Ratings Methodology for Business Bank Accounts
Our writers and editors evaluate each business bank account on more than 20 factors.
60+ accounts rated 
40+ financial institutions 
1,000+ data points collected NerdWallet’s writers and editors rate business checking accounts and business savings accounts. We score each account on a wide variety of factors. Our star ratings are the weighted average of all those individual scores. NerdWallet’s business relationships have no impact on our star ratings.
How we rate business checking accounts
We consider certain things table stakes. For checking accounts, that includes the ability to make and receive wire transfers, deposit and withdraw cash and send checks. Not every business needs all of those services. But our top-rated accounts are the best choices for the largest number of business owners.
Accounts can gain points for perks that go above and beyond the norm, like cash back on debit card purchases, a one-on-one relationship with a banker or convenient software features.
On the flip side, we deduct points when business checking accounts aren’t available to a specific business entity type (sole proprietors or LLCs, for example), or when the bank or fintech company’s banking partner has been the recipient of a government enforcement action.
How we rate business savings accounts
We use the same underlying principles for business savings accounts as checking accounts. For instance, these accounts can earn points for expanded FDIC insurance. They can lose points if the balance needed to hit the top-tier APY is above the FDIC-insured limit or the account does not offer a mobile app.
Our editorial team
NerdWallet's business banking content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business banking. The team has more than 80 years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The New York Times, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, CNBC, American Banker, the "Today" show, ABC’s "World News Tonight" and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure unbiased coverage.
Meet our team:
Data collection and review process
NerdWallet evaluates more than 60 business bank accounts from national and regional banks, credit unions and financial technology companies. Collectively, these accounts represent the largest banks in the U.S. by assets, the largest credit unions by membership and the brands users search for most online, along with notable or emerging players in the industry.
We consider more than 20 data points for each account, scoring them on a number of different features, fees and tools. We periodically update which data points we gather and how much value we assign them to reflect shifting industry norms and business owner expectations. Notable changes for 2026 include adjusting APY ranges as interest rates fall and increasing the relative importance of banking fundamentals.
We gather information from financial institution deposit account agreements, fee schedules, websites and company representatives. We collect, review and update our data on an ongoing basis to ensure consistency and accuracy.
Checking account star ratings are in tenth-point increments. A five-star score represents an industry leader, and a 4.5-star score represents an excellent account that is likely the best choice for some business owners. Accounts must earn four stars or offer unique value to certain groups of business owners to be included on NerdWallet pages.
Financial institutions we rate
For 2026, NerdWallet’s small-business writers have rated business bank accounts from the following:
America First Credit Union, American Express, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Bluevine, BMO Bank, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Brex, Capital One, Chase Bank, Citibank, Citizens Bank, City National Bank, Comerica Bank, Consumers Credit Union, Digital Federal Credit Union, First Citizens Bank, First Horizon Bank, First Tech Credit Union, Found, Grasshopper Bank, Holdings, Huntington Bank, KeyBank, Lili, Live Oak Bank, Mercury, Mountain America Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC Bank, Northern Bank, North One, Novo, Piermont Bank, PNC Bank, Prime Alliance Bank, QuickBooks, Regions Bank, Relay, Rho, Santander Bank, Self-Help Credit Union, TD Bank, Truist, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Western Alliance Bank, Zions Bank.
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