Capital One's business checking accounts offer unlimited digital transactions and fee-free ATM access, but the bank only has branches in a handful of states and Washington, D.C.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
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NerdWallet's business banking content — including our ratings, reviews and recommendations — is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in small-business finances. Their journalism has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage.
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Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small-business and personal finance.
60+ business bank accounts rated with our objective, comprehensive business bank account rubrics (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business banking content — including our ratings, reviews and recommendations — is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in small-business finances. Their journalism has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Capital One Business Basic Checking®
Overview
The bottom line:
Capital One business checking boasts unlimited digital transactions — a rare feature from a brick-and-mortar bank — but if you want to bank in person, make sure you live near one of its relatively few branches.
Bank account details
Monthly fee
$15.00
Waived with $2,000 minimum balance
APY
N/A
Bonus
N/A
Pros & Cons
Pros
Unlimited fee-free digital transactions, including mobile deposits, ACH transfers and some bill pay.
Full suite of business services, including business credit cards and loans.
No fees at nearly 80,000 ATMs, including the Capital One, MoneyPass and Allpoint networks.
No fee on cash deposits at Capital One and select Allpoint ATMs.
The Basic Checking account is an entry-level business account with a low monthly fee. The Enhanced Checking account offers a step up with fewer limitations than the Basic account, as well as some additional features, albeit for a higher monthly fee.
While this review includes information on both accounts, the star rating indicated above is specific to the Capital One Basic Business Checking account.
Each Capital One business checking account carries a monthly fee — $15 for Basic, $35 for Enhanced — which can be waived if you meet certain average balance thresholds. Both offer unlimited fee-free transactions, an uncommon feature among business checking accounts from brick-and-mortar banks, and customers can access a full suite of business services including small-business loans and top-rated business credit cards.
Those features make Capital One a good option for growing businesses. But Capital One has a limited branch footprint — you'll only be able to bank at branches in person in eight states and Washington, D.C.
Capital One business checking is best for small-business owners who:
Have a high monthly transaction volume, but don’t want an online-only bank.
Qualify to waive the monthly service fee.
Can take advantage of Capital One’s other business financing products.
Who should consider an alternative to Capital One?
Business owners outside Capital One's branch area. Bank of America business checking is available nationwide. It offers unlimited electronic transactions and 20 non-electronic ones for a monthly fee comparable to CapOne's.
Location-agnostic business owners. If you don't mind doing the bulk of your banking online, you can avoid numerous fees by choosing NBKC business checking instead of Capital One.
Capital One business checking at a glance
Basic Checking
Enhanced Checking
Monthly fee:
$15, waived with a minimum balance of $2,000+ over 30- or 90-day average, whichever is greater.
$35, waived with a minimum balance of $25,000+ over 30- or 90-day average, whichever is greater.
Minimum opening deposit requirement:
$0.
$0.
APY:
None.
None.
Transactions:
Unlimited.
Unlimited.
Cash deposits:
Up to $5,000 per month with no fee, after that $1 fee per $1,000 deposited.
Free.
Bonus:
None.
None.
How to open a Capital One business checking account
Most business owners can now apply online for a Capital One account. If you prefer to visit a branch to open an account, that's an option too.
To apply, you’ll need to provide basic information about yourself and any additional business owners, like Social Security numbers and addresses.
You’ll also need basic information about your business — like the tax ID number, number of employees and annual gross revenue — as well as legal documentation, which varies by entity type and state.
Once your Capital One business checking account is open, you can order your business debit card and checks, if needed, and set up online and mobile banking.
Where Capital One business checking stands out
Unlimited fee-free digital transactions: Both of Capital One’s small-business checking accounts include unlimited fee-free digital transactions, including mobile deposits, ACH payments and some online bill pay. This is a rare feature among brick-and-mortar banks, which typically limit your monthly transactions and charge when you exceed your allotted amount.
Online business checking accounts almost always offer unlimited fee-free transactions, though. And most do so without charging a monthly fee or requiring a hefty opening deposit.
ATM access: Most big national banks, including Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, limit free ATM usage to machines owned by the bank. Not Capital One.
Capital One partners with MoneyPass and Allpoint ATM networks, so business checking customers can withdraw cash at more than 70,000 fee-free ATMs with no added charge from Capital One. You can also make fee-free cash deposits at Capital One ATMs and select Allpoint ATMs.
Suite of small-business products: Capital One offers a variety of other small-business products and services. Business owners who prefer to bundle financial services with one institution can add a Capital One business loan or Capital One business credit card in the future.
Where Capital One business checking falls short
Extra fees: Both Capital One business checking accounts have a monthly fee. While it can be waived if the minimum balance is maintained, that bar can be rather high for business owners operating on tight margins.
Beyond the monthly fee, Capital One also has lots of incidental fees, as do most brick-and-mortar banks. These include overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees ($35 each) and relatively high international wire transfer fees ($15 for incoming, $40 for outgoing, $50 for outgoing in U.S. dollars).
Limited branches : Capital One only has around 260 branches across eight states plus Washington, D.C., though over the last few years it has added 60 cafe locations across 18 states. Cafes have ATMs and offer some banking services, which vary by location. Several Capital One competitors, including Chase, Bank of America and U.S. Bank, have several times that many locations across the country.