Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Mary Flory leads NerdWallet's growing team of assigning editors at large. Prior to joining NerdWallet’s content team, she had spent more than 12 years developing content strategies, managing newsrooms and mentoring writers and editors. Her previous experience includes being an executive editor at the American Marketing Association and an editor at news and feature syndicate Content That Works.
Email: <a href="mailto:mflory@nerdwallet.com">mflory@nerdwallet.com</a>
Mary Flory leads NerdWallet's growing team of assigning editors at large. Prior to joining NerdWallet’s content team, she had spent more than 12 years developing content strategies, managing newsrooms and mentoring writers and editors. Her previous experience includes being an executive editor at the American Marketing Association and an editor at news and feature syndicate Content That Works.
Email: <a href="mailto:mflory@nerdwallet.com">mflory@nerdwallet.com</a>
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It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
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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.
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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.
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 .
Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Senior Writer & Content Strategist | Small business, business banking, business loans
Randa Kriss is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She has nearly a decade of experience in digital content. Prior to joining NerdWallet in 2020, Randa worked as a writer at Fundera, covering a wide variety of small-business topics and specializing in the lending and banking spaces. Her work has been featured by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Nasdaq, among others. Randa earned a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish at Iona University (formerly Iona College).
Mary Flory leads NerdWallet's growing team of assigning editors at large. Prior to joining NerdWallet’s content team, she had spent more than 12 years developing content strategies, managing newsrooms and mentoring writers and editors. Her previous experience includes being an executive editor at the American Marketing Association and an editor at news and feature syndicate Content That Works.
Email: <a href="mailto:mflory@nerdwallet.com">mflory@nerdwallet.com</a>
Mary Flory leads NerdWallet's growing team of assigning editors at large. Prior to joining NerdWallet’s content team, she had spent more than 12 years developing content strategies, managing newsrooms and mentoring writers and editors. Her previous experience includes being an executive editor at the American Marketing Association and an editor at news and feature syndicate Content That Works.
Email: <a href="mailto:mflory@nerdwallet.com">mflory@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 .
Chase Business Complete Banking®
Overview
The bottom line:
Chase Business Complete Checking℠ stands out with a $500 sign-up bonus and access to Chase QuickAccept℠, which can be used to accept credit card payments on the go. But free in-person transactions are limited to just 20 per month, far less than what competitors allow.
Bank account details
Monthly fee
$15.00
Waived with $2,000 minimum balance
APY
N/A
Bonus
$500
Earn up to $500 when you open a new Chase Business Complete Checking® account. For new Chase business checking customers with qualifying activities.
Requirements to qualify
Pros & Cons
Pros
No minimum opening deposit.
Unlimited fee-free electronic and debit card transactions.
Integrated credit card processing.
No overdraft fee unless account is overdrawn by more than $50; 24-hour grace period applies to overdrafts beyond that amount.
24/7 customer support.
No fees at 15,400 Chase ATMs and access to around 4,900 branches.
Cons
$15 monthly fee.
Monthly limit on fee-free cash deposits ($5,000) and physical transactions (20).
Chase offers three business checking accounts: Chase Business Complete Banking®, Chase Performance Business Checking® and Chase Platinum Business Checking℠.
This review and the corresponding star rating focus on Chase Business Complete Banking®, which caters most to small-business owners with unlimited electronic deposits and a focus on digital tools.
You can avoid the $15 monthly service fee if you hit any one of the following criteria during your monthly statement period:
Military service members and veterans can also have the monthly fee waived with a valid military ID or proof of military service.
Chase Business Complete Banking® is best for small-business owners who:
Want a full-service business bank with business loans, business credit cards and merchant services.
Deposit $5,000 or less in cash each month; make 20 or fewer in-person transactions per month.
Can take advantage of integrated credit card processing services.
Can meet one of the criteria required to waive the monthly fee.
Want to avoid a monthly fee altogether? Consider U.S. Bank Business Essentials, which is a rare business account at a brick-and-mortar bank with no monthly fee.
Chase Business Complete Banking® at a glance
Monthly fee:
$15 (multiple ways to waive including maintaining a minimum daily balance of $2,000).
Minimum opening deposit requirement:
$0
APY:
None
Transactions:
Unlimited electronic deposits; 20 free teller and paper transactions per month.
Bonus:
Earn up to $500 when you open a new Chase Business Complete Checking® account. For new Chase business checking customers with qualifying activities.
How to open a Chase business checking account
You can open a Chase business checking account online if your business is a privately held sole proprietorship, corporation or LLC (with one member or manager). All other business entities must apply in person at a local branch. Chase operates more than 4,900 retail branches across 48 states.
While there is no minimum deposit required to open a Chase Business Complete Checking account, you must transfer money into your account within 60 days or the account will be closed.
After your account is funded and set up, you’ll be able to manage your business banking using Chase online, the Chase mobile app and by visiting Chase branches and ATMs.
Two forms of identification, including a government-issued photo ID.
Employer identification number (or Social Security number for single-member LLCs).
Business documents, including assumed name or DBA certificate, articles of organization or incorporation, partnership agreement and business license, depending on your entity type.
Business address and telephone number.
Date of birth, Social Security number and personal address for anyone with 10% or more ownership in the company.
Chase sign-up bonus
You can earn a $500 sign-up bonus if you deposit $2,000 or more within 30 days of opening your account, maintain that balance for 60 days and complete five qualifying transactions, including:
Debit card purchases.
Chase QuickAccept deposits.
Chase QuickDeposit.
ACH credits.
Credit and debit wires.
Chase Online Bill Pay.
💬 From our Nerds: What business owners think of Chase
"We look at lots of objective criteria to rate business accounts. But customer service is naturally subjective — two business owners can have wildly different experiences with the same bank. That’s why we watch for studies that try to quantify customer sentiment, like J.D. Power’s annual small-business banking satisfaction report.
"This survey isn’t perfect. For one, I wish its scope was wider than just big-name brick-and-mortars. Still, it’s an easy way to hear what close to 7,000 people think of their business banks, and they like Chase. It rates second overall, behind only Capital One."
— Ryan Lane, assigning editor covering small business
Where Chase Business Complete Banking® stands out
Unlimited electronic deposits: You have access to unlimited electronic deposits, which include deposited items, ACH transfers, ATM transactions, debit card purchases, internal transfers and Chase QuickDeposit (mobile deposit). This provides a high level of flexibility with online payments, similar to what you’ll find with many online-based business checking accounts.
Sign-up bonus: You can earn $500 when you sign up for Chase Business Complete Banking®, provided you deposit $2,000 within 30 days, maintain that balance for 60 days and complete five qualifying activities such as debit card purchases or mobile check deposits. As far as business bank account promotions go, this one is hard to beat.
Solid online tools with a big brick-and-mortar footprint: Chase has thousands of locations in 48 states plus Washington, D.C., meaning it’s unlikely you’ll ever be far from a branch or an ATM. If you want to be able to get in-person support, Chase is a great option.
And if you prefer digital banking, Chase’s mobile and online features are sophisticated. It offers online bill pay, fraud protection, text banking and account alerts. You can also set up multiple users on your account, download account activity to financial software and have access to collection and cash-flow services.
Integrated credit card processing: Among the Chase business checking accounts, Business Complete is the only one that lets you use Chase QuickAccept to accept credit card payments with the Chase mobile app. This integrated credit card processing service is pay-as-you-go and connects with a mobile card reader to tap, swipe or dip transactions.
Processed payments will be deposited into your checking account without the need for a separate app, allowing you to manage banking and sales transactions seamlessly. You’ll pay 2.6% plus 10 cents for tapped, dipped or swiped transactions and 3.5% plus 10 cents for keyed transactions.
Where Chase Business Complete Banking® falls short
Monthly fee: Chase Business Complete Banking®’s $15 monthly fee is a hard pill to swallow. Consider a free business checking account if you can’t reliably maintain a $2,000 daily balance or hit one of the other criteria needed to waive the monthly fee.
As discussed above, U.S. Bank Business Essentials has no monthly fee, though it only offers up to $2,500 in free cash deposits. Most online business checking accounts have no monthly fee or transaction limits at all (although cash deposits may be more expensive or more limited.)
No ongoing rewards: Like many other business accounts from traditional brick-and-mortar banks, Chase doesn’t offer perks that put more money in your pocket beyond its welcome bonus. Those kinds of rewards are more a hallmark of online-only accounts.
If you’re not considering Chase because of its in-person access, you might find an online account whose ongoing benefits surpass Chase’s sign-up bonus. For instance, Bluevine Business Checking pays 1.3% APY on checking account balances up to $250,000.