bank business checking reviews are available on user review platforms. The bank received a rating of 3.4 on both WalletHub[1] (from about 200 reviews) and Yelp[2] (from about 80 reviews). Many of the comments centered on the bank’s customer service.
While some users shared positive experiences with the client service team, others reported frustration with the staff they interacted with. They complained about rude and unprofessional behavior from representatives and not getting callbacks after a mutually agreed time.
Meanwhile, Fremont Bank’s mobile app earned a rating of 4.7 on the App Store[3] from around 2,400 reviews and 3.0 on Google Play[4] from about 10 reviews. Many reviewers said the user interface was excellent, making it easy to navigate. No recent negative feedback was written within the past year.
Fremont Bank Business Checking Terms & Features
Fremont Bank Business Checking Requirements
Opening a Fremont Bank business checking account online requires contacting a bank relationship manager by calling 510-723-5831 or 866-222-7215. You can also visit one of its 21 branches to open an account.
- Business license (required only if a fictitious business name statement is not required)
- Fictitious business name statement
- Fictitious business name statement
- Statement by foreign partnership – must be filed with the California Secretary of State
- Fictitious business name statement
- Certificate of limited partnership – must be filed with the California Secretary of State, if amended, then also obtain amendment to certificate of limited partnership (LP-2)
- Fictitious business name statement
- Certificate of limited partnership – must be filed with the California Secretary of State, if amended, then also obtain amendment to certificate of limited partnership
- Certificate of registration or application for registration of foreign limited partnership if the client no longer has the original certificate of registration – must be filed with the California Secretary of State
- Fictitious business name statement
- Articles of incorporation (plus any amendments/modifications) – must be filed with the California Secretary of State. If the client can’t provide articles, print business entity detail from the California Secretary of State website that indicates active status.
- Statement of information (California stock, agricultural cooperative, and foreign corporations) – must be filed with the California Secretary of State and be the most recent completed copy If the provided statement of information indicates there has been no change in any information since the last filing, the client must also provide the most recent filed copy that details the members/managers. . The declaration instead of statement of information may only be used while awaiting the filed copy from the State of California, such as in cases of a new business that recently filed or an old filing where the state website does not contain a completed statement of information.
- Fictitious business name statement – only required if the business is operating in a name other than the corporate name. It must be filed with the respective county clerk’s office.
- Articles of organization – must be filed with the California Secretary of State. If the client can’t provide articles, print business entity detail from the California Secretary of State website that indicates active status. If amended, also obtain an amendment to the articles of organization of an LLC.
- Statement of information (LLC) – must be filed with the California Secretary of State and be the most recent completed copy. The declaration instead of statement of information may only be used while awaiting the filed copy from the State of California.
- Fictitious business name statement – only required if the business is operating in a name other than the LLC name. It must be filed with the respective county clerk’s office.
Before heading to the bank, check our guide on how to open a business bank account to view a free downloadable checklist of required documents.
Fremont Bank Business Checking Features
Waived Monthly Fees for Additional Accounts | For Business Preferred Checking and Business Premier Checking accounts:
|
|---|---|
Complimentary Services |
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Digital Banking |
|
Multiple Rebates |
|
Free/Discounted RDC Unit | Business Premier Checking users can get a single-feed RDC unit with no fee or a discounted multi-feed unit. |
Access to Allpoint ATMs | Use over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs without paying any surcharge. |
Debit Card | Get a Fremont Bank Business Debit Mastercard. |
Software Integrations | Heartland for payroll and HR services; QuickBooks for accounting |
Business Payment Integration | Select Bankcard for payment processing services |
Customer Service |
Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Other Fremont Bank Business Products
- Business Analyzed Checking
- Statement Savings
- Money Market Checking
- Premier Money Market Checking
- Business certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Business credit cards
- Term loans
- Business lines of credit
- SBA loans
- CRE loans
- Multifamily loans
- Construction loans
- Specialty financing
- Treasury management services
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Fremont Bank is locally owned by the Hyman family.
Yes. Fremont Bank is a member of the FDIC, and deposits are insured up to $250,000 per depositor and per account ownership category.
Yes, it is, since it is a family-owned or locally-owned financial institution.
The Fremont Business Interest Checking account has a variable interest rate.
What is the minimum initial deposit to open a Fremont Bank business checking account?
Bottom Line
Fremont Bank is an excellent choice for businesses in California since it offers a great variety of business checking accounts for different business needs. You can open a starter account— Business Plus Checking—and switch to the next tier as your business grows. If you seek more account benefits, opening a Business Preferred or Business Premier Checking account is recommended for its monthly fee waivers, multiple rebates, and superb complimentary services.
User review references:
[1]WalletHub
[2]Yelp
[3]App Store
[4]Google Play