Tri Counties Bank is a decent choice for California-based businesses seeking a community bank that can accommodate all business banking needs. It provides multiple scalable business checking account options, with free monthly transactions starting at 200 for its basic accounts.
It also offers an extensive selection of additional banking products, including savings, loans, Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS), and Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plans. It even has a specialized checking product for nonprofits.
Pros
- 200 fee-free transactions for entry-level and mid-tier accounts
- $5,000 cash deposit limit for entry-level account
- No monthly fee for nonprofit account
Cons
- Branches limited to California
- No interest-earning accounts
- High maintaining balance required to waive monthly fee
Features
- Optional Visa Business Debit Card
- Fee-free access to Tri Counties Bank and MoneyPass ATMs
- Online and Mobile Banking
- Business Bill Pay
- Business savings products, certificates of deposit (CDs), CDARS, SEPs, lending products, and credit cards available
How Tri Counties Bank Stacks Up With Its Competitors
When Tri Counties Bank Is a Good Fit
- You have a low or moderate monthly transaction volume: Both Start Up Business Checking and Small Business Checking offer a limit of 200 fee-free transactions. Start Up Business Checking also offers a fee-free cash deposit limit of $5,000, while Small Business Checking provides up to $10,000.
- You run a nonprofit organization: Tri Counties Bank offers several products for nonprofits, including nonprofit checking accounts with no monthly fees, savings accounts, and business CDs.
- You want to extend your FDIC insurance: Through the Tri Counties Bank CDARS, you can spread your savings in amounts of $250,000 or less across multiple CDs issued by different banks within Tri Counties Bank’s network. FDIC insurance will apply to all CDs.
When To Choose a Tri Counties Bank Alternative
- Your business is located outside California: Tri Counties Bank has no physical branches outside California—and you are required to visit a branch to open an account. If you’re looking for a bank with wider geographic coverage, consider Chase, which has more than 4,700 locations across 48 states. Read our Chase Business Complete Banking review to learn more about the provider’s basic account.
- You want to bank without a monthly fee: All Tri Counties Bank regular business checking accounts charge monthly fees. If you want a fee-free business checking account from a traditional provider, we recommend the U.S. Bank’s Silver Business Checking. See our review of U.S. Bank business checking to assess if the product’s the right fit.
- You want to earn interest on checking deposits: None of Tri Counties Bank’s checking accounts earn interest. The best provider for interest-earning checking is Bluevine, which offers 2.0% annual percentage yield (APY) on qualifying balances up to $250,000 on its standard account. Our Bluevine business checking review discusses the conditions in detail.
Tri Counties Bank Business Checking Overview
Tri Counties Bank Business Checking Requirements
To open a business bank account with Tri Counties Bank, you are required to visit a branch. Specific Tri Counties Bank business checking requirements differ depending on your business entity type. Click on your entity type below to learn more.
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Filed copy of articles of incorporation
- Filed copy of current statement of information or corporate resolution
- May also be required as applicable:
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Filed copy of statement and designation by a foreign corporation or certificate of status/good standing (if corporation was formed outside California)
- Certified amendments to the articles of incorporation
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Partnership agreement
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Joint venture agreement
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Filed copy of certificate of LP
- LP agreement
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement (if applicable)
- Filed copy of application to register a foreign LP or certificate of status/good standing (if LP was formed outside California)
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Filed copy of application to register an LLP
- LLP agreement
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form
- Filed copy of articles of organization or certificate of formation/organization
- Filed copy of current statement of information or operating agreement (both documents may be necessary to confirm the management of the LLC)
- May also be required as applicable:
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Filed copy of application to register a foreign LLC or certificate of status/good standing, if applicable
- LLC was formed outside California
- Filed copy of certified amendments to the articles of organization, if applicable
- Charter or by-laws
- Current meeting minutes or letter of authorization that authorize the account and designate signers
- Filed copy of fictitious business name statement, if applicable
- Certification of beneficial owners of legal entities form, required when the fiduciary is a “covered” entity
- Applicable entity documentation for fiduciary
- Applicable entity formation documentation for the client/property owner; required when the account is housed under the client’s employer identification number (EIN)
- Authorization agreement for endorsement and deposit form (provided at account opening, if applicable)
- Public agency authorization to open the account and designation of signers
- Contract for deposit of monies and waiver of security form (obtained and completed at account opening)
- Filed copy of fictitious name statement, if applicable
- Current certification of trust, dated within the past 12 months
- Page from the trust showing the business is an asset or the trustee has power to operate a business (required if the trustee is not a trustor)
- Filed copy of fictitious name statement, if applicable
Tri Counties Bank Business Checking Features
Visa Business Debit Card
Upon opening your Tri Counties Bank business checking account, you have the option to apply for a Visa Business Debit Card. The card uses contactless technology and Zero Liability Card Protection. It can be connected to digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Enrolling your card in the Visa SavingsEdge program gives you access to discount deals with Visa’s partner merchants, which include Microsoft 365, and FreshBooks.
Online Banking Solutions
Tri Counties Bank’s online banking solution Trico Business Express lets customers manage their accounts online. Through Trico Business Express, you can:
- View balances and pending transactions in real time
- Set up one-time or recurring payments
- Transfer funds between accounts
- Access e-statements
- Originate ACH and wire payments or utilize remote deposit capture (RDC)
- Authorize users for different access levels
To enroll in these services, you need to call Tri Counties Bank at (800) 922-8742 or contact your local branch.
If your business has more sophisticated online banking needs, you can upgrade to Trico Treasury Center for a monthly fee of $18. Upgrading gives you access to the following:
- A dashboard that summarizes banking activity and account relationships
- Reporting capabilities
- Fraud prevention tools
- Online ACH, RDC, wire transfer, foreign exchange (FX) integration, and more
Mobile Banking
The Tri Counties Bank mobile app lets users do the following:
- View balances
- View transaction history
- Transfer funds
- Pay bills
- Look up ATM and branch locations
- Deposit checks with mobile check deposit
The bank’s app received low or average ratings, earning 2 out of 5 on the App Store[1] (based on about 20 reviews) and 3.5 out of 5 on Google Play[2] (based on around 10 reviews). However, very few of the existing reviews were posted within the last three years. A handful of users said that the app was slow and glitchy.
Other Tri Counties Bank Business Products
Tri Counties Bank offers business checking accounts for enterprises, specialized checking, savings products, credit cards, lending products, CDARS, and SEP Plans.
Accounts with more complex business needs can upgrade to one of two accounts:
- Enterprise Checking: Large companies with more transaction activity and higher balances can open this account. It provides up to 400 free monthly transactions and up to $20,000 free monthly cash deposits. It requires a daily balance of $25,000 to waive the monthly maintenance fee of $30.
- Analysis Business Checking: This account is designed for businesses with high transaction volumes and complex cash management needs. It requires a $100 opening deposit and charges a monthly maintenance fee of $25, which can be offset by receiving earnings credit.
Tri Counties Bank offers specialized accounts for nonprofit organizations, public or government entities, and licensed attorneys:
- Public Funds Checking, for government and public entities, charges a monthly fee of $10.95, waivable with a minimum balance of $2,500. It offers unlimited transactions and cash deposits. A Public Funds Checking With Interest option, with a monthly fee of $10, is also available.
- State Bar Legal Services Checking is an interest-earning account for licensed attorneys. It charges no monthly fee and offers unlimited transactions and cash deposits. Any interest that the account accrues is paid to the State Bar’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program.
There are five types of Tri Counties Bank savings accounts. Each account has a minimum opening deposit requirement of $100. All accounts include variable interest that’s compounded daily and paid monthly:
- Business Savings charges a monthly fee of $5, waivable with a minimum balance of $300.
- Public Fund Savings charges the same fees above but is exclusive to public and government agencies.
- Tiered Business Savings charges a monthly fee of $8, waivable with a minimum balance of $1,000. It offers tiered interest rates
- Business Money Market has a waivable monthly fee of $10 and a minimum balance requirement of $2,500.
- Business Premier Money Market, which has the same monthly fee but a minimum balance requirement of $10,000, is an ideal upgrade if you want to increase your interest-earning potential.
Tri Counties Bank also offers two types of CDs: one for businesses, and another for public agencies and government entities. Neither account charges monthly fees, but both have a minimum balance requirement of $1,000 to earn interest:
- For Business CDs, the shortest term available is one month while the longest term available is five years.
- Public Funds CDs offer three-, six-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month terms.
Rate information is unavailable on the Tri Counties Bank website. You must contact Tri Counties Bank to learn more about its current interest rates.
- Small business loans, which include lines of credit, term loans, equipment loans, and auto loans.
- Agriculture loans for California-based agricultural programs. Products include small farm programs, crops and livestock, agricultural land, and agricultural equipment.
- Government-guaranteed Loans, such as SBA 7(a) loans, SBA Express Loans and lines of credit, and SBA 504 Loans; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Loans; and Bureau of Indian Affairs loans.
Tri Counties Bank offers two types of credit cards:
- The Visa® Business credit card is a simple credit card with no annual fee.
- The Visa® Business Platinum credit card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no caps. The card has no annual fee.
Tri Counties Bank CDARS provides extended FDIC insurance coverage for deposit amounts between $250,000 and $10,000,000. The minimum deposit requirement for opening a CDARS account is $100,000.
By depositing money in a CDARS account, you let Tri Counties Bank spread your funds across CD accounts from multiple banks. One rate will apply to the entire deposit.
Tri Counties Bank offers SEPs that help your employees save for retirement. Employees can save using savings accounts and/or CDs.
Tri Counties Bank Business Checking Reviews From Users
Not many clients have left a Tri Counties Bank business checking review on review websites. While the bank has a rating of 1.8 on WalletHub[3] (based on around 30 reviews), only two users provided written reviews in the last three years. There are a few reviews available on Better Business Bureau[4], but the website provided no overall rating.
A few customers said that the bank was inefficient at assisting with fraud cases. One reviewer, in particular, said that the bank failed to provide access to digital banking, which left them no way to use their funds. Many users also complained about poor customer service, criticizing representatives’ lack of communication, unreturned calls, and unprofessional behavior.
Bottom Line
Tri Counties Bank’s business checking accounts come with moderate to high free transactions, making them attractive for small and mid-sized businesses in California. Nonprofit organizations will appreciate the bank’s specialty account, Not For Profit Business Checking, which has no monthly fees.
The bank also provides various business services, including CDARS and SEP plans. However, its requirement of maintaining a steep balance to waive the monthly fees and the lack of APY can be potential drawbacks.
