Business Bank Accounts Compared
Mercury, Relay, Bluevine and Chase Business Complete, side by side, with what each one actually costs and where your money sits.
Written and reviewed by the BizCredX Editorial Team Figures checked October 13, 2026
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The Short Answer
- Lowest cost, online onlyMercury has no required monthly fee and no minimum balance.
- Many accounts under one loginRelay lets you open up to 20 checking accounts per business, which suits sellers who like to split money into buckets (tax, inventory, payroll).
- Branches and cashChase Business Complete is the only one here with branches. It costs $15 a month unless you meet a waiver condition.
- Interest on checkingBluevine pays interest on checking, but the rate depends on your plan and, on the free plan, on how much you spend or collect each month.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Provider | Monthly fee | Where deposits are held | Standout feature | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | $0 required. Optional paid plans start at $35. | Partner banks (Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., FDIC members). Mercury itself is not a bank. | No minimum balance. ACH and domestic wires are free. | Sellers who bank online and want zero required fees |
| Relay | $0 Starter, $30 Grow, $90 Scale. | Thread Bank, Member FDIC. Relay is not a bank. | Up to 20 checking accounts per business on Starter and Grow, 50 on Scale. | Sellers who want to split money across several accounts |
| Bluevine | $0 Standard. Plus is $30 and Premier is $95, both waivable. | Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, plus program banks. Bluevine is not a bank. | Standard earns 1.3% up to $250,000 if you meet a spending or deposit requirement. | Sellers with steady cash who want interest without a separate savings product |
| Chase Business Complete Banking | $15, waivable if you meet Chase's conditions. | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a traditional bank. | 20 teller and paper transactions and $5,000 of in-branch cash deposits per statement cycle. | Sellers who deposit cash or want a branch nearby |
Checked October 13, 2026 against each provider's own pages (listed under Sources). Prices, fees and rates change, so confirm on the provider's site before you apply.
Provider by Provider
Mercury
Clean, no-fee online banking
Best for: Sellers who bank online and want zero required fees
- No required monthly fee, minimum balance or opening fee
- Free ACH and domestic wires
- Fully online account opening
- No branches
- Not itself an FDIC-insured bank
Relay
Lots of accounts, one dashboard
Best for: Sellers who want to split money across several accounts
- Free tier with 20 checking accounts
- Savings interest scales up with the plan
- Up to $3,000,000 of pass-through FDIC coverage when conditions are met
- Extra transaction fees apply on every plan
- Best savings rate sits behind the $90 plan
Bluevine
Checking that pays interest
Best for: Sellers with steady cash who want interest without a separate savings product
- No monthly service fee on Standard
- Interest on checking balances
- Mobile check deposit
- Standard rate has a monthly activity requirement
- Cash deposit options are not listed on the product page
Chase Business Complete Banking
The branch-and-cash option
Best for: Sellers who deposit cash or want a branch nearby
- Real branches and in-person help
- Traditional bank with a long track record
- Cash deposit capacity built in
- $15 monthly fee unless waived
- Transaction and cash limits per cycle
Does a Business Bank Account Build Business Credit?
Not directly. A checking account doesn't create a trade line the way a Net-30 vendor account does, so opening one won't move your Dun & Bradstreet or Experian Business file by itself.
What it does is keep your personal and business money apart, which protects the liability shield your LLC is supposed to give you, and it gives a lender clean statements to read when you apply for a card or a line of credit. Many lenders ask for several months of statements, so opening the account early is worth it.
If you're still sorting out the order of operations, start with your first business credit account and come back here once your EIN and business address are in place.
How to Choose
Start with how you handle cash. If you never touch physical money, an online account like Mercury, Relay or Bluevine will do everything you need. If customers or suppliers pay you in cash or you want to sit across a desk from a banker when you apply for credit, Chase earns its $15.
Then look at how you manage money. Sellers who like to set aside tax money, inventory money and ad money in separate buckets usually get the most from Relay, because the extra accounts are free. Sellers who keep a large cash balance should look hard at the interest rates, but read the savings comparison first because the best rates tend to sit behind a paid plan.
Ready to Open an Account?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to bank with a company that isn't a bank?
Mercury, Relay and Bluevine are financial technology companies that work with partner banks. Your deposits are held at those FDIC-member banks, so the deposit insurance applies to the bank, not to the fintech. Each provider explains its coverage on its own site, including the conditions that apply to higher limits, so read that section before moving a large balance.
Can I use one of these for my Amazon seller payouts?
Amazon and most marketplaces pay out by ACH to a bank account number and routing number, which all four providers issue. Confirm that your marketplace accepts the specific bank before you switch.
Do I need an LLC first?
Not necessarily, but you will almost always need an EIN, and most providers ask for formation documents if you have a company. Sole proprietors can usually open accounts too, though terms vary by provider.
Keep Comparing
This is informational, not financial advice. Vendor terms, card offers, and bureau reporting policies change, and a general guide can't account for your specific credit history or business situation. Confirm current terms directly with the issuer or vendor before applying. See our editorial policy for how we verify what we publish.