Best Free Business Checking Accounts of September 2024

at Bluevine, Deposits are FDIC Insured

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APY

2.00%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

Fees vary by location.

Overdraft fees

Bonus

N/A

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions; no overdraft fees.
Earn 2.00% interest on account balances up to and including $250,000. Terms apply.
Access up to $3 million in FDIC insurance with Insured Cash Sweep.
No fees at MoneyPass ATMs.
Free incoming wires and low outgoing wire transfer fees.

Cons

Fee for cash deposits.
Fee for using out-of-network ATMs.
Does not offer jointly-owned accounts.

Bluevine Business Checking includes unlimited transactions and a top-notch interest rate:

2.00%

APY on account balances up to and including $250,000. Terms apply. Plus, it has no monthly fees, no minimum opening deposit and no minimum balance requirements.

In addition, Bluevine Business Checking offers free ATM access through the MoneyPass network — with the ability to deposit cash at Green Dot locations across the U.S (for a $4.95 fee per deposit) and Allpoint+ ATMs (for a fee of $1 plus 0.5% of the deposit amount).

The Bluevine Business Checking account also includes mobile check deposit, online bill pay and connects to third-party tools like Stripe and Expensify.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

24/7 customer support

American Express® Business Checking

5.0

at American Express National Bank, Member FDIC

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APY

1.30%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

No cash deposits.

Overdraft fees

N/A

Bonus

N/A

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
No excess transaction fees and no charge for incoming wires.
Earn 1.30% APY on balances up to $500,000.
24/7 customer support.
No fees at more than 70,000 MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs in the U.S.

Cons

Can’t deposit cash.
No outgoing international wire transfers.

The American Express Business Checking account ticks a lot of boxes, with no monthly or incidental fees, no minimum opening deposit, unlimited transactions and 24/7 customer support via phone or the bank’s mobile app.

The account also offers a competitive APY (

1.30%

on balances up to $500,000) and fee-free access to more than 70,000 MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs. Customers may incur fees from the ATM owner when using out-of-network ATMs, though.

However, American Express Business Checking does not accept cash deposits. You can only add funds via ACH or wire transfer, or via mobile check deposit (iPhones only).

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

1% cash back on debit card purchases

Grasshopper Business Checking Account

4.5

at Grasshopper Bank, Member FDIC

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APY

2.25%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

$100

Free cash deposits

No cash deposits.

Overdraft fees

Bonus

N/A

Pros

Unlimited 1% cash back on qualified debit card purchases.
Earn up to 2.25% APY.
No monthly fees or overdraft charges.
Free, built-in bookkeeping software.

Cons

Can’t deposit cash.
$100 minimum opening deposit.
No weekend support.

Grasshopper bank’s free business checking account includes two features rarely offered in tandem on business checking accounts: unlimited 1% cash back on qualified debit card purchases and up to

2.25%

APY. Plus, the account has no monthly fees, overdraft charges or minimum balance requirements. It includes unlimited transactions and free incoming wires.

Grasshopper business customers also get free, built-in access to Autobooks, as well as business tools like invoicing and cash management. And fee-free access to more than 45,000 ATMs via the MoneyPass and SUM networks (third-party fees may apply outside of these networks).

Grasshopper business checking accounts do not support cash deposits and requires a $100 minimum deposit to open your account.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Welcome bonus + branch access

U.S. Bank Silver Business Checking

4.2

at U.S. Bank, Member FDIC

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

$100

Free cash deposits

Yes

Up to $2,500 per month.

Overdraft fees

$36

Bonus

$800

Requirements to qualify

Pros

No monthly service fee for Silver Business Checking account.
Welcome bonus for new customers (terms apply).
No fees at U.S. Bank and MoneyPass ATMs.

Cons

Low cash deposit limits.
Limit of 125 fee-free transactions per month.
$1 fee for outgoing domestic ACH transfers.

It's unusual to find a free business checking account from a big brick-and-mortar bank, but that's what U.S. Bank offers with its Silver Business Checking account. Silver Business Checking includes 125 free transactions and up to $2,500 in free cash deposits per statement cycle. You can open an account online or in person — U.S. Bank has more than 2,000 branches across 26 states.

There's also a substantial welcome bonus for new customers (terms apply).

While the account does not have a monthly service fee, U.S. Bank does still charge for overdrafts and excess transactions and cash deposits.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Unlimited ATM fee refunds

Axos Bank® Basic Business Checking

4.9

at Axos Bank®, Member FDIC

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

Yes

Unlimited

Overdraft fees

$25

Bonus

$400

Requirements to qualify

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions and free incoming wires.
Automatic refunds of all ATM fees (domestic).
Cash deposits via AllPoint ATMs.
Welcome bonus for new customers (terms apply).

Cons

$25 fee for insufficient funds/uncollected funds returned.
No third-party app integrations.

Axos Bank’s Basic Business Checking has no monthly fee or minimum opening deposit requirement and offers unlimited transactions, plus cash deposits via AllPoint+ ATMs. The bank also offers free nationwide ATM access with unlimited refunds for fees charged by other banks and ATM operators in the U.S.

Unlike some online business checking accounts, whose banking services are provided and insured by other financial institutions, Axos Bank is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-insured institution and provides all of its business banking products and services directly.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Multiple accounts (up to 20)

Relay Business Checking

4.9

at Relay, Deposits are FDIC Insured

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

Yes

Unlimited

Overdraft fees

Bonus

N/A

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions; no overdraft fees.
Cash deposits via compatible AllPoint ATMs.
Automatic transfers to high-yield business savings earning up to 3.00% APY.
No foreign transaction fees when you use your Relay Visa® Debit abroad.
Free incoming wires and low outgoing wire transfer fees.

Cons

Deposited checks are held for up to 6-7 business days.
No bill pay feature in the free plan.

Relay’s free online business checking account comes with several features that benefit midsize businesses and rapidly growing startups, including the option to open multiple accounts (up to 20; 10 for sole proprietorships) and ability to invite team members, assign roles and permissions, and set spending limits. Just remember: The $250,000 FDIC insurance limit is per depositor, not per account.

Relay has no monthly fees, includes unlimited fee-free transactions and free incoming wires, and allows for direct integrations with QuickBooks Online and Xero.

One downside: Deposited checks are held for six to seven business days.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Cash deposits

nbkc Business Account

4.9

at nbkc bank, Member FDIC

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

Yes

Unlimited

Overdraft fees

Bonus

N/A

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions, no overdraft fees and free incoming domestic wires.
Up to $12 in monthly refunds for ATM fees charged by other banks worldwide.
Unlimited cash deposits via MoneyPass ATMs.
Accept contactless payments via the NBKC app (iOS only). Fees apply.

Cons

High fee ($45) for international wire transfers.
Phone support only available during business hours.
No third-party app integrations.

NBKC’s Business Account is a free business checking account with no deposit and no minimum balance requirement. This account includes unlimited transactions, fee-free ATM access through the MoneyPass network (with the ability to deposit cash) and up to $12 in monthly refunds for ATM fees charged by other banks worldwide.

Additionally, there are no incoming domestic wire fees, overdraft, stop payment or other similar incidental fees with the NBKC business checking account. There are fees for outgoing domestic wires ($5) and incoming and outgoing international wires ($45).

Although you can’t integrate this free online business checking account directly with third-party business tools, NBKC does offer its own customizable banking add-ons — including the Autobooks invoicing software and the free NBKC Business Money Market Savings account.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Freelancers and side hustlers

Found Small Business Banking

4.4

at Found, Deposits are FDIC Insured

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

$2 fee per deposit

Overdraft fees

Bonus

$125

Requirements to qualify

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions, no overdraft fees and free incoming domestic wires.
Free, built-in invoicing, bookkeeping and tax-planning features.
Integrates with popular business apps, including Stripe, Etsy and PayPal.

Cons

Phone support only available during business hours.
Have to open account in your name, not business name, and use your SSN to apply. (Business EIN can be added later.)
Can’t pay by check.
Cash deposits limited to $2,000 per week; $4,000 per month. A $2 service fee applies.
No bill pay feature.

The Found business account offers more than just free business checking. You'll also get built-in invoicing, bookkeeping and tax-planning tools, so you can generate profit and loss reports, automatically save for business taxes and schedule recurring invoices. Found also integrates with popular business and gig work apps, like Stripe, Square, Uber, PayPal and Lyft.

Make sure to review Found's deposit and transfer limits before applying, as these can be low compared with competitors. Accounts can only be opened using your personal name and Social Security number, making the account better suited for freelancers and sole proprietors. Business owners with an EIN can add that number once the account is opened.

NerdWallet rates business checking accounts on more than a dozen factors, including these key features:

Cash deposits

ATM fees + access

Customer support

Our pick for

Free wire transfers

Mercury Business Bank Account

4.1

at Mercury, Deposits are FDIC Insured

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APY

N/A

Monthly fee

Min. opening deposit

Free cash deposits

No cash deposits.

Overdraft fees

Bonus

N/A

Pros

No monthly fees or minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free transactions; no overdraft fees.
Free domestic and international wire transfers.
Advanced digital tools including API access to automate and customize your banking.

Cons

Can’t deposit cash.
Mercury is not part of a fee-free ATM network.

Mercury is a free online banking platform that’s ideal for startups. Mercury includes both a free business checking account and a free business savings account with no transaction fees and no minimum opening deposit.

In addition, Mercury has no overdraft fees, no incoming wire fees and does not charge to send or receive checks. The platform offers built-in digital tools that allow you to track and manage your payments and expenses, create virtual debit cards and manage team members. Mercury also gives you the ability to integrate with a variety of other business tools.