American Express® Business Checking: An Online Account With 24/7 Customer Support
This business checking account offers a competitive interest rate and a cache of Membership Rewards points.
The bottom line:
The American Express Business Checking account is solid for any business owner. There’s no monthly fee, a solid interest rate and around-the-clock customer service. But it’s most valuable for loyalists who use other Amex products and want Membership Rewards points. It doesn’t make sense for anyone who needs to deposit cash or send international wires. The account supports neither.
Bank account details
Monthly fee
$0
APY
1.00%
Earn 1.00% APY (annual percentage yield) on balances up to $500,000 as of 09/15/2026. APY is subject to change at any time without notice before and after a Business Checking Account is opened.
Bonus
35,000 Points
Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points. Convert Membership Rewards® points into deposits directly into your American Express® Business Checking account. Other redemption options available. Terms apply. For new members: Points you earn, including the Welcome Bonus and from making Business Debit Card purchases, can be converted into deposits made directly into your Business Checking account. Terms apply. For Membership Rewards-enrolled Card holders: You can choose to convert points into deposits directly into your Business Checking account or use them the same way you always have – for travel, gift cards, and more. Terms apply. *Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.
1) Deposit a total of $5,000 or more in eligible deposits within 30 days of opening your first account, AND
▪ Eligible deposits are any deposits except deposits using our Redeem for Deposits feature, deposits from interest payments, and deposits from any other American Express Business Checking accounts.
2) Maintain an average account balance of $5,000 for the next 60 days,
AND
3) Make 5 or more qualifying transactions within 60 days of opening your account
▪ Qualifying transactions are mobile deposits, check deposits by mail, and electronic/online transactions including ACH, Wire, and Bill Payments. Business Debit Card transactions and deposits using our Redeem for Deposits feature are not qualifying transactions.
4) American Express is currently accepting applications from eligible U.S. businesses. Not all applicants will be approved for a Business Checking account. Select industries or businesses engaged in certain activities are currently ineligible, such as money service businesses, cryptocurrency, internet gambling businesses, and marijuana related businesses.
Requirements to qualify
Pros & Cons
Pros
No monthly fee, minimum opening deposit or excess transaction fee.
24/7 customer support.
No fees on withdrawals at more than 70,000 MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs in the U.S.
Earn 1 Membership Rewards® point for every $2 spent on eligible business debit card purchases.
Cons
Can’t deposit cash.
No outgoing international wire transfers.
Does not offer jointly owned accounts.
Compare to other bank accounts
4.8
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each business account, including fees, perks and accessibility.
at American Express National Bank (Business), Member FDIC
4.8
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each business account, including fees, perks and accessibility.
5.0
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each business account, including fees, perks and accessibility.
Monthly fee
$0
Monthly fee
$0
Monthly fee
$0
APY
1.00%
Earn 1.00% APY (annual percentage yield) on balances up to $500,000 as of 09/15/2026. APY is subject to change at any time without notice before and after a Business Checking Account is opened.
APY
N/A
APY
1.30%
With $0 min. balance for APYEarn 1.30% interest on account balances up to and including $250,000. Terms apply.
Need more options? Check our picks for best business bank accounts of 2026
Amex is a non-starter if your business deals in cash. In that case, consider an nbkc Business Account. It offers free unlimited cash deposits and withdrawals at eligible MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs. Need cash when no eligible ATM is nearby? Nbkc refunds up to $12 in third-party ATM fees monthly.
Bluevine Business Checking is our editorial team’s pick for the best online business account. It offers a higher interest rate than Amex — 1.3% APY on all balances up to and including $250,000 (terms apply) — though you have to meet spending or deposit requirements to get it. It also offers digital tools Amex lacks, like invoicing, and a better mobile app.
Full review
American Express has long been a big name for small businesses. (It launched its first business card in 1966.) It’s leaned even more into this space in recent years. Those efforts include the launches of American Express® Business Checking in October 2021 and American Express® Business Savings in September 2026.
This review and star rating focus on the business checking account. But both reinforce how I feel about this brand overall. It creates competitive products, particularly if you use more than one together. None are best in class on their own, though.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re not good options. In fact, there’s a lot to like about its free business checking account in particular:
- You can withdraw funds from more than 70,000 MoneyPass and Allpoint ATMs in the U.S. free of charge.
- The welcome bonus is generous, especially if you value Amex Membership Rewards.
- The account has a solid annual percentage yield (APY) — though Amex did cut it with the introduction of the business savings product.
Competitors do match or beat American Express® Business Checking in these areas. For instance, you can get a higher APY from Grasshopper. The same is true with Bluevine. That account lets you deposit cash and supports international wires too. Amex doesn’t do either.
What it does offer is 24/7 live customer service. And that’s a step further than those other online business accounts. It makes Amex a top choice if after-hours help is a priority. The same is true if you’re big on the issuer’s Membership Rewards. This account lets you earn those with debit card spending (one point per $2, with no cap), in addition to the welcome bonus.
American Express® Business Checking is best for small-business owners who:
- Want 24/7 customer support.
- Value Amex Membership Rewards points.
- Don't need cash deposits or international wires.
American Express business banking at a glance
American Express® Business Checking | American Express® Business Savings | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly fee: | $0. | $0. |
Minimum opening deposit: | $0. | $0. |
APY: | 1.00% on balances up to $500,000. | 2.95%. |
Transactions: | Unlimited. | Unlimited. |
Cash deposits: | Not supported. | Not supported. |
Wire transfer fees: | Incoming domestic wires, free; outgoing domestic wires, $25. Amex doesn’t support international wires. | Incoming domestic wires, free; outgoing domestic wires, $25. Amex doesn’t support international wires. |
Bonus: | 35,000 Points. Requirements to qualify. | N/A |
American Express has one business checking option. There are no additional accounts or subscription tiers. It added a single high-yield business savings account in September 2026. It does not offer any business certificates of deposit or money market accounts.
🆕What’s new with American Express business banking?
Amex introduced a business savings account in September 2026. It also announced a few upcoming additions. The most immediate is that Graphite™ Business Cash Unlimited Card cardholders will be able to redeem their Reward Dollars into a business checking account at a 1:1 value. That’s coming later in 2026.
A hefty $295 annual fee weighs down the value of that card (terms apply; see
Of course, you could just transfer that money manually between accounts. That cuts into the convenience factor, though. I asked an Amex spokesperson if there’s a way to automate recurring transfers between these accounts. There is not.
Where American Express® Business Checking stands out
Solid APY
American Express offers a good interest rate for a business checking account (1.00% APY). A rate cut in September 2026 put Amex below competitors like Bluevine and Grasshopper. But that APY remains far above what you'll likely find at a brick-and-mortar bank.
This account does have a couple edges versus those other online options too:
- It lets customers earn interest on balances up to $500,000. The highest rates on Bluevine and Grasshopper’s free accounts top out at $250,000. Just keep in mind that American Express accounts are only insured for up to the standard $250,000 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
- Those accounts also have conditional APYs. Grasshopper’s rate depends on how much money is in your account. Bluevine makes you hit certain spending or deposit thresholds to earn any interest. There’s no fuss like this with Amex.
If you want more interest, consider American Express’s business savings account. Its APY is 2.95% APY as of this writing. You can get better rates elsewhere (the Axos Business Premium Savings Account is at 3.5% APY, for instance). But if you like Amex checking, you may find banking under one roof is worth sacrificing a few basis points.
Amex Membership Rewards
Amex Membership Reward point values vary. You’ll typically get 1 cent per point when you redeem them for flights through Amex. My colleagues on our travel team say you can boost that to 1.3 cents via certain transfer partners.
If that’s your strategy, then the 35,000 Points welcome bonus on this account becomes extra valuable. You can use NerdWallet’s Amex points calculator to determine how much.
You will need to meet each of the following requirements to earn the bonus:
- Deposit a total of $5,000 or more within 30 days of account opening. Eligible deposits are any deposits except those using the Redeem for Deposits feature, deposits from interest payments, and deposits from any other American Express® Business Checking accounts.
- Once you meet the deposit requirement, you must maintain an average balance of $5,000 for the next 60 days.
- Complete at least five transactions within 60 days of account opening. Qualifying transactions include mobile deposits, check deposits by mail and electronic transactions including ACH transfers, wire transfers and bill payments. Business debit card transactions and deposits using the Redeem for Deposits feature are not qualifying transactions.
You can also convert points into deposits directly into your American Express® Business Checking account at a 1:1 value. You can redeem them for digital gift cards with Amex or participating retailers too.
In addition to the welcome bonus, American Express® Business Checking customers can earn 1 Membership Reward point for every $2 spent on eligible business debit card purchases. That 0.5X rate is worse than you can get on The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, though, which has an annual fee of $0 (terms apply; see
Note: Amex business debit cards are capped to $5,000 in purchases and $1,000 in cash withdrawals per day. These limits reset at 3 a.m. EST each day.
24/7 customer support
American Express offers customer support online, by phone and via the app 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those hours are a rarity with business accounts — especially online ones. Those options don’t have branches you can visit to talk to someone, making multiple points of contact and extended hours extra valuable.
I used an AI tool that NerdWallet built to analyze sentiment in online forums like Reddit about American Express business banking. There wasn’t much recent chatter.
I usually see gripes about things like account holds and customer service in such spots. You could read this relative silence a few ways. It might speak to the quality of Amex’s service, or perhaps the limited use of this product. I’d guess the latter over the former. (People do like to complain online.)
That said, my colleague Rosalie Murphy had a good experience with Amex when she researched online business accounts. Amex also has separate phone numbers for business checking (855-497-1040) and business savings (800-297-3001). That might help with issues like wait times.
Lastly, many online accounts are from so-called “neobanks,” which rely on partners for banking services. Amex doesn’t. Since it’s a bank itself, it may be easier for American Express reps to resolve potential issues.
Where American Express® Business Checking falls short
Fees could be lower
Minimal fees are a hallmark of online business accounts. And Amex won’t nickel-and-dime you. Its business checking account has no monthly fee and very few incidental fees, for instance.
But you can find cheaper wire and same-day ACH services from competitors. Here’s how American Express® Business Checking breaks down against Bluevine and Grasshopper:
American Express Business Checking | Bluevine Business Checking Standard Plan | Grasshopper Business Checking | |
|---|---|---|---|
Domestic incoming wire transfer | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Domestic outgoing wire transfer | $25 | $15 | $10 |
International incoming wire transfer | Not available. | $25 | $5 |
International outgoing wire transfer | Not available. | $25 | $25 |
Domestic incoming/outgoing ACH | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Same-day domestic ACH | $10 (terms and fees apply) | $10 | $0 |
Amex does have one distinct money-moving edge: It supports Zelle for Business. Those transfers are free and typically instant. That makes it possible to avoid same-day ACH fees. However, the person you’re sending or receiving money from will need access to Zelle as well.
It’s missing banking features
American Express® Business Checking doesn’t support international wires or cash deposits. (International incoming ACH is available.) If your business relies on either, look elsewhere. Nbkc offers unlimited, free cash deposits. You won’t pay for any wires with a Mercury Business Account.
Amex also doesn't offer jointly owned business accounts. It supports authorized users, but that’s not the same thing. They’ll lack legal liability for debts, for instance. My colleague Kelsey Sheehy says a joint business account is usually the right choice for businesses with multiple owners.
Multiple owners might also bristle at the fact you can only get one debit card per account. That means you can't hand additional debit cards to your co-owners or employees. If your business needs employee debit cards, Relay Business Checking is a good fit. You can order up to 50 cards and set up spend controls for each.
So-so feedback on mobile banking
The topline ratings for the Amex Business Blueprint app seem solid. It’s at 4.4 in the Google Play store and 4.8 in the Apple App store, as of this writing. Looks may be deceiving there, though.
I used an AI tool NerdWallet built to analyze the actual reviews for these apps over the last 12 months, not just star ratings with no text. It surfaced a lot of negativity. Most notably, sentiment that the app is getting worse popped up in both stores. This chart showing Google Play ratings over time illustrates the diminishing satisfaction:
Reviewers point to login problems like biometric failures and “remember this device” not working. They say sometimes the app doesn’t load — or takes forever to do so. It also lacks functionality like push notifications and account alerts. An Amex spokesperson confirmed those notifications aren’t available.
Amex has released bug fixes and enhancements for the iOS version only once this year, in July. I doubt this is because there’s little room for improvement.
Of course, your actual experience might vary. But if you like the consumer Amex app (these reviewers seemingly do), be aware that you won’t use the same one for business checking.
Amex isn’t the best choice if you want tech bells and whistles in general. Its account lacks features like built-in invoicing or payment processing. An AI-powered payroll integration with Gusto is coming in 2027. Bluevine Business Checking is the better fit if you want an online account to be an operational hub for your business.
How we evaluated American Express® Business Checking
NerdWallet’s editorial team considers 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). For this review, I gathered this information from AmEx’s website and company representatives.
We score accounts from one to five stars overall, as well as on individual areas that are important for business banking. If a bank offers multiple accounts, we rate the entry-level account.
Here's how American Express Business Checking stacks up:
- Transactions: Unlimited fee-free electronic transactions. (Fees apply for wire transfers and instant transfers, as is the case with most business bank accounts.)
- Domestic ATM access, fees: Fee-free withdrawals from Allpoint and MoneyPass ATMs.
- Cash deposits: Not supported.
- Wire transfers: Domestic wire transfers only (incoming and outgoing). International wires not supported.
- Minimum opening deposit: $0.
- Checks: Yes. No fee from Amex, but third-party costs vary.
- Human support phone hours: 24/7.
- App store rating: 4.736 (weighted average of the Apple and Google Play app stores).
- Ease of website use: Easy to navigate and visually coherent.
- Branch access: None.
- Account availability: Nationwide.
- Account opening options: Online only.
- Live chat support: Yes.
- Monthly maintenance fee: $0.
- ATM withdrawal fee: No fees from Amex on out-of-network ATMs, but third-party fees may apply.
- Cash deposit fee: No cash deposits.
- Wire transfer fees: Incoming domestic wires: $0. Outgoing domestic wires: $25. No international wires.
- Overdraft fee: N/A. You cannot overdraw the account. Purchases above your account limit will not go through.
- APY: 1.00% on balances up to $500,000. No interest on balances above that amount.
- Sign-up bonus: Earn up to 35,000 Membership Rewards points. Terms apply. (See details here.)
American Express Business Checking earned additional points for software features thanks to the following:
- Zelle for Business.
- Sub-account availability.
I also scanned public forums (like Reddit and Quora) and online reviews (via sites like Trustpilot and the App Store/Google Play) to understand perks and pain points of banking with American Express. I used AI tools to help gather and analyze some of this information.
People post anonymously in forums and review sites, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances. This data does not influence our star ratings. But NerdWallet does contact financial institutions regarding negative feedback that we consistently observe.
How to open an American Express® Business Checking account
Opening an American Express® Business Checking account is straightforward. You can do so online or via the mobile app in minutes. You can apply for an American Express® Business Savings account at the same time. Once approved, you have 120 days to fund your account through ACH or wire transfer.
American Express asks for the following information from those applying for a business account:
- Business name, legal structure and industry.
- Annual revenue.
- Employer identification number or taxpayer identification number.
- Personal name, address, date of birth.
- Social Security number and U.S. government-issued photo identification for each beneficial owner ( 25% or more stake in the business).
You also need to upload certain business documents with your application, depending on your business entity type, including articles of incorporation, certificate of formation or a DBA certificate.
NerdWallet writer Kelsey Sheehy also contributed to this review.
Note on American Express® Business Checking: At Allpoint® and MoneyPass® locations in the U.S., you can withdraw cash and get balance information with no fee. Access to ATMs outside of the Allpoint® and MoneyPass® networks are subject to fees by the ATM owner and/or network. ATM withdrawal limits apply. American Express applies foreign exchange fees to withdrawals in foreign currencies. American Express does not accept ATM cash deposits into your Business Checking account at this time. Visit americanexpress.com/atm-locator to find participating ATMs in the U.S.
$10 USD fee applies for Same Day ACH. Same Day ACH transactions submitted between 12 AM and 2:45 PM ET on a business day will arrive on the same day by 6 PM ET. The availability of your funds may vary depending on your payee’s financial institution. Please note that the same day ACH option is not available for recurring or international transactions.
APY is subject to change at any time without notice before and after a Business Savings Account is opened.