Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own. Advertiser disclosure

8 best free business checking accounts

Explore free small business checking accounts with free transactions, no monthly fee or overdrafts.

Avatar
Avatar

By

Cassidy Horton

&

Steven Dashiell

Reviewed by

Alexa Serrano Cruz

Updated

Fact checked

A business bank account helps keep your personal expenses separate from your business expenses and keeps you stay in the clear from a legal and compliance standpoint. In addition to this base necessity, the best free business checking accounts have no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum opening deposit or overdraft fees and offer built-in tools to help you manage your cash flow.

Best free business checking accounts

Do a deep dive into the best accounts by comparing their pros and cons:

Best overall

NBKC Business Checking

4.5
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site
NBKC takes the win for best overall business checking account. It has very few fees, requires no deposit to open and has no minimum balance requirement. You'll pay $0 on nearly every function, including overdrafts, e-statements, stop payments, and incoming domestic wires. And if you use an out-of-network ATM and incur a fee, the account offers up to $12 in reimbursements per month.

Best for accountants and bookkeepers

Novo Business

4.4
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Novo earns our best pick for accountants and bookkeepers thanks to its list of supported software integrations: you can connect Novo to Slack, Stripe, Zapier, Venmo and more. The account also carries no monthly fees and has no minimum deposit requirement to open. Plus, there's no ATM fees, foreign transaction fees, incoming wire fees, or debit card replacement fees. This all makes Novo an ideal choice for accountants, but also for other small businesses like restaurants or hair stylists that want to keep their business finances and information all in one place.

Partner terms and conditions
Novo is a fintech company; not a bank. Deposit account services provided by Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A., Member FDIC. Physical debit cards issued by Middlesex Federal Savings or Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC; virtual cards issued by Patriot Bank, pursuant to licenses from Mastercard® International Incorporated. Mastercard can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Best for team access

Relay

4.3
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Relay takes the crown for best account for team access as it allows businesses to create up to 20 checking accounts and customize them as needed, whether as a way to categorize finances or assign accounts to specific teams for their own needs. It's also a flexible business checking account aside from this strength, with a baseline of no minimum opening deposit and no monthly, foreign transaction or ATM fees. This business account also lets you assign up to 50 debit cards to employees, while maintaining control over daily spending and ATM withdrawals. In addition, Relay offers a savings account where you can earn 1.00% to 3.00% APY, depending on your balance.

Partner terms and conditions
Relay is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services and FDIC insurance are provided through Thread Bank and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.The Relay Visa® Debit Card is issued by Thread Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa® debit cards are accepted.

Best for high APY

Bluevine Business Checking

4.6
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
With a rate of up to 2% APY, Bluevine wins our pick for best business account for it's high APY on it's free plan option, Bluevine Standard. This is the highest interest rate available on a free business checking account on balances up to $250,000. To earn this, businesses only need to spend $500 or earn $2,500 each month. You'll also get high FDIC insurance, up to up to $3 million through Coastal Community Bank and a network of program banks. You'll enjoy no monthly fees, have unlimited transactions, the ability to create subaccounts, take advantage of team management tools, and access more than 38,000 ATM locations nationwide. And if you can swing it, you can choose the paid plan option Bluevine Premier which offers a much higher APY of 4.25% with no activity requirements, but it comes with a waivable $95 monthly fee.

Best for free reimbursements

Axos Bank Basic Business Checking

4.5
★★★★★

Finder score

Open a business checking account by Dec. 31 and get up to $400 when you use promo code NEW400 on your application and maintain a minimum average daily balance of $50,000.
Axos Bank's Basic Business Checking account wins a spot on our list thanks to a generous reimbursement policy that few other business bank accounts can match. It offers unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements and two outgoing wire transfer fee reimbursements per month. Axos also gifts the first 50 checks for free, and incoming domestic wire transfers are free as well. To cap off the generosity, there's no monthly fee or minimum opening deposit, resulting in a friendly, lenient business banking champion.

Best for free domestic wire transfers

Mercury

4.5
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Mercury is best for free wire transfers as it offers free domestic wire transfers and free outgoing international wires in USD. This is quite generous for a business checking account, as many accounts at least charge international wire transfers. You'll pay $0 to open and maintain the account and there are no overdraft fees. The only fees featured are on optional functions, like exchanging money in non-US currency or sending money internationally with premium processing. Mercury also offers an array of business integrations like QuickBooks and Stripe, and the potential to open up a cash management account earning a high yield when you have a large enough balance. While the account comes with a checking and savings account, you earn very little back in interest.

Best for early access to payments

Lili

4.6
★★★★★

Finder score

30 day free trial for Lili Pro, Lili Smart, and Lili Premium
Go to site Read review
While there are other accounts on our list that also offer early access to payments, Lili wins due to the ease. Most other accounts require a third-party app integration or a setup to access early payment features. The free Lili Basic plan has no monthly fee, no minimum opening deposit, and no overdraft fees. The free plan also lets you set up automatic savings for emergencies, receive domestic wires and enjoy a large fee-free ATM network. With the paid plans, starting at $9 per month, you can automatically set aside a portion of your paycheck for taxes as well. And while many digital banks don't support cash deposits at all, Lili accepts them at Green Dot locations.

Best for one-person businesses

Found

4
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Found only services businesses operated by one person like gig workers and freelancers. As a result, Found offers some great specialized features useful for these business owners, including the ability to create invoices, track expenses and income, create basic reports, and calculate and save taxes in Found's savings account. All of these perks are helpful to one-person businesses and free of charge, helping Found earn our pick as the best account for such businesses. Plus business owners can choose to subscribe to Found Plus for $19.99 a month or $149.99 per year to earn additional perks, such as a 1.5% APY on balances up to $20,000 and custom expense categories

Partner terms and conditions
Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Piermont Bank, Member FDIC. The Found Mastercard®️ debit card is issued by Piermont Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard Inc. Found’s core features are free. Found also offers a paid product, Found Plus.

Methodology: How we choose the best accounts

Finder’s banking experts review more than 41 business checking accounts to determine which banks offer the best perks and features to businesses at no extra cost. We choose the accounts with the highest APYs, most software integrations, and least number of miscellaneous fees for a given category on our list. But for our experts to consider an account for this list, it must first meet the following criteria:

  • $0 monthly fee
  • $0 opening deposit
  • $0 overdraft fee
  • $0 incoming domestic wire fees or reimbursements for wire fees
  • $0 ATM fees or at least two out-of-network ATM reimbursements

How to find the best free business checking account

Find the best account for your business needs by considering these factors:

  • Monthly fees. Some business bank accounts charge a monthly fee. This fee comes in at around $7 a month based on Finder’s internal data.
  • Minimum opening deposit. Look for an account with no deposit requirement, so that you don’t have to transfer money during your application process.
  • Integrations. Many business accounts come with some form of software integration, such as connecting to QuickBooks. These can make tracking and managing your business finances or taxes much easier.
  • Transaction limits. Unlike personal checking accounts, business accounts limit how many deposits and transfers you make each month before you pay a fee. Most have a 200 to 500 transaction limit, but you’ll find some that offer unlimited transactions.
  • Interest. While it’s rare for a business checking account to offer interest, there are some like Bluevine that offer strong yields when you meet certain requirements. If you want to grow your money, look for one that earns above the national average which is currently at 0.07% APY for checking accounts, according to the FDIC.
  • Overdraft fees. The average overdraft fee will cost around $30, according to the FDIC. If you’re prone to overdraw on your account, these fees can add up quickly and hurt your finances. All of the accounts on our best list omit this fee or offer overdraft protection.
  • Cash deposits. Although most online business checking accounts don’t come with the ability to make cash deposits, some like Bluevine are starting to offer it for a fee. Check the bank’s ATM network as well as whether they offer reimbursements for ATM fees.
A photo of stevendashiell

Expert tip: Consider where your business will operate before opening an account.

Some banks only allow you to open a business bank account in the same state where your business operates and where one member of the LLC resides. If you need to access your account in other states as well, look at banks that service a wide network in the US, such as Chase or Capital One. Also look at online and digital business bank accounts, which offer more flexibility in this area.

— Steven Dashiell, .

Free business checking accounts by state

Use this table to find which free business checking accounts are available in your state or online. Compare features like monthly transaction limits and minimum opening deposits of each to find one that best suits your needs.

What do I need to open a free business checking account online?

Applying online for a business account typically takes a few minutes with the right documents in hand, but the exact steps will look different from bank to bank. Here is what you’ll need to bring with you.

  1. Social Security number
  2. Government-issued ID
  3. Employee Identification Number (EIN)
  4. Business certifications
  5. Ownership agreements

Can I open a free business checking account online with no minimum deposit?

Yes, there are many free online business accounts that don’t require a minimum opening deposit or minimum balance. A few examples include NBKC Business Checking, Lili, Found, Novo and Bluevine Business Checking.

Because digital business accounts have less overhead costs than traditional accounts, they’re able to offer better perks, like no minimum opening deposits to their customers.

Compare top business checking accounts

Narrow down business accounts by monthly fee, APY and ATMs to find the best for your budget and financial goals. Select Compare for up to four products to see their benefits side by side.

Updated regularly
Name Product Fee Annual Percentage Yield (APY) FDIC Insured Amount Software Integrations Account management Bank transfer fee Offer
Novo Business
Finder Rating: 4.4 / 5: ★★★★★
Novo Business
$0 per month
N/A
Up to $250,000
15+ integrations: Square, Etsy, Shopify, etc
Online, App, Phone
$0
Go to site
View details
Relay
Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★
Relay
$0 per month
Up to 3.00% on balances of $1,000,000+
2.00% on balances of $250,000 to $999,999
1.50% on balances of $50,000 to $249,999
Up to $2.5 million
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto, Plaid, and Yodlee
Online, App, Phone
$0
Go to site
View details
Chase Business Complete Banking®
Finder Rating: 2.8 / 5: ★★★★★
Bonus
Chase Business Complete Banking®
$15 per month
N/A
Up to $250,00
N/A
Branch, Online, App, Phone
$0
$300 bonus when you open a new account, deposit $2,000+ of new money in the first 30 days, maintain your balance for 60 days and make 5 qualifying transactions in the first 90 days. For new Chase business checking customers.
Go to site
View details
Bluevine Business Checking
Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★
Bluevine Business Checking
From $0 per month
4.25% on balances of $0+
2.00% on balances of $0 to $250,000
Up to $3 million
Cash App, Expensify, Quickbooks, Square, Wave, Wise, Venmo, and Xero
Online, App, Phone
$0
Go to site
View details
Mercury
Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5: ★★★★★
Mercury
$0 per month
N/A
Up to $5 million
QuickBooks, Stripe, Xero, etc
Online, App, Phone
$0
Go to site
View details
loading

Bottom line

Whether you started your business today or have been making money for years, there’s a free business checking account out there to meet your banking needs. Be sure to find one that can accommodate the size of your business and won’t hit you with little fees if you have a better month than usual. The best business checking accounts are ones that offer a perfect mix of features, high transactions and low fees.

  1. “Open a business bank account,” U.S. Small Business Administration, March 2023
  2. “National Rates and Rate Caps,” FDIC, February 21 2023
  3. “Your guide to preventing and managing overdraft fees,” FDIC, March 2023
  4. “Can I Open a Business Bank Account in Another State?,” Upcounsel, October 29, 2020

More guides on Finder

Ask an Expert

Finder.com provides guides and information on a range of products and services. Because our content is not financial advice, we suggest talking with a professional before you make any decision.

By submitting your comment or question, you agree to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and finder.com Terms of Use.

Questions and responses on finder.com are not provided, paid for or otherwise endorsed by any bank or brand. These banks and brands are not responsible for ensuring that comments are answered or accurate.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Go to site