NBKC Bank Business Checking Review 2023
Tricia has nearly two decades of experience in commercial and federal government lending. Her expertise is highlighted throughout small business loan content on Fit Small Business.
Ricci Recto has two years of writing experience creating digital marketing content for finance clients. She specializes in business banking.
This article is part of a larger series on Business Banking.
NBKC Bank (often stylized as “nbkc bank”) is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured online bank with branches in Kansas City, Leawood, and Overland Park. It’s an excellent choice for small business owners in need of affordable business banking solutions. The NBKC business checking account charges no fees for monthly maintenance, day-to-day transactions, incoming wire transfers, or out-of-network ATM fees. Additionally, it offers a $12 reimbursement allowance for any operator surcharges you may incur while using out-of-network ATMs.
What We Like
- No monthly fees, minimum balance, and initial deposit required
- No fees for incoming domestic wires
- ATM fee reimbursements of up to $12 per month
Drawbacks
- Limited branches (only in Kansas and Missouri)
- No interest-earning checking
- Steep international wire transfer fees
Features
- Free Business Debit Mastercard
- Business account add-ons such as business fraud tools and desktop deposits
- Deposit checks and pay bills via the NBKC app on your mobile, tablet, or desktop
- Autobooks software integration
- Business money market accounts and business certificates of deposit (CDs)
How NBKC Bank Stacks Up With Its Competitors
Annual Percentage Yield (APY) | Cash Deposit Fee | ATM Fee | Minimum Opening Deposit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Business Checking | None | None at NBKC Bank and MoneyPass ATMs | Refunds ATM fees up to $12 per month | None |
 Business Checking | None | None, cash is deposited through money orders | Refunds all ATM fees | None |
 Business Checking | 2.00% on balances of $250,000 or less | $4.95 per deposit at Green Dot locations | None at MoneyPass locations; $2.50 plus operator fees for nonnetworks | None |
When NBKC Bank Is a Good Fit
- You want to save on transaction fees and monthly service fees: NBKC Bank doesn’t require a minimum opening deposit or a maintaining balance and doesn’t charge monthly service fees or incoming domestic wires. There are also no transaction limits when you deposit cash or checks or transfer funds.
- You use domestic wire transfers regularly: Under NBKC, incoming domestic wire transfers are free, while outgoing domestic wire transfers cost $5.
- You want to save on ATM fees: ATM transactions are free in MoneyPass and NBKC machines. NBKC charges no fees for nonnetwork use and refunds any third-party operator fees you may incur, for a maximum of $12 per month.
When NBKC Bank Is Not a Good Fit
- You want to earn interest on checking deposits: The NBKC business checking account doesn’t earn interest. If interest-earning potential is high on your list of business banking priorities, look into Bluevine, which offers 2.00% APY on balances of $250,000 and less if you meet its monthly activity requirements. Read our Bluevine business checking review for more information.
- You want nationwide access to in-person banking: Currently, there are only four brick-and-mortar NBKC branches in operation, which are all located in the Kansas City area. If you need a bank with a wider service area, consider Chase, which has branches in 48 states. Our Chase business checking review can help you determine which of its accounts is best for your business.
- You use international wire transfers regularly: NBKC charges $45 for both incoming and outgoing international wire transfers. A good alternative is the financial technology (fintech) solution Mercury, which charges $0 for all wire transfers. For more details, check out our Mercury business checking review.
Check out our roundup of the best small business checking accounts for additional recommendations.
NBKC Bank Business Checking Overview
NBKC Bank Business Checking Requirements
You can visit the NBKC Bank website to open a business bank account. You’re required to provide your name, address, date of birth, and other details, including your business information and a government-issued ID. Only applicants who meet the following criteria are eligible to open an account:
- Your business is located in the United States
- You’re a permanent resident of the US
- You have a valid mailing address in the US
- You have a Social Security number
During the application process, NBKC Bank may request additional business documents, which differ depending on your business entity type. Documents NBKC typically requests include the following:
- Articles of incorporation
- Articles of organization
- Proof of employer identification number (EIN)
- Partnership agreement
- Fictitious name certification
You may refer to our guide on how to open a business bank account for assistance. We included a downloadable checklist of required documents to help you through the process.
NBKC Bank Business Checking Features
NBKC Bank’s business checking account has no monthly fees, provides a free business debit Mastercard, offers free incoming domestic wire fees, and gives you access to multiple lending products.
Zero Fees
NBKC helps business owners save more with the following:
- $0 minimum deposit, $0 minimum balance, and $0 for a debit Mastercard
- $0 for returned electronic or paper items, $0 for overdrafts or nonsufficient funds (NSFs)
- $0 for Business Online Banking, $0 for Bill Pay on your phone, tablet, and desktop
- $0 to deposit checks at a branch and via the NBKC app on your phone or tablet
- $0 eStatements, $0 for stop payments (whether in-branch or online)
- $0 for incoming domestic wires
Business Debit Mastercard
The NBKC bank business checking account comes with a free Business Debit Mastercard, which lets you make fee-free transactions at NBKC and MoneyPass ATMs. There’s no fee for out-of-network usage, and NBKC will reimburse you for up to $12 for any third-party operator fees you incur when making out-of-network transactions.
ATM Cash & Check Deposits
You can deposit cash or checks for free at deposit-enabled NBKC and MoneyPass ATMs. Funds deposited through NBKC ATMs will be released to your account within one business day. However, funds deposited through MoneyPass ATMs take up to five business days to become available.
NBKC Mobile App
You can download NBKC Bank’s mobile banking app via the App Store and Google Play. It lets you
- Check balances
- View pending transactions
- Create, approve, cancel, or view fund transfers
- View your transaction history
- Look up branch hours and location information
- Deposit checks via mobile check deposit
Reviews for the app are mostly positive. It earned a rating of 4.4 on the App Store and 4.1 on Google Play. Reviewers find the app user-friendly and the layout easy to navigate. However, one complaint mentioned issues with mobile check deposit image capturing.
Other Banking Products & Services
Savings Products
- Money Market Account: The NBKC Money Market Account offers an APY rate of 1.75%. Although there’s no minimum opening deposit, the minimum balance to earn interest is 1 cent. Read our NBKC Bank business savings review to learn more.
- CDs: For a minimum opening deposit of $1,000 you can earn interest at rates between 0.10% to 3.25%. CD terms range from six months to five years.
Lending Products
- Lines of credit
- Equipment loans
- Construction and commercial real estate loans
- SBA loans
Credit Cards
NBKC offers multiple business credit cards, including cash back credit cards, low-APR credit cards, and rewards-earning cards.
Autobooks
With Autobooks, you can create professional invoices and send them directly to your customers’ emails. The software lets you pay with your debit or credit card, or through an online bank transfer straight into your NBKC business checking account. You can monitor the payment activity easily and access detailed balance sheets or general ledger (GL) reports. It’s free for the first 60 days and costs $10 per month after that.
Business Solutions
NBKC Bank allows you to customize your business account according to your needs. You can sign up for monthly or yearly account add-on services, such as automated clearing house (ACH) credits and debits, desktop deposits, business fraud tools, and extended archives. Sweep solutions are also available with their own monthly or yearly fees.
NBKC Bank Business Checking User Reviews
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Few fees | Long account opening and setup time |
| Good customer service | Long hold times for check clearing |
| Unexplained account closures | |
NBKC Bank has 4.9 stars on WalletHub1 (based on 10,000-plus reviews), 2 stars on DepositAccounts2 (based on more than five reviews), and 3.0 stars on Trustpilot3 (based on 30-plus reviews). The majority of positive reviews posted praised its business checking account for charging few fees, particularly singling out the lack of an overdraft fee.
Other positive reviews praise the bank for offering helpful and friendly customer service. According to a few, the bank’s customer service arm is knowledgeable and quick to respond to concerns.
However, many negative reviews are about slow service. Reviewers complained that the business checking account opening process takes too long, with many having claimed to wait as long as one month to open their accounts. Many also said they were made to wait nearly one month to receive their business debit cards, despite the bank advertising a wait time of seven to 10 business days.
Slowness is also an issue for check-clearing—multiple reviewers said that NBKC Bank held the funds from deposited checks for as long as two weeks. Account closures are another common complaint. Many reported that NBKC Bank closed their accounts without providing a warning or proper explanation.
Bottom Line
With unlimited fee-free transactions, no monthly fees, and no minimum balance requirements, the NBKC Bank business checking account is a great option for business owners wanting to save on fees. Though the bank has very few brick-and-mortar branches, past customers have remarked that its responsive customer service and intuitive digital banking solutions make the banking experience enjoyable. However, user reviews show a tendency toward slowness with account opening, debit card deliveries, and check-clearing.
User review references:
1WalletHub
2DepositAccounts
3Trustpilot
