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Chase Business Complete Banking℠
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Annual Percentage Yield
0%
Minimum Deposit Requirement
$0
Monthly Maintenance Fee
$15
Waivable
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Among the many challenges facing small business owners, one of the most important is choosing the right business banking relationship—whether that means online, in a branch or somewhere in between. For many business owners, the first concern is to establish a business checking account.
Whether you work as a sole proprietor or manage a small business with employees, it’s critical to separate your business finances from your personal finances. Forbes Advisor has done the research to help you find the best business checking account for your small business.
We’ve compared 50 checking accounts at 20 banks and credit unions to find some of the best business checking accounts available. For the purposes of this list, Forbes Advisor focused on checking accounts that are nationally available to small businesses.
Annual percentage yields (APYs) and account details are accurate as of June 2, 2023.
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Annual Percentage Yield | Minimum Deposit Requirement | Monthly Maintenance Fee | Learn More | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nbkc bank Business Checking Account | 4.4 | 0% | $0 | $0 | Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| TIAA Bank Small Business Checking | 4.0 | 0.50% | $1,500 | $0 | Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| LendingClub Tailored Checking Account | 4.0 | Up to 1.50% on balances up to $100,000 and 0.10% APY any balance portion over 100,000 |
$100 | $10 $0 with monthly balance of $500 |
Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| Bluevine Business Checking | 3.9 | 2.00% on balances up to and including $250,000 |
$0 | $0 | Learn More | On Bluevine's Website | |||
| U.S. Bank Silver Business Checking Account Package | 3.8 | 0% | $100 | $0 | Learn More | On U.S. Bank's Website Member FDIC |
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| First Internet Bank Do More Business™ Checking | 3.6 | 0.50% with average daily balance of $10,000 |
$0 | $0 | Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| Novo Business Checking Account | 3.6 | 0% | $0 Though Novo requests $50 |
$0 | Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| Bank of America Business Advantage Fundamentals™ Banking | 3.5 | 0% | $100 | $16 Waivable |
Learn More | Read Our Full Review | |||
| Chase Business Complete Banking℠ | 3.4 | 0% | $0 | $15 Waivable |
Learn More | On Chase's Website | |||
| Axos Bank Basic Business Checking | 3.4 | 0% | $0 | $0 | Learn More | On Axos Bank's Website |
To create this list, Forbes Advisor analyzed 50 business checking accounts at 20 financial institutions, including a mix of traditional brick-and-mortar banks and online banks. We ranked each account on data points within the categories of fees, minimum requirements, customer experience, digital experience, limits, features, APY and access.
Here’s the weighting assigned to each category:
The specific characteristics taken into consideration within each category included monthly fees, overdraft fees, ATM fees, minimum deposit requirements, minimum balance requirements, integration with accounting and payroll, merchant services, cash deposit and transaction limits, APY, customer service ratings, mobile and online access, ATM network and the national availability of the account.
Business checking accounts offering no or very low fees scored higher, as did those offering low minimum requirements, high customer service and digital experience scores, and reasonable transaction and cash deposit limits. To appear on this list, the business checking account must be nationally available.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on How Forbes Advisor Reviews Banks.
A business checking account is a lot like a personal checking account. With both types of accounts, you’re typically able to make deposits and withdrawals, process ACH payments, write checks and use a debit card to make purchases and use ATMs.
The big difference, of course, is that a business checking account holds money for your business, while a personal checking account holds money for personal expenses like mortgage payments, car payments and utility bills. Another key difference: Business bank accounts tend to charge more fees than personal checking accounts do.
Business checking accounts are designed for all types of businesses. Limited liability companies (LLCs), sole proprietors, corporations and partnerships can all open business checking accounts. A business as small as a one-person consulting firm or as large as a 10,000-employee software company can set up a business checking account.
If you own a business, a business checking account lets you separate your business’s money from your personal money. Among the advantages of a business checking account are that it can lend credibility to your business, improve accounting and simplify the filing of tax returns. Business checking accounts also allow you to shield your personal assets from business-related legal actions or debt collection, and they may offer access to a business credit card or a line of credit.
A business checking account provides the foundation of your business banking relationship. One of its most important functions is to separate your business banking from your personal banking.
Here are several things to consider as you’re choosing the right business checking account:
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Choosing the best business checking account for your small business is a personal decision, based on your business’s needs and your own habits and wants.
Once you’ve decided which business checking account to open, you can visit the financial institution’s website, go to a local branch or call customer support to set up the account. Keep in mind that online-only banks usually will steer you toward opening a business checking account through their websites.
Aside from your business’s IRS-issued employer identification number (EIN)—or your Social Security number if you’re a sole proprietor—you’ll probably need to supply the following (although requirements differ depending on the type of business):
Opening a business bank account is a little different from opening a personal checking or savings account. There can be additional documents required to open business checking accounts, including your:
You’ll also need to tell the bank the business name and address and the names of anyone who should be listed as an account owner. The final step is providing funds to cover the initial deposit, which can vary by account.
A business checking account can provide a solid foundation for building a business. Among other things, it can keep your business affairs separate from your personal affairs, streamline accounting and tax-filing responsibilities and protect your personal assets if your business is sued or is targeted by debt collectors. And since many of the accounts on this list are free, there’s no reason not to open one for your business.
The best business bank accounts offer a combination of features and benefits your business needs while keeping fees and surcharges to a minimum.
Business checking accounts are designed to make day-to-day business management easier. You can use them to pay bills, cover your payroll and deposit payments received from customers or clients.
A business savings account is intended to hold funds you don’t plan to spend right away. You could use a business savings account to save for emergencies or short- and long-term goals. Your bank may also allow you to use a business savings account as overdraft protection for your business checking account.
Business savings accounts often earn interest, while business checking accounts usually do not. Keep in mind that savings accounts typically do not allow for unlimited withdrawals. Your bank may cap you at six withdrawals from a business savings account per month and charge a fee for excess withdrawals.
Business checking accounts are meant for everyday spending. They come with a debit card and typically earn little or no interest. Money market accounts (MMAs) earn competitive interest rates like a savings account, but they often come with debit cards or check-writing capabilities like checking accounts, granting you immediate access to your funds.
That said, money market accounts still aren’t designed for day-to-day expenses the way business checking accounts are. Many MMAs only offer ATM access rather than a full debit card, and some don’t offer either. And while you can withdraw money at any time, they may only allow six fee-free withdrawals per month.
Money market accounts are best for businesses that have some savings built up and want to earn interest on funds they don’t plan to access more than a few times each month.
There’s no one checking account that’s best for every business. But accounts that offer low or no fees, debit cards and lending products—plus easy access to branches and ATMs—are smart picks for most small to midsize businesses.
The best business bank accounts are ones that either charge no monthly fees or make it easy to get the fees waived. They also come with extra perks like ATM fee reimbursements, business management services or the ability to earn interest. Ideal business bank accounts also have low minimum opening deposit requirements and no minimum balance requirements.
The right number of business checking accounts for you depends on how you prefer to manage your business income and expenses. It may be a good idea to have at least one business checking account to deposit payments and pay expenses and a separate account to hold cash reserves. You may also consider a business money market account, which allows you to earn interest while offering the flexibility of check-writing or debit card access.
If you’d like to open a business checking account, you’ll first need to decide which bank or credit union you want to work with. You can then submit an online application for a business checking account and provide the required personal and business information. If you’re opening a checking account at a new bank, you’ll also need to link an external account to make your initial deposit.
Whether you are a sole proprietor or a business owner with employees, your business needs a business checking account. For tax purposes, it’s important to separate your personal finances from your business finances right from the start. Even if you’re simply working a side hustle, having a business checking account speaks to your credibility and professionalism.
A number of financial institutions offer free business checking accounts, meaning there are no monthly fees. Many of the financial institutions that offer free business checking are online-only banks that aren’t household names in banking. Some online-only banks that offer free business checking accounts include Axos, BlueVine, Grasshopper, Lili and Novo.
While you may be able to close a business checking account online, you might need to visit a branch or call the financial institution to close your account. Before shutting down an account and transferring your money elsewhere, make sure all pending transactions have cleared and make other arrangements for scheduled payments and deposits. Also ask for written confirmation that the account has been closed.
Since you will be managing both your personal and your business checking accounts, it’s important to know their similarities and differences. While the accounts are similar, they may operate under different rules, fees and assumptions. With a business checking account, you likely will be handling a wider variety of transactions and the quality of your record-keeping matters more.
As is the case with any financial decision, the most important features of a business checking account will be specific to your business, your needs and your personal banking habits. Business-specific features you may want to consider include integration with other accounting tools, e-commerce and payment capabilities, debit card security features and ATM fee rebates.