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Ratings Methodology for
Business Bank Accounts
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.
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.

Business savings accounts can earn points for expanded FDIC insurance, for one example. 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:

Core banking services (37.1%)
• Fee-free transactions.
• Availability of ATMs.
• Availability of cash deposits.
• Availability of wire transfers.
• Availability of physical checks.
• Minimum opening deposit.

The best business checking accounts offer standard banking services — including transactions, cash deposits and withdrawals and wire transfers — without overly restrictive limits.
Customer experience (22.6%)
• Availability of phone support and human-powered live chat support.
• App store rating.
• Ease of finding important information on the financial institution’s website, including a useful help center.
• Account availability.
• Multiple ways to open an account.
• Access to a branch network.

Business owners don’t always work standard business hours. So accounts that earn high marks for banking experience offer multiple channels for live customer support beyond 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. They are also widely accessible; make it easy to find important information on fees, rates, terms, etc.; and their apps receive exceptional ratings from users in the iOS and Android app stores.
Fees (25.8%)
• Monthly fees.
• ATM withdrawal and cash deposit fees.
• Wire transfer fees.
• Overdraft or nonsufficient funds fees, along with grace periods or no-fee overdraft coverage to offset those fees.

The accounts with the lowest fees on core banking services earn the highest marks. Most online business checking accounts don’t charge overdraft fees because customers are simply not able to overdraw their accounts. Many brick-and-mortar banks allow overdrafts — an option some business owners may prefer — but fees can be high and add up, especially at banks that don’t offer grace periods.
Rewards (8.3%)
• APY.
• Welcome bonus.

The best business checking accounts have competitive APYs with few, if any, barriers to earning interest. We also reward accounts with welcome bonuses available to all customers. (Business checking accounts occasionally offer exclusive bonuses to customers who decide to open an account via NerdWallet. We don’t count those.)

Account value (34.5%)
• Interest rate.
• Sign-up bonus.

The best business savings accounts offer a top-of-the-line APY with few barriers to earning it. A sign-up bonus is nice, too.
Savings account fundamentals (43.1%)
• Monthly fee.
• Minimum opening deposit.
• Transaction limits.
• Deposit methods.
• Withdrawal methods.
• Insured Cash Sweep availability.

These accounts also make it easy to access your money, with accounts offering unlimited transactions (with no fee) and an ATM card alongside ACH and external transfers earning top marks. Business savings accounts with an Insured Cash Sweep option earn points for keeping all of your money safe, even if you have millions in savings.
Banking experience (22.4%)
• Availability of live, human support (via phone and chat).
• Ease of finding important account information.
• Account availability.
• Multiple ways to open an account.
• Access to a branch network.

Most business owners don’t interact with their savings account as often as they do their checking account. But we still reward accounts that prioritize live human support. We also believe it should be easy for you to find information about APY tiers, schedules of fees and customer service phone numbers. Being able to easily open an account — online and in person — and a well-rated mobile app also factor in.
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.
The review team
The writers and editors behind our business banking reviews are small-business specialists who have had their work featured by The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Entrepreneur, MarketWatch and many other publications. In addition, each writer and editor follows NerdWallet’s strict guidelines for editorial integrity.