PNC Business Checking: A Decent Account Plagued by Fees
It costs more than $100 to send an international wire transfer with this account.
The bottom line:
PNC Business Checking has a nice sign-up bonus and tools like in-app card payments, but it’s hard to look past the account’s list of fees.
Bank account details
Monthly fee
$12.00
Waived with $500 average monthly balance
APY
N/A
Bonus
$400
Open a new qualifying Business Checking or Business Checking Plus account by 6/30/2026. Maintain a minimum average ledger balance of $2,000 for each of the first three statement cycles; and make at least 20 total qualifying PNC Bank Visa® Debit Card transactions within the first three statement cycles.
Requirements to qualify
Pros & Cons
Pros
Welcome bonus for new customers (terms apply).
Receive and send payments via Zelle.
Accept credit card payments with PNC Mobile Accept.
Cons
No free business checking account options.
$100 minimum opening deposit requirement.
Fee for using out-of-network ATMs.
High incidental fees, including for overdrafts and wire transfers.
Fee to sync with accounting software.
Compare to other bank accounts 
PNC Business Checking Member FDIC
3.9
NerdWallet rating
4.5
NerdWallet rating
4.8
NerdWallet rating
Monthly fee
$12.00
Waived with $500 average monthly balance Monthly fee
$16.00
$0 for the first 12 statement cycles. Monthly fee
$0
APY
N/A
APY
N/A
APY
N/A
Need more options? Check our picks for best business bank accounts of 2026
Not a fit? Consider these alternatives
This is a better brick-and-mortar option for small businesses that deposit cash. Bank of America® Business Advantage Fundamentals™ Banking has lower wire transfer, overdraft and ATM fees. And there’s no charge to connect QuickBooks Online and other business tools directly into your online banking platform. Bank of America also waives the monthly service fee for the first year — perfect for businesses just getting off the ground.
If you do more wire transfers than cash deposits, consider Relay Business Checking. You get free incoming wires and low-cost outgoing wires. This free business checking account has built-in invoicing and bookkeeping tools, and it easily syncs with popular accounting software. You can even deposit cash at Allpoint+ ATMs for no additional fee.
Full review
PNC Business Checking could be a good account, but its fees get in the way.
Want to sync your business account with your accounting software? There’s a fee for that.
Need to send a wire transfer? You’ll pay an astronomical fee.
Accidentally overdraw your account? You’ll get dinged for that too. Repeatedly.
Yes, some fees are standard for business checking accounts. But PNC’s fees go beyond what’s common even for brick-and-mortar banks.
That casts a shadow over the account’s positives: mobile payment processing, a competitive cash deposit allowance and a worthy welcome offer.
PNC Business Checking is best for small-business owners who:
- Need to accept credit card payments on the go.
- Make regular cash deposits.
- Don’t use wire transfer services.
PNC business account details
| Business Checking | |
| Monthly fee*: | $12 (multiple ways to waive). Fee is waived for the first three months. |
| Minimum opening deposit requirement: | $100. |
| APY: | None. |
| Transactions: | Up to 150 fee-free transactions per month, then 50 cents per transaction after that. |
| Cash deposits: | Up to $5,000 per month with no fee, then 30 cents per $100 deposited. |
| Wire transfer fees: | Incoming: $15 domestic, $21 international. Outgoing: $95 domestic, $135 international. |
| Bonus: | $400 (terms apply). |
PNC offers three main business checking accounts and multiple savings accounts, including a money market account and business CD. You can’t open savings accounts online.
For business checking, we rate the entry-level account. That allows us to fairly compare accounts, apples-to-apples.
Other accounts from PNC include:
- PNC Business Checking Plus.
- PNC Business Interest Checking.
- Premium Business Money Market Account.
Where PNC Business Checking stand out
Accept credit card payments via the PNC mobile app
Business owners can accept credit card payments using PNC Mobile Accept — no third-party processor required. Once activated, you can manually enter credit card payments via the PNC mobile app or purchase a separate card reader ($49) to accept tap-to-pay, swipe and dip transactions. Note: Manual entry has a higher fee (see rates below).
Funds land in your PNC business checking account within two business days. That’s slower than other banks. For instance, U.S. Bank gives you same-day or next-day access, even on the weekends. And competitors like Chase Business Complete Banking® let you take tap-to-pay payments directly in the mobile app. No card reader needed.
Still, PNC offers an easy solution for mobile vendors, seasonal shops, artisans and newer businesses just getting set up to take payments. There’s no monthly software fee, and $49 for a mobile card reader is OK value. (U.S. Bank gives you a free reader, but Square’s similar model costs $59, for instance.) PNC’s processing rates align with industry norms too.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments (swipe/dip/tap).
- 3.45% plus 15 cents for keyed payments.
Sign-up bonus
We’ve been tracking the best business bank account promotions for more than three years. PNC Business Checking is always on the list. The bank’s current offer for new customers: $400 when you open a new PNC Business Checking account. Terms apply. Offer expires 06/30/2026.
PNC doesn’t make you jump through a ton of hoops to get your bonus either. The requirements are fairly simple:
- Maintain a minimum average balance of $2,000.
- Complete 10 total qualifying transactions.
Do that for the first three statement cycles, and you’ll get your bonus.
Where PNC Business Checking falls short
Charge to sync with accounting software
Want to sync your PNC Business Checking account to QuickBooks Online? That will cost you.
Accounting software integration is an add-on service, with a monthly subscription fee and additional transaction fees. PNC doesn’t publish pricing for this feature. What you pay depends on your accounting software and any other PNC Pay Receive Sync tools you want to use.
Excessive fees to send wire transfers
Traditional banks aren’t the most cost-effective option for wire transfers. But PNC is on another level, and not in a good way.
The bank charges a whopping $95 for outgoing domestic wire transfers. Need to send a wire internationally? Those are $135 a pop. We looked at wire transfer fees from more than 50 banks, and those are the highest by a large margin.
Other big brick-and-mortar banks charge $25 to $35 for outgoing domestic wires, and $45 to $70 to send international wires. That’s easier to stomach if you send an occasional wire. But if wire transfers are a core part of how your business moves money, an online bank is a better option.
Relay Business Checking offers free incoming wires and keeps outgoing wire costs minimal. Sending an international wire costs no more than $25 — that’s $100 less than with PNC. Mercury Business Account takes it a step further with no wire transfer fees whatsoever.
High overdraft fees
Overdraft fees are another pain point. Dip more than $5 in the red and you’re hit with a $36 overdraft charge. If multiple items post the same day, PNC charges you up to four times. One bad day costs you $144.
Bank of America business checking is far more forgiving. You’ll pay just $10 per item if you overdraw your account. The bank caps overdraft fees at two per day.
Huntington Bank gives you even more breathing room. Overdraft fees only apply if you’re overdrawn by more than $50. And they’ll refund those fees if your account is in the black by midnight the following business day.
How we evaluated PNC Business Checking
NerdWallet’s writers and editors consider more than 20 data points for each business checking account we rate, scoring each on fees, perks and software tools, among other factors (view our complete ratings methodology). We gathered this information from PNC's website and company representatives.
Our editorial team scores accounts from one to five stars overall, and in individual areas that are important for business banking. We only rate entry-level accounts because that's the easiest way to standardize comparisons.
Here's how PNC Business Checking stacks up:
- Transactions: Up to 150 items per month — including deposits, payments and ACH credits/debits — then, 50 cents for each additional transaction.
- Domestic ATM access: No fee at nearly 60,000 ATMs, including PNC, MoneyPass® and Allpoint® ATMs.
- Cash deposits: Up to $5,000 per month with no fee, then 30 cents per $100 deposited.
- Wire transfers: International and domestic wire transfers available (incoming and outgoing).
- Minimum opening deposit: $100.
- Checks: Yes.
- Human support phone hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on weekends.
- App store rating: 4.72 (weighted average of the Apple and Google Play app stores).
- Ease of website use: Can easily find account information, including detailed schedule of fees.
- Branch access: More than 2,300 branches across 27 states and the District of Columbia.
- Account availability: Nationwide.
- Account opening options: Online, by phone or in-person.
- Live chat support: Live chat support is available via mobile or online banking during business hours.
- Monthly maintenance fee: No fee for the first three months, then $12 per month. Fee is waived if you meet one of these requirements: $500 average monthly balance, $500 in purchases on a linked PNC business credit card or $500 in eligible deposits each month to a linked merchant services account.
- ATM withdrawal fee: $3 per transaction at out-of-network ATMs. Third-party fees may also apply.
- Cash deposit fee: Up to $5,00 per month for no fee, then 30 cents per $100 deposited.
- Wire transfer fees: Incoming: $15 domestic, $21 international. Outgoing: $95 domestic, $135 international.
- Overdraft fee: $36 per item (up to four per day) if the account is overdrawn by more than $5.
- APY: PNC Business Checking does not earn interest.
- Sign-up bonus: From PNC: "Open a new qualifying Business Checking or Business Checking Plus account by 6/30/2026. Maintain a minimum average ledger balance of $2,000 for each of the first three statement cycles; and make at least 20 total qualifying PNC Bank Visa® Debit Card transactions within the first three statement cycles. "
PNC Business Checking earned additional points for software features thanks to the following:
- Zelle for Business.
We also look at public forums (like Reddit, myFICO and Quora) and online reviews (via sites like Trustpilot and the App Store/Google Play) to understand business owner sentiment about banking with Axos. We use AI tools to help gather some of this information for evaluation.
People post anonymously in these spaces, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances. This data does not influence our star ratings. However, NerdWallet does contact financial institutions regarding negative feedback that we consistently observe.
How to open a PNC business account
To open a PNC business bank you need to be a U.S. resident with a verifiable, physical U.S. address and a Social Security number.
Here’s what you need to apply:
- Your legal name, home address and cell phone number.
- Your date of birth and Social Security number.
- A driver’s licence, state ID or military ID.
- Any additional employment details, including employer name and start date.
- Your business name, structure, industry and the date you started your business.
- Business website and trade name/DBA.
- Business phone number and email address.
- Physical business address (P.O. boxes and registered agent’s address aren't eligible).
- Annual revenue.
- Expected transaction activity (cash, domestic wire, international wire)